So I tried The Nia Technique the other day...

What in the world is The Nia Technique?!?!?!?

 My first impression of Nia was....well...to be completely honest, I thought it looked like crazy hippie dancing lol.

However, being a dancer most of my life, and also into fitness, I decided to look into it.

First off, I'm a Christian woman. This mean I don't subscribe to some of the aspects of Nia; like Chi, Yin and Yang, and the religious components of Yoga or other Martial Arts. I like the movements, but Christ is my spiritual center (So I basically plug Him into the spiritual aspects of Nia). 

That being said, I really love the free-flowing movements of Nia. I found it to be a great workout and stress reliever.  It's kind of like Zumba, but with more free-flowing movements. It's very low-impact and reminded me a lot of my dance classes. 

So what is Nia?

(according to nianow.com)

• Nia was created in the early 1980’s by Debbie Rosas and Carlos AyaRosas.
• Nia is based on The Body’s Way, which means using the body’s natural design to improve function. The biochemistry, joint and muscle action are triggered using imagination, music, emotion and vocal sound. Movements work with and against gravity and include: abduction, adduction; flexion, extension; eversion, inversion; dorsal flexion, plantar flexion, pronation and supination; horizontal flexion, extension; rotation inward, outward, upward and downward, elevation, depression, and circumduction. Nia addresses the body’s five main sensations: flexibility, strength, mobility, agility and stability, and focuses on conditioning the body and the nervous system.

• What are the benefits of taking Nia?

• Increase the pleasure of living in your body
• Facilitate weight loss and proper weight maintenance
• Strengthen muscles, improve muscle tone, and increase muscle definition
• Calm the mind and relieve stress
• Improve endurance
• Increase grace and flexibility
• Balance the autonomic nervous system
• Improve posture and even increase height
• Improve organ function, particularly that of the heart and lungs
• Enhance sensory awareness
• Heighten sexual function
• Build reservoirs of chi energy
• Alleviate emotional problems, including depression, anxiety, and stress
• Improve circulation of blood and improve lymphatic drainage
• Strengthen immunity
• Improve concentration and cognitive function

So this was my first experience with Nia.

I must say...it was invigorating. It's a great workout, and a nice change from my usual workout routine. 

At first I felt a little "odd". The moves felt weird and the dancers looked weird (just not what I'm used to...but hey, I'm not judging). But then the whole "dance like no one's watching" quote popped into my head, and I just went along for the ride lol.  

 So I rather enjoyed The Nia Technique. If you're looking for a dance-like workout, then give Nia a try.

My friend and fellow dancer from my hometown, Suzy Finnefrock, is a Nia Blue Belt Instructor, and you can find her at Shelburne Health & Fitness in Vermont.