Broadening Your Experience

The Three Planes & Three Levels
Nia Principle Number 7 out of 13

"Every movement can be done within three plane-low, middle, and high - and can be done with three different levels of intensity.

Mixing the three levels and three planes creates a wide repertoire of movement choices.

Transfer body weight along a Smile Line, moving from low to middle to high. Use three levels of intensity to vary your rate of exertion."

Visualization Pearls (words to trigger your mind and body to get the most out of your Nia workout):

1. See yourself rising high into the clouds as you rise.

2. Imagine your torso slipping below the waterline as you sink.

3. Imagine your body as a helium balloon that fills and empties as you move through three planes.*

*from the book, The Nia Technique

Commentary from Julia, Nia Teacher

Principle 7 combines two aspects of Nia, planes of movement and levels of intensity, that when consciously used together provide a customized work out for the participant. In every class the student has the freedom to choose her/his own level of intensity and plane of movement. This unique aspect of Nia honors every "body" in every class.

As stated in the name, there are 3 Planes of Movement - Low, Middle and High. Playing with the planes improves agility, mobility and balance. Having the freedom to choose these planes allows for unlimited options; the student can create their own movement within the framework of the day's routine. No routine will ever be exactly the same if the student plays with planes.

As adults we do not get on the floor very often a fact that ultimately hinders our range of motion. Playing with the low plane improves our agility. The middle plane is a place to work on deepening and intensifying movement. Playing with the high plane can speak to the spirit as well as the body. Stretch, reach, and create beautiful long lines with the body letting the spirit soar to the heavens. This is a wonderful feeling to receive in a "work out".

The three Levels of Teaching (One, Two and Three) allow the student to find ease in movement and to nurture the body. Every level has its benefits. Level one focuses on sensitivity. It conditions the intrinsic muscles and improves control of the body. Level two allows the participant to develop and deepen the movements. The focus of level three is on complexity and energy. Using level three allows the student to improve strength and endurance and eventually reach their full physical potential.

Mix up the levels and planes and the Nia experience will condition and tone the entire body and the class will never be dull. Dare to try something new you may surprise yourself!

Commentary from Allison, studio owner
When I think of moving my body in the three different planes, the first image I am reminded of is the scene from "Dead Poets Society" where Robin Williams portrayed a professor. In order to open up his student's minds, he told them to climb on top of their desks so that they could experience a different perspective. This was a powerful exercise for me and is something I've always carried with me.

Just as our minds become more embedded in habit, so do our bodies. We stand and walk in nearly the same way all the time. We tend to sleep in the same positions. These habits reinforce our experience of reality and in fact, define our own realities. While habits give us predictability and make it easier to multi-task, they can also diminish our sensory experience and encourage us to walk through life in zombie-like state.

I use the three planes and three levels in Nia class to break my own habits and perspectives. In general, the plane I spend the least amount of time in, is the high plane. I rarely think to reach high above my head, to stretch my arms and neck as high as they can go. In fact, during my Nia White Belt training, one of our trainers who teaches in New York City, commented that I wasn't keeping my head up. In order to encourage myself to grow outside my comfort zone and habits, I try to extend my arms and reach for the sky often.

What are your movement habits? Are there ways you can move in Nia that would encourage you to gain a different perspective? Perhaps you rarely like to get down on the floor? Or perhaps moving quickly from a standing position to a plank position is something you don't like doing but if you did it often enough, you will not only increase your flexibility but you will also increase your perspective on what your body is still capable of doing.

Each Nia class and each Nia movement gives you the opportunity to move in the three planes and utilize the three levels of intensity.

Nia studio member testimonial:

Thanks to my daughter, I found Castle Rock Nia. I had moved back here three years ago and didn't know there was one so near. Previously I had done Nia in Idaho and was missing it very much. Nia gives me something that other exercise doesn't. Not only do I get a good physical workout, but the music and movement touches my heart as well as my soul.

Also dancing like that puts me in touch with my femininity. In my day to day routine, I don't move my hips and sway to the music. I LOVE IT!

I live in Parker and can honestly say the drive to Castle Rock is no problem or hindrance. In fact it really gives me something to look forward to. Castle Rock Nia has a very comfortable and friendly atmosphere and the owner and instructors are wonderful. Nia is a so much fun and perfect for women of all ages. I am 61 and plan on doing this for years to come!

Castle Rock Nia Fitness Studio
http://www.niafitnessclasses.com/
Do you have questions about this class? Do you wonder if it is right for you? You are welcome to take a Nia class for free to see if it is right for your fitness routine.

Request a Coupon for a FREE Nia Class or call us at 303-522-4740


Listen to the music and see what Nia is like, watch a Nia video.

Body Awareness Exercise - Principle 5 of Nia

"We are wired to be fully aware."
from the Nia teacher and personal development guide: White Belt Manual

The Thirteen Principles of Nia (a 13 part series)
Principle Five: Awareness

Commentary by Julia Desmond, Certified Nia Instructor

Principle 5 is actually consists of two parts. One half is the awareness of pain in the body and the use of stimulation to promote self healing. The second half is the awareness of pleasure that leads us to "Dance Through Life." This month I will focus on the awareness of pain and our ability to self heal.

This principle has been a powerful one for me personally. I suffered a misalignment of my hips after the birth of my daughter. I went through physical therapy and eventually realigned my body. However for many years later I had chronic hip pain. It wasn't until I took the White Belt training that I realized I had gotten into a peculiar bad habit that was exacerbating my injury.

As I learned to be more aware of my body I came to the astounding realization that I was driving with my right hip in the air. I have since worked quite diligently to keep that hip on the seat and as a result I am pain free, a state that just a year ago I wouldn't have believed possible. Whenever, the pain returns I know that I need to check that (difficult, quite set in its ways) hip and make a slight correction.

Awareness is a dynamic process. It is only possible in the present and therefore is constantly changing. We are rarely aware of sensation in our bodies unless we are in a state of discomfort or pain. Pain signals the need to change the body's movement or alignment. Awareness is not about judging ourselves but about gathering information about our bodies. With this awareness we can then set about making small changes in our movement that improve our balance and alignment. Use stimulation, either movement or relaxation, to encourage healing. Ideally this process is a daily occurrence. We check in with our bodies when we wake up in the morning and adjust how we do the little things in life, just like I monitor my hip as I drive.

In class this principle should be employed so you don’t accidently cause an injury to yourself. If a movement hurts or even causes a slight twinge, the movement should be modified or stopped. Check in with the instructor to see if you are doing the movement correctly. Principle 5 is about choices. It is choosing to be aware of our bodies, sensing what needs to heal and stimulating the area in order to achieve healing.

Commentary by Allison FrederickNia Studio owner/operator
Julia's story demonstrates the complex benefits of the Nia philosophy. One healing art contributing to Nia is Feldenkrais. Feldenkrais focuses on retraining our brains to break physical habits that are causing our body pain. For Julia, it was in the way she was holding her hips and standing. For those suffering from knee problems, it may be that they walk with their feet pivoted out to the side rather than being aligned in a forward position. Sometimes we hold our bodies in such subtle, yet destructive ways which over time lead to painful conditions. We might say "I have a bad knee," instead of saying, "I have a bad way of walking." Becoming aware of what our body is doing is the first step towards self healing. How do we stand, sit, walk, do Nia?

Do you have any sensations of pain in your body? If so, when do you feel them? Watch how your body does a certain activity. Can you guess whether you are causing the problem through poor body mechanics? Below is a 10 minute video explaining the core philosophy of Feldenkrais. The good news for us is that Nia incorporates the best of Feldenkrais with other healing arts and other exercises to create one comprehensive exercise that can be used to burn calories, tone your body, give you a cardio vascular workout, and self heal.

***
Castle Rock Nia Fitness Studio
http://www.niafitnessclasses.com/
Do you have questions about this class? Do you wonder if it is right for you? You are welcome to take a Nia class for free to see if it is right for your fitness routine.

Request a Coupon for a FREE Nia Class or call us at 303-522-4740

Listen to the music and see what Nia is like, watch a Nia video.

The Effects of Music and Silence in Exercise

The Thirteen Principles of Nia (a 13 part series)
Principle Three: MUSIC AND THE Eight Beat Counting (8BC) SYSTEM

"The sound of music is one of the most powerful underlying creative forces in our universe."
–– The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual (teacher training manual)

Commentary by Julia Desmond,Certified Nia Instructor

There are many benefits to using music in a Nia class. The first benefit is that it gives the class a beat to keep movement together, allowing the group to move as one. Music also provides a melody giving every individual in the class a tool with which they can improvise their own movements. Music has been proven to help coordination and concentration. It can increase endurance, improve mental function and influence a body's energy level. However the most obvious benefit is that it makes the class fun!

Nia thinks of the whole body in terms of four realms, the Body, the Mind, the Emotions, and the Spirit. Music speaks to each realm in a slightly different way. The Body senses the rhythm of the music, the Mind tracks the sound, the Emotions generate an energy release which depends upon which emotions are triggered by the music and finally the Spirit translates the music into movement of the body. This process results in each class member's unique expression and creativity.

The 8BCs is a system of music notation that helps Nia teachers learn and create choreography. Each song is broken down into bars. A bar consists of 8 counts or 16 beats (1 and 2…). The bars are classified into the type of music being played, i.e. intro, verse, chorus, or instrumental-solo. The teacher's job is to overlay the choreography onto the musical bars. This helps the teacher quickly learn how the choreography fits with the music. The teacher can then use musical cues to recognize a specific movement and where movement needs to change. As a result, the teacher doesn't need to count repetitions of movement. The entire process frees the teacher to teach the choreography and be full present to the class at the same time.

Commentary by Allison FrederickNia Studio owner/operator

Each Nia class begins with stating a focus and intent of the class. This isn't the same as saying "today we are going to focus on abs." Instead, in Nia, we want to set an intention before class so that our mind and body workout together. If our mind understands what our focus is for the workout, it will tell our body to move in a way that best meets that focus. For example, Principle Three of Nia, described as music and counting the steps in music, the focus and intention is "to listen to music with the intent to develop an intimate relationship with all kinds of sounds, including silence." *

Moving and listening to silence may seem esoteric at first but practically, it is a time to use isometrics. Isometric exercises involve muscular engagement/contraction without outwardly moving a body part. The pressure of an arm against a wall or contraction of calf muscles still engage and build muscle even though the body isn't moving. Many isometric exercises involve smaller, supportive muscles. Pilates is one exercise discipline that incorporates isometric exercises.

Listening to the silence in music during a workout also gives you a chance to check in with your body. What aches? What feels good? Which muscles are tight? Are you lightheaded? Paying attention to what your body is telling you during your exercise routine is a key component of Nia. So often we ignore our bodies. We push through something painful. We indulge when our mind is warning us not to. When all is quiet we can finally hear what our bodies are saying so the pauses in music are the perfect opportunity to tune into our bodies. In our Nia classes in Castle Rock, we sometimes dance to a wonderful Beatle's song called "Because" from the Love album. The singing and music is broken up by relatively long periods of silence. Our Nia teacher, Julia, uses the unusual structure in this song to have us stop moving. While we are in a freeze position, we are supposed to stretch and listen to our bodies. Instead of a typical "no pain no gain," approach found in many other exercise programs, Nia demonstrates it's holistic approach to health and movement with a motto more like, "Ask, then Listen, have Respect, now Move."

More articles on The Thirteen Principles of Nia

Principle One: The Joy of Movement - "Joy is the primary sensation you should seek from all movement. If you momentarily lose joy, tweak your movement until joy again arises." *
Principle Two: Natural Time and the Movement Forms - "All of your Nia movements are done in your own personal, natural sense of time and include movements and energy from nine classic forms." *
Principle Three: Music and the BBC System - "Nia is practiced to the sounds and silences of music, using an eight-beat counting (BBC) system (1 - and, 2 - and, 3 - and, 4 - and, 5 - and...) to organize the movements." *

Article Coming Next - Principle Four: FreeDance"Anything goes movement-wise. Let go of structure.

Nia Principle descriptions are taken directly from the fitness book "The Nia Technique: The High-Powered Energizing Workout that Gives You a New Body and a New Life" by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas.

If Nia sounds like something you would like to try, we invite you to take your first Nia class for free. Visit http://www.niafitnessclasses.com/ to request a coupon for a free Nia class.Do you have any questions? Please don't hesitate to contact us. Send us an email.

Or call at 303.522.4740

Nia classes in Castle Rock. Serving the south Denver metro area.