Nia stands for “neuromuscular integrative action” and is also a Swahili word for “with purpose.” It is the fastest growing form of fusion fitness in the country today, and it is designed for all ages and abilities.

But what is it about Nia that is so different from other forms of exercise?
To begin with, Nia is a combination, or fusion, of nine movement forms. From the martial arts, Nia takes elements of Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do and Aikido. From the dance arts, you’ll find components of jazz, modern and Duncan dance. And, from the healing arts, the movement incorporates yoga, Feldenkrais and Alexander technique. Each of these movement forms teaches movement the body’s way, as opposed to overriding how the body was designed to move, which can result in injury. When we move with the body’s design, we experience physical sensations of joy and aliveness. We feel youthful again!

Additionally, Nia doesn’t just stop at exercising the muscles. Nia movement also soothes and lubricates the thirteen major joints (ankles, knees, hips, spine and neck, shoulders, elbows, and wrists); works tendons, ligaments, and the twenty digits of the toes and fingers; and massages inner organs. Nia movement “milks” the joints and flushes out calcium deposits, thereby counteracting any development of arthritis. It also develops and improves balance.

“No pain, no gain” is a thing of the past with Nia, but “move it or lose it” is a key to graceful aging. Through the five sensations of Nia, the movement leads participants into a joyful, experiential and ongoing relationship with their own bodies. Coincidentally, in working with these five sensations, participants are also developing five important attributes that increase health and well-being and are markers that define our level of youthfulness or aging:

Flexibility is the sensation caused when we move energy out, such as stretching muscles along the bones. Flexibility is also defined as the range and ease of movement we experience as we open and close our joints.

Agility, or the ability to start and stop at will, is a combination of speed and strength - take Tae Kwon Do kicks, blocks and punches, for example. Agility creates a unique sensation in the body we can track with our awareness.

Mobility is the sensation we get when we put the body in motion and keep it in motion for an entire hour. The motion can vary in range and rhythm as moves and music change, but the exhilarating sensation of staying in motion creates a sensation of aliveness and joy that contributes to our overall state of health and well-being.
Strength is defined as the sensation of squeezing and condensing our muscles as we sink into the earth, push ourselves away from the earth, or push and pull with the arms and torso in isometric ways. When we experience this empowering sensation, we are strengthening our bones and increasing bone density as a direct result of lifting and moving our own body weight.      
  
Stability is the sensation of energy moving down our body and legs and into the earth, giving us a feeling of solidity and security, no matter how we choose to stand—whether it be in one of the many stances of Nia, balancing on one leg, or combining one-leg and two-leg stances with movement and dance. As people age, many lose the awareness of what their feet and legs are doing, causing instability and leading to falls. Nia re-energizes our connection to the earth through our feet and our center of balance (called our “hara” or T’an Tien), and it promotes a feeling of confidence as we move through life.

As we learn to connect to these sensations, we also gain the ability to heal ourselves through movement. How? As we experience these sensations and learn how each feels to us, we learn to listen inwardly to our body. We are then able to take advantage of the special wisdom held within our cells, a wisdom that can only speak to us through the language of sensation. We can become aware of slight discomforts or restrictions and manipulate them gently into a place of ease before they become painful.

Utilizing sensation, we then employ Nia’s five stages of healing to listen to our bodies and learn move in ways that make us feel better and better and better. The five stages are embryonic, creeping, crawling, standing, and walking. These can be used literally, in movement on the floor, to open joints and improve overall body conditioning. They can also be used figuratively, to give us a way to determine where we are as an individual with regard to healing any aspect of our body or our movement.

Nia’s definition of self-healing is “making an ongoing series of small choices for self-kindness.” In Nia, classes, participants learn how to choose ways of moving that are kind to themselves and that make them feel better. As a result, they can re-awaken flexibility, agility, mobility, strength and stability. Nia can also help participants establish a more loving relationship with their physical selves, and feel younger, more vibrant, more integrated and happier.

Through movement, we find health.

The Thirteen Joints Exercise
Your body is wonderfully designed and neurologically encoded to move as a whole unit. However, to move the body in synchrony and harmony, you must have proper mobility and stability in
each joint.

Here’s the easiest way to ascertain the degree of health in all thirteen of your major joints. Simply stand up and move each joint separately to determine which joints move well and which ones feel too rigid, or too lax. Do all the movements within your known personalized time frame and in your own style.

Instructions:
Left ankle: flex, extend and circle your foot. Left knee: bend and extend your lower leg. Left hip: circle your thigh bone, lifting and extending it in all directions. Left wrist: flex, extend and circle your hand and fingers. Left elbow: bend and extend your forearm. Left shoulder: circle your upper arm up, over, back and around. Spine and neck: bend to both sides, to the front and to the back; twist left and right. Right shoulder: circle your upper arm up, over, back and around. Right elbow: bend and extend your forearm. Right wrist: flex, extend and circle your hand and fingers. Right hip: lift and circle your thigh around and around. Right knee: bend and extend your lower leg. Right ankle: flex, extend and circle your foot.

Now, ask yourself: Which joints felt good? Which felt strong?
Which felt flexible? Which ones felt too tight? Which ones felt
too loose?

Source: The Nia Technique by Debbie and Carlos Rosas

Anne Lowry has studied extensively with Nia creators Debbie and Carlos Rosas and maintains an active teaching career, teaching an average of twelve classes per week throughout Asheville and Hendersonville; she can be reached at 828-687-8874 or via email at NiaSkywalker7@aol.com, or visit http://www.niacarolina.comfor a full listing of area Nia classes. For information about participating in a Nia White Belt intensive, contact Denise Medved at 828-696-3060 or visit her website at www.niasouth.com.

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