10 Ways Nia Benefits Bodies (mine and yours, that is)

When we embrace an active healthy lifestyle we can attain increased fitness, health, and well-being not only in our bodies, but also in our minds, emotions, and spirits. Nia is a unique fusion fitness practice that provides benefits in all these areas; it is easily learned, easily built upon, and a joy to practice throughout all stages of life .

Over the past 10 years that I’ve been practicing Nia, I’ve come to realize it’s many benefits, experiencing them firsthand and also witnessing them in my students.

Here are the

TOP 10 BENEFITS OF NIA

1. Cardiovascular conditioning
Nia is a cardiovascular fitness program first and foremost. Moving our bodies systemically (i.e., as a whole, without excluding any parts) allows us to develop a not only a strong heart, but also makes the heart, lungs and blood vessels more robust and improves circulation.

So what? Well if that ticker of yours is working properly, you’ll experience and overall increase in your energy, stamina and endurance.

Since I’ve been practicing Nia, my resting heart rate (a measure of how hard my heart has to work when I’m still and relaxed), has decreased to the level of an athlete! (At last check it was 59 beats per minute). That means my heart is well toned and able to do it’s job without excess effort.

2. Body mind spirit & emotion integration

Did you know that Nia was the FIRST cardiovascular fitness practice to highlight the importance of having a complete experience by including not only the body, but also the mind, spirit AND emotions? Well, it WAS!

For the first time in my life, through Nia I found ease in expressing emotions. It has always been challenging for me to find the words to express myself, but with Nia, I was given the body “vocabulary” to express myself. Now, through my body, I understand what it’s like to be “jubilant” just as well as I know how my body experiences “ambivalence”.

3. Increased grace, flexibilty, agility and mobility

Growing up, I was always the clumsy kid. I failed swimming lessons, was demoted from baseball to tee-ball and was the last picked for every sports team in gym class.

Now? People can’t believe that I didn’t dance before Nia! For real!

I feel such smooth elegance in my movements now and am still shocked when I see myself dancing in the mirror! Now that’s proof that Nia is for everyBODY!

4. Improved strength, alignment and muscle tone

Nia allows us to sustain power, to feel the vibration of positive tension in our muscles, warming the bones. Nia balances both power and grace, leaving a sensation of relaxation, instead of arduous pain.
Through Nia, I have experienced a deep power, one that radiates from the depths of my belly. One that stays with me outside of class, and gives me the strength (and not only the physical kind) to get through my day.

5. Improved self esteem

Before Nia? Body hatred (which, by the way, led me to a serious eating disorder). Now? I’m oozing with self love.

Now it’s clear: I wasn’t born to blend in, I was born to stand out! Nia taught me that.

6. Increased creativity

I latched on to my creative self through Nia. Because I am using my right brain through movement (as explained above),  a fountain of creativity has sprung out of me!

I write, I sing, I draw. You name it! I AM CREATIVE!

7. Alleviation of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress

I have bipolar disorder: Nia helps me manage that.

The ups and downs? Nia levels them out, helping me to use my energy productively.

8. Increased sense of calm and relaxation

Nia taught me to find a sense of calm. All I have to do is feel both of my feet plugging into the earth, sense my breath and connect to my hara (my power centre, roughly 2 inches below my navel), and I’m centred.

9. Greater balance, centering and grounding

Your body demands balance. It wants to feel equal balance from left to right and top to bottom. It wants to experience circular movements which engage both hemispheres of your brain and activates the full range of your muscle tissues. Nia offers this and in doing so helps to promote balance in your musculature, skeletal system and even in your brain and peripheral nervous system.

Before Nia, I was wobbly, clumsy in my everyday activities. Now I’m more centred and can maintain balance with greater ease.

10. A positive and pleasurable relationship with your body

I learned how to truly accept and love my body through Nia. I came to Nia with anorexia and an exercise addiction, and found my way to health and wellness.

Maybe you’d like to read a little something about how I feel when I dance…

Nia has given me SO MUCH…

Maybe Nia can offer YOU something too…