NiaDivas

This weekend Lesley and I enjoyed sharing our New to Nia Workshop to an enthusiastic group of Nia newbies. Preparing for the presentation, we asked ourselves "What is at the heart of Nia?" Whew, that feels like a big question... and Nia is such a deep and broad practice to study. We looked to the Nia's White Belt Principals, the first level of Nia Study, and came up with these points that were essential in our own Nia practice.

At the Heart of Nia (the Technique) there is:

1. Awareness of Sensation (felt in the body). In Nia we are connecting to what we are feeling in our body--in Nia we refer to this as sensation. Becoming aware of sensation cultivates the body-mind relationship. Nia teachers invite their students to become more aware of sensation by saying in class "Every body sense your (body part).........." This is an invitation to practice and cultivate your relationship with your body. "When I'm moving this way, what can I sense in this part of my body". Defining sensations can run the gamut of adjectives beyond just GOOD or BAD. We invite you to begin cultivating your own personal "sensation-glossary"...twingey, fluid, sticky, tight, free, choppy...the list goes on.

2. Pleasure- As humans our bodies want us to practice movements that feel good. Somewhere along the line we may have hooked into the "no pain, no gain" "just do it" mentality. In Nia, we practice cultivating movements that feel good to the body which inturn elevates our mood, calms our nervous system and clears our mind. Moving with pleasure also makes taking class more fun! Learning to choose pleasure, is an evolving practice. "Tweaking" movement slightly can bring us back onto the path of pleasure, so there is no reason to "grin and bear it"....if something doesn't feel good--TWEAK (make a small change). As we learn to sense our body (#1), we begin to seek and choose pleasure.

3. Consciously-Directed Movement- Did you know in Swahilii Nia means "with purpose"? It's no surprise that at the heart of Nia, we practice becoming aware of directing our body with clarity and energy. As we become more conscious of our movement, we are able to study our body, it's current state, our movement habits and our ever-changing sensations. Another benefit of moving with purpose is, it enables us to live in the moment, which often releases us from unnecessary mind-chatter. What a wonderful way to spend time with our body!

On a final note, take notice of how often I use the word practice. This is also at the heart of Nia. There is no expectation to "get it" right away. In Nia, we are all on our own path's practice with no expectation to be like anyone else.

At the heart of Nia is the acceptance. Acceptance that comes with relaxing into the concept of yes, I'm practicing and my practice is rewarding.