Remember working out in the ’80s; the headbands, high cut leotards, shiny tights and legwarmers? Unfortunately, I do, and I distinctly remember thinking, ‘This is Hell,’ as I did my fiftieth leg-lift to some now long-forgotten REO Speedwagon ballad.
But they said, ‘No Pain. No Gain.’ So I kept lifting and visualizing myself out of my body and in my happy place.
Thank God that’s over. I recently discovered Nia (Neuromuscular Integrative Action) Technique™, a workout that goes beyond the mechanical and repetitive. It encourages the participants to be present with their bodies, sense what feels right in the moment and do what is pleasurable, expressing that in a powerful, emotional, and holistic workout. The new belief system: No Pain. All Gain.
I caught up with local Nia dance instructor, Kimberley Elliott, and her passionate student, Laurie Martin to find out about Nia and an exciting up-coming event (more on that in a moment). Laurie learned about Nia at a Women’s Wellness seminar in 2007 when she decided it was time to take charge of her health. She was overweight, had arthritis and found movement painful and difficult. She tried a class with Kimberly at Tahoe Center for Health and Sports Performance and has missed nary a class since. She says Nia has been, ‘transformative. I always loved to dance but now I’m dancing from within, experiencing my body like I never had, and I move like I didn’t think I could anymore.’ She has lost thirty pounds, built up her fitness level through the joy of movement and has enjoyed every minute of it. She dances at home, participates in Ecstatic Dance, and found Rhythm Wave on the Playa at Burning Man, where she was able to dance for three hours straight in the scorching heat.
An additional benefit is that she has discovered a great community built on sharing the intention of joy.
While Laurie shared her story with me, both she and Kimberley would spontaneously burst out in expressive movement and vocalizations. They carried storytelling to a new level. Enthusiasm is contagious and I was hooked.
On Saturday morning I bounded out of bed and into class with eighteen other students of all shapes, sizes, fitness and energy levels. In each class, familiar choreographed routines based on 52 movements are spliced together into different dances.
There are nine movement forms. From the martial arts, Tai Chi inspires slow movements; Tae Kwon Do focuses on precision, powerful, masculine movements; and Aikido blends spherical and linear movement. Dance arts elements represented include the showmanship and expression of jazz,; modern dance, which highlights shapes; and the work of Isadora Duncan, which focuses movements up and out. From the healing arts, yoga insures bone alignment and balance, Feldenkrais works with energy and sensing, and the Alexander technique is about alignment and working from the head. While I was intellectually aware of these components in my Nia class, I didn’t think about them. All I thought about was how good it felt to move the way my body wanted to move and how much fun I was having. Kimberley would say things like, ‘Make it delicious,’ and I couldn’t resist. I didn’t once wonder if I was doing it ‘right,’ and I became a part of the amazing music. When I left class I was energized and ready for a great day, and I hadn’t even had a cup of coffee.
Lissa Johnson and Mary Berelson, teachers at Glenshire Elementary, have been regulars at class since it started almost two years ago. ‘It’s stress releasing,’ said Johnson, ‘and there is a lot of creativity. You get to customize your workout to your energy level.’ Berelson added, ‘Everyone just gets down, so you’re not embarrassed.’
Debbie Rosas remembers the ‘burn, baby, burn’ days of ‘80s aerobics, in fact, she was a leader in the industry. It is thanks to her and her creative partner, Carlos Rosas, that the industry has evolved to incorporate concepts of both Eastern and Western practices. They founded Nia over 25 years ago after she began to feel that something was missing from her workout.
Evidently, there were others who were looking for a gentler, more holistic approach to fitness, because more than 2,200 teachers now teach Nia in 43 countries. On September 17 Debbie is coming to our area to share ‘Body Bliss’ with us during a rejuvenating night out in Squaw Valley. She’ll teach a full 90 minutes of Nia and lead participants in a grounding meditation at the Olympic Valley Lodge. There will be a raffle of Nia products and mingling with other Nia enthusiasts. Discounted accommodations are available and overnight guests will be able to participate in a Nia class with Kimberly in the morning.
While Nia isn’t for everybody, it is for everyBODY. If you’re not afraid to go within, to get a little wild and, indulge in pure pleasure, then take off your shoes and come dance for a while. Kimberly teaches at Tahoe Center for Health and Sports Performance on Saturdays from 9 to 10 a.m. and on Mondays from 5 to 6 p.m. $15 drop-in, $75 for 6-visit pass, $100 for a 10-visit pass. Membership options also available. 10710 Donner Pass Road, Truckee, 530-587-3769. The Nia Dance Master Class with Debbie Rosas is on September 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Olympic Valley Lodge, 1901 Chamonix Place, Olympic Valley. nianow.com.
