Nia Promotional Video 2005 from Nia Technique on Vimeo.
“Nia is movement-medicine for the body and soul.”
Nia was created in the early 1980’s by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas, then fitness professionals in Marin County, California, searching for a smarter and less painful way to work out and stay fit.
The philosophy of Nia is based on the pleasure principle: If it feels good, keep doing it; if it hurts, stop and adapt what you do to feel better. Nia is a workout, lifestyle and personal growth program. More than a physical fitness or weight loss program, Nia is a way to condition, heal and transform your body, mind, emotions and spirit. Nia is a system that blends Eastern and Western movements, concepts and philosophy derived from three main movement forms:
Martial Arts:
Tai Chi ~ the slow dance
Tae Kwon Do ~ the dance of precision
Aikido ~ harmonious, spherical motion
Dance Arts:
Jazz ~ fun, showmanship, expression
Modern ~ creating shapes in space
Duncan ~ free-spirited, honest movement
Healing Arts:
The Work of Moshe Feldenkrais ~ conscious awareness of sensation
Alexander Technique ~ movement from the top
Yoga ~ conscious alignment of bones and joints
Nia is based on The Body’s Way, which means, using the body’s design to improve function. The biochemistry, joint and muscle action are triggered using imagination, music, emotion and vocal sound. Movements work with and against gravity and include: abduction, adduction; flexion, extension; eversion, inversion; dorsal flexion, plantar flexion, pronation and supination; horizontal flexion, extension; rotation inward, outward, upward and downward, elevation, depression, and circumduction. Nia addresses the body’s five main sensations: flexibility, strength, mobility, agility and stability and focuses on conditioning the body and the nervous system.
Everything in Nia is perceived, experienced and processed through the body. Nia uses the body to develop Sensory IQ wisdom. The mind is used to imagine witness, focus and direct attention. The emotions are used to personally engage the individual with activity, thereby creating the coupling effect needed to trigger the mind-body connection. Spirit is used to honor the uniqueness of each individual. Nia uses emotion and sound to condition the body and nervous system. Nia’s teaching style emphasizes internally directed guidance, uses visual and sensory language, user-friendly choreography, that can be adapted to fit personal needs, and includes three stages of learning for all levels of ability.
http://www.nianow.com/faq#what-is-nia
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