Castle Rock Gave Big Welcome to New Fitness Studio

Through a break in icy storms and despite grey skies that tempt us to hunker down and stay inside, many women joined us on Opening Day and danced Castle Rock's first Nia class.

This first class was really unique because many of the people who came to try the fitness class had never taken a Nia class before. The excitement of a group of people willing to try something new was contagious and our teacher, Julia Desmond, patiently guided us through the different movements in Nia (pronounced "knee-ah").

A Nia class is perfect for any level of fitness. One participant on Opening Day was a yoga teacher, one a Pilates teacher, and several were women who had long given up on group fitness classes because of injuries but for some reason, decided to give Nia a chance.

Why does Nia have such a broad appeal? It is because it is an individual's fitness program in a group setting. There are three levels in Nia, logically labeled Levels One, Two, and Three. A person who isn't as comfortable with the dance techniques, like myself, will move through the dance moves at a Level One, which means we don't include our arms and focus on watching our feet tangle around each other until our brain finally learns how to move both arms and legs in harmony. I keep telling myself that with practice, we can all learn to pat our heads and rub our tummies at the same time. Eventually it all comes together and in the meantime, Nia teachers insist that we learn and move at our own pace.

Level Two in Nia is when you are engaging your entire body through each of the moves. Then, with Level Three, you can pick up the pace, deepen your knee bends, or stretch your arms out a little further. It is such a relief to be in a group class that doesn't force each of us to conform to a particular "ideal."

Not only was our Nia classes warmly welcomed by the women who have been attending class and bringing their friends, our program also appeared in two local papers. One paper (this paper), the Castle Rock Your Hub (a Denver Post publication) featured an article I wrote about how Nia is different from yoga. The online version of this article can be found at: http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Blogs/Health-Fitness/Blog~590917.aspx

Also, Castle Rock News Press featured Castle Rock Nia Fitness Studio in an article on new businesses starting in our current economy. I really appreciated writer, Chris Michlewicz's coverage. If you missed the article, you can find the online version at: http://www.coloradocommunitynewspapers.com/articles/2009/04/02/news_press/news/03_cm_entrepreneurs_all.txt

Thank you all who were a part of our fun Grand Opening. Our teacher, Julia and I look forward to sharing more Nia with you and getting to know you better.

Castle Rock Nia Fitness Studio. For class times and more info, please visit: http://www.NiaFitnessClasses.com or call 303-522-4740.

How Does Yoga & Nia Help a Golf Swing, a Backhand in Tennis, or even Picking Items up off the Floor?

No one can deny the thorough stretch yoga provides your body.

As you bend and hold a pose, and breathe deeply; you can feel an elongation of the muscles. Depending on the tightness of your body, you may even feel the soothing rush of stress leaving your body.

Nia, also a healing physical art, takes the best of yoga – the deep stretches, long slow breaths, and meditative mind states and then Nia builds on them.

In Nia (pronounced "knee-ah"), yoga is a foundation. It is a beginning, a way to open and awaken your body but a Nia teacher wants you to do more than elongate your muscles.

A Nia teacher wants you to experience a full range of motion – to be able to safely turn and hold your spine in side movements.

Nia strives to create stability in your body no matter how you move. Strength training (this time without the weights) as you move your body in an arc, can not only help your backhand in tennis but also your golf swing.

Our bodies need to experience a full range of motion, not just the elongation yoga provides.

The creators of Nia recognized this need so they added the influence of 19th century dancer, Isadora Duncan, and some circular movements from the Japanese martial art of aikido to the Nia moves.

The result is that your body is not only strong and limber in your central midline – along your spine – but it is also strong and stable when you reach off to the side to pick something up – whether it is your shoes or a grandchild.

The wonderful benefit of a fusion fitness routine like Nia, is that like fusion food, you can take the best elements of many things, combine them, and create something even more powerful and flavorful. Nia takes the best principles of yoga, adds Duncan dance, aikido, and several other disciplines, to create a unique, free-flowing fitness routine.

Now you can experience Nia and see if it makes your body feel good again. Your first class is free. Get your coupon for a FREE Nia class by CLICKING HERE. There are no obligations – just come, try it, and see if you have fun.

Castle Rock Nia Fitness Studio - Classes begin March 31, 2009
303.522.4740
http://www.niafitnessclasses.com/

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

Finally! Nia Classes Begin March 31st: Serving Castle Pines South, North, Castle Rock, and Larkspur

After establishing a strong-hold in recreation centers and yoga studios in Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs, Nia has finally arrived in Castle Rock.

Classes Begin March 31st

NIA - pronounced "knee-ah" is a fun mind/body exercise program set to uplifting music.

NIA is a low impact / high fun group exercise class.

NIA combines the stretching and stress relief found in yoga,
the power and focus of martial arts,
and the fun and freedom of dance.

Thousands of people use Nia classes to keep in shape all year long.
Visit http://www.niafitnessclasses.com/ for more details and for the schedule.

Nia – It's just too fun to call "fitness."

We share a 2,500 square foot facility with Castle Rock AIKIDO and are conveniently located just off I-25 and the downtown Castle Rock exit (Exit 182).

Would you like to try a class for free?
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.

Suburban Women "Bust-a-Move"

It happens slowly, little by little.

The demands of a full-time career leave little time for fun (unless you are one of the lucky few that has fun in your full time career).

Coordinating your schedule to go out with friends becomes an act of full-force creativity and ingenuity.

Add to that a romantic relationship; throw kids into the mix. Move into the suburbs to have a nice, safe neighborhood for your family and suddenly you find yourself commuting to work.

Little by little, we find that the spare time we had fades away. But we aren't just losing time. We are losing ourselves. We find that we laugh a little less often. Many of us have desk jobs that root us to chairs and discourage us to move our bodies. After a while, we notice we aren't as limber as we once were. An ache may settle in and decide to stay. Perhaps our lives seem more about "doing" and less about "being."

I am a suburban woman. I don't have the kids to worry about, but I find that my life now is very different from what it used to be. I find myself being more serious than is really necessary. But then I stumbled upon a remedy.

A few weeks ago, I took my first Nia dance fitness class. I was surprised I went. I haven't been dancing for years but this class was less about sassy steps and more about simply moving my body. I felt my body thanking me for each movement as I moved my spine to the left then the right. I found muscles that I thought had long closed down. My lack of coordination didn't seem to matter because the teacher encouraged us to each listen to our bodies and move in a way that was most natural to each of us.

One of my greatest challenges is not the cardio portions or even the few dance steps. My challenge is taking up space. In some of the Nia moves we travel around the room, moving into a different space. We are encouraged to use our arms to extend and take up more space. I've always been tall and I've frequently felt awkward about that. Taking up space was not something I liked to do. I tended to hold and keep myself in a tight little (as little as I can be) sphere. Nia is becoming for me, a real personal development exercise. My muscles aren't the only ones getting a workout. My brain and my psyche are involved too.

The founders of Nia took the best parts of many exercises and disciplines and combined them into a series of workouts that really makes sense to your body when you are practicing Nia.

They use isolating stretches of yoga and Feldenkrais Method to gently awaken the joints and elongate the muscles. They blended the focused, fluid movements from Tai Chi and Aikido into circular movements that calm and expand the mind. Then they combined the energy of Taekwondo and modern dance to get our bodies moving.

The result leaves a smile on the faces of everyone in class. I am not kidding when I say that. In fact, we will soon start Nia classes in Castle Rock. I will offer a money back guarantee to anyone who tries a class. If they take the class and do not smile or laugh in class, then I will give them their money back.

A Nia class is a safe environment because the motto is "Have fun!" The women in the classes tend to form genuine friendships and quickly introduce themselves to newcomers. I have found this to be the case in every Nia class I've taken throughout the Denver metro and Colorado Springs area. There are some very fit women in the classes but the majority of women are re-entering the exercise world.

For me, as a suburban woman who has left the land of night clubs and frequent "girls nights out," I find Nia just the kind of activity that keeps me feeling happy, calm, and energized. I am committed to bringing Nia to Castle Rock. We will hold classes in our Aikido studio, Castle Rock AIKIDO, which is centrally located in town and is just off the highway at the Wolfensberger/Downtown exit.

Free Nia Class
I am going to put together a Nia class in Castle Rock so that Castle Rock residents can try the class and we'll see if that is the kind of fitness program that will do well in Castle Rock.

Email me at niacastlerock@gmail.com to let me know you are interested and I will send you an email when the Nia class is set up. I hope the class will be in late February or early March.

A Nia class lasts an hour and there are plenty of breaks to have a drink of water in between. My cardio fitness is low so I was nervous about trying an "aerobic class," but the instructor assured me that the class is appropriate for beginners and advanced Nia students because you work out at your own pace. She was right.

The classes I've attended had some women in their 30s, many in their 40s and 50s, and a couple in their 60s, and one or two lovely 70 year olds (seriously).

Click here to watch the Nia video to see if it is something you might like and I'll do my best to offer Nia classes in Castle Rock. Email me at niacastlerock@gmail.com and I'll put you on the email notification list when the Nia class is available.


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

Wanted: Certified Nia Instructors for New Castle Rock Nia Technique Program

I recently fell in love with Nia so I decided to open a Nia studio in Castle Rock, Colorado. I am now looking for certified Nia instructors who would like to teach classes in our facility.

We will be sharing space with Castle Rock AIKIDO. The building is 2,000 square feet with Zen-like decor, two changing rooms, and two bathrooms. We have easy highway access and Castle Rock AIKIDO (which has been around for 2 years) has good community awareness.

I will lead the marketing campaign and handle the management of the school. I am looking for Nia teachers who would like the freedom to come in and teach with the benefits of an established school system.

I am looking for a teacher who has mastery in the Nia Technique and who is personable and willing to develop rapport with the students. Teachers must be confident enough to introduce themselves and reach out to each student.

If interested, please contact Allison Frederick at the email or number below.

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Nia Classes now forming.

Would you like to try a class for free? Do you have any questions? Please don't hesitate to contact us. Send us an email. niacastlerock@gmail.com

Or call at 303.522.4740

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

Debbie Rosas Seminar in Washington: Awakening the New Feminine Spirit

Debbie Rosas, one of the founders of the Nia Technique, a mind-body fitness class, will be leading a seminar in early March in Port Townsend, Washington.

I attended a Spirit of Nia workshop in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where I had the opportunity to dance with Debbie and hear her speak. She has a great energy about her and helps people connect with the principles of Nia.

If you are in the Washington State area or are looking for an excuse to take a vacation, I encourage you to look into this Nia seminar. For details on the "Awakening the New Feminine Spirit" seminar, please visit: MadronaMindBody.com.

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Nia classes now forming in Castle Rock, Colorado.
Would you like to try a class for free? 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.

What is Nia? Watch Nia Video

Nia is contagious. This mind/body exercise was intelligently designed to move your joints in soft movements that provide deep stretches. When I am in a Nia class, I find each move pulls the stress right out of me like pulling on taffy candy.

I am not a coordinated person but the teachers and other students insist that each person approach each movement in an individual way and to the extent that feels good for your body.

Forget "No pain No gain."
The founders of Nia specifically designed movements that are fluid, natural, and fun. You will not be twisted into a pretzel with these classes.

This Nia video is an excellent introduction. Remember, Nia is about moving at your own pace. You can move as quickly or as slowly and deliberately as you wish. There is no judgement here because Nia instructors teach with an open mind and heart.




Would you like to try a class for free? 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.