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Martial
Arts
Tai
Chi
Nia
moves inspired by Tai Chi focus on developing a relationship with your
slow dance and learning to move from a lower center of gravity in the
body, called the tan-tien - located two inches below the navel in the
center of the pelvis. Moving from this center it is possible to develop
sensory awareness and a nourishing energy relationship between your body
and the world around you.
A
Nia Tai Chi experience involves circular, elegant and soft movements,
reminiscent of swimming in water. This fluidity gives definition to the
body without the use of external weights and slowly and gently increases
your range of motion. Coordinating arm, eye, and hand motions with the
whole body creates graceful systemic movement without causing strain to
the skeletal system. Moving slowly provides conditioning for the legs and
increases flexibility. The energy of Tai Chi maximizes efficiency by using
the basic locomotive move of leading with the heel and shifting body
weight rather than dropping it.
Tae
Kwon Do
Nia
moves inspired by Tae Kwon Do place an emphasis on precision and on
developing organic skill, the perfect balance between moving naturally
while mechanically perfecting your technique.
A
Nia Tae Kwon Do experience includes arm blocks, punches, thrusts, kicks,
hand techniques, and the use of sound. Circular movements become powerful,
directed, linear actions in an instant. Speed changes challenge quick and
slow twitch muscle fibers and improve your strength, agility, mobility,
stability, and overall coordination. The martial art stances, kicks, core,
and hand and arm techniques are a cornerstone in the foundation of Nia
choreography that makes it possible to receive cardiovascular benefits
without repetitive jogging and jumping up and down. Learning to work from
a place of dynamic control and balance, you benefit from the energy that
flows and directs your body with internal physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual power.
Aikido
Nia
moves inspired by Aikido follow the path and way of harmony, as in
harmonious spherical motion. 'Ai' means to meet, 'ki' meaning spirit and
'Do' meaning the way - in other words, the way of harmony.
A
Nia Aikido experience encourages you to energetically blend your body with
space, music, breath, time, with other people... with everything! You
learn to focus and consciously direct your energy, which allows your
energy to flow freely and your whole body to move more powerfully and
elegantly.
Dance
Arts
Jazz
Nia
moves inspired by Jazz encourage fun, showmanship and spontaneous
self-expression while balancing muscle strength and flexibility, making it
possible to move quickly while isolating joints and body parts.
A
Nia Jazz experience encourages body symmetry while isolating individual
body parts. Moves from Jazz, such as the cha cha, shakes, the shimmy, and
hip bumps make the Nia experience fun and sensual.
Duncan
Dance
Nia
moves inspired by Duncan Dance seduce you to move in free-spirited ways
that integrate both graceful and beautiful full-body expression.
A
Nia Duncan Dance experience encourages an unrestricted and uninhibited
flow of emotion and motion. Attention to up and out energy flow balances
the downward pull of gravity, which helps to keep the posture of the body
aligned and balanced. Leg strength is built through the integration of the
relève, lyrical momentum, and pauses, creating a unique conversation with
the space - rising to the sky and surrendering back to the floor. Calf and
leg muscles develop a beautiful shape through the gentle mechanics of
opening up the front of the ankle, groin and torso on rising motions.
Modern
Dance
Nia
moves inspired by Modern Dance creatively get you to play in space with
your body, creating shapes in space, falling on and off balance, and being
dramatic and elusively emotional.
A
Nia Modern Dance experience provides the space to play and create within
the Nia moves, tapping into body language that is both physically and
emotionally satisfying. As you learn to play and create body shapes in
space your body becomes more comfortable at being on and off balance. Free
expansive movement leads the way for increased strength and flexibility in
the whole body. Changing directions keeps the vestibular system healthy,
making it easy for your brain to give you information about your body
movement and help control your balance and equilibrium.
Healing
Arts
Yoga
Nia
moves inspired by Yoga take the emphasis off of muscle and place it on
creating comfort by sensing bone and joint alignment.
A
Nia Yoga experience teaches you to maintain volume and space inside by
positioning bones and joints so that the body is continually encouraged to
open up and free itself of unwanted tension. Opening the body becomes a
way of making space in and around the joints. Lengthening and feeling the
sensation of flexibility - your energy moving out and along the bones -
teaches you to stretch in a way that respects muscle attachments. Looking
inward, sensing your body as you move, enhances an ongoing awareness of
purposeful bone alignment that makes moving into most any yoga posture a
natural process.
The
Work of Moshe Feldenkrais
Nia
moves inspired by the work of Moshe Feldenkrais focus on connecting to
body sensations, in motion and in stillness.
A
Nia Feldenkrais based experience focuses on moving slowly and quickly
while noticing sensations and feelings with the whole body. Awareness of
your movement is how you help create permanent changes in your body that
improve function and pleasure. You learn to place your conscious and
sensory attention on breath, voice, circulation, sight, smell, sound,
touch, taste, orientation to space, time and rhythm, as well as physical
feelings associated with emotions.
The
Alexander Technique
Nia
moves inspired by The Alexander Technique focus on redirecting your
movement from the top - the head - to help shift stereotyped response
patterns that create inefficient postural habits.
A
Nia Alexander Technique experience gives you the power to change the way
you move and hold your body by redirecting the use of the head in a
'forward and up' relationship to the neck and torso. Proper use of the
head and neck is primary in developing integrated body movement. The
practice of allowing the back to lengthen and widen, and learning how to
move as a whole person are just some of the self-healing techniques
inspired in this amazing body of work.
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