The Technique
Nia Promotional Video 2005 from Nia Technique on Vimeo.
NIA is the “Love Your Body” Workout! (www.nianow.com)
The NIA technique is a fusion workout for the body and soul. Nia is all about joyous movement to create optimal health and wellness. Short for Neuromuscular Integrative Action, Nia´s barefoot, grounded approach maximizes body efficiency and teaches you to consciously move in a gentler way. As NIA instructors we recognize that everyBODY moves in their own unique style and NIA classes encourage creativity within the technique. In Swahili, Nia means with purpose, so NIA is movement with purpose. Through movement we heal. This movement form is not just about elongating and strengthening muscles, it is also about stretching the spirit. The music used in a NIA class is inspirational, moving and completely energizing! NIA fuses:- HEALING ARTS: Yoga, The Work of Moshe Feldenkrais, The Alexander Technique
- MARTIAL ARTS: Aikido, Tae-Kwon-Do, Tai-chi
- DANCE ARTS: Jazz, Modern, Duncan Dance
THE HISTORY
In 1983 by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas, Nia (pronounced “NEE-uh”), in Swahili, means “with purpose.” Nia blends the power and mindfulness of martial arts (tai chi, tae kwon do, and aikido), the joy and grace of dance arts (jazz, Duncan, and modern) and the awareness and alignment of healing arts (yoga, Feldenkrais and the Alexander technique) into a self-expressive movement form that emphasizes “the body’s way.”
THE EVOLUTION
In 1983, at the height of the no-pain no-gain fitness mentality, Carlos Rosas and Debbie Rosas, both successful fitness instructors, began to question the more traditional models for exercise. In this way, they began to envision and craft a more holistic way of being healthy in one’s body. Carlos and Debbie‘s breakthrough came when they decided to incorporate passion, mindfulness, The Joy of Movement, comfort, and pleasure into their lives and their workout as a new way to feel and create both fitness and well-being.
They discovered that getting fit and healthy through pleasure is a way to heal and way to live life joyfully.
NIA PHILOSOPHY
The Nia philosophy “Through Movement We Find Health,” means we believe in the power of self-discovery through movement. In practicing Nia you fall in love with being and moving in your body – you experience the power of Self-Healing.
Nia Empowers
Nia empowers people to make their own movement choices by offering a flexible structure they can personally modify to suit individual needs. The blueprint of Nia is practical, experiential and focuses on internal guidance to change and develop awareness.
THE BODY’S WAY
The Body’s Way, your body’s way, is a way of moving and being in your body to sense joy. The Pleasure Principle states: if it feels good, do it; if it doesn’t, don’t. Nia, then, is taught in three levels of movement (imagine: small, medium and large), making it accessible to every level of fitness, every age, and every type of body. From free dance to more structured and complex sequences, the focus of Nia is joy.
DYNAMIC EASE
Nia is done barefoot to music and delivers cardiovascular and whole-body conditioning. Because Nia is self-guided and based on creating a loving relationship with the body and following The Body’s Way – the innate intelligence of the body — it is adaptable and safe for any fitness level. It is equally appropriate for beginners to highly fit athletes. Nia teaches you how to physically interpret and internally direct your actions and choices – and to listen to the voice of your own body – and discover your own Dynamic Ease.