What Is Nia?
Nia is a personal growth, body-mind-spirit fitness program. It is a "living system" that works with the natural wisdom and intelligence of the body, mind, spirit, and emotions. Nia supports the Pleasure Principle: If it feels good keep doing it, if it hurts, stop! The blueprint of Nia is practical, experiential, and focuses on internal guidance to change and develop awareness. Process-oriented, the Nia format is user-friendly.Nia empowers students and teachers to make their own movement choices by offering students a flexible structure they can personally modify to suit their needs. Nia combines a diverse blend of Eastern and Western movements, concepts and philosophies from the worlds of the healing arts (love), martial arts (mindfulness), and dance (technique).Nia reaches people emotionally, in their hearts, motivating them to get fit and healthy by creating a deep personal desire to explore their potential and love their growth. Fitness, health, well-being, and self-love naturally result from the Nia experience.What makes Nia so innovative is its unlimited adaptability. Not only can people of all kinds participate, but a wide range of therapeutic, wellness, self-growth and educational models can effectively integrate Nia.

Who Can Do Nia?
Everyone can do Nia! From athletes to dancers to those who are just getting back in to fitness, students of all levels and backgrounds will be challenged and energized.The foundation of Nia is the pleasure principle: all gain, no pain. Nia choreography is adaptable to everyone: three levels of intensity for every movement are provided, as well as a variety in range of motion, creating a very user-friendly fitness experience.

What Are The Benefits Of Doing Nia?
Increased cardiovascular fitness.
Increased strength and flexibility of muscles and joints.
Improvement in range of motion, leading to greater physical power and comfort.
Improvement in balance and agility.
Fitness that is pleasurable and joyful rather than effortful and painful.
Movement and music that arouse the senses, our child within, and our inner athlete, warrior and dancer.

How Is Nia Different From Other Exercise?
Experience fitness The Body's Way - a new way of being and living in your body! Nia presents an entirely new philosophy of exercise: whole-body, expressive movement, rather than repetitive jogging or lifting. Nia's barefoot, grounded approach maximizes body efficiency and empowers you to move with awareness, in a gentler, yet invigorating way. Your instructor offers choices to adapt all the movements to suit all fitness levels.Every Nia class uses movements and concepts from three movement forms: the expressiveness of the Dance Arts (Jazz, Modern and Duncan), the power and explosiveness of the Martial Arts (Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do and Aikido), and the functional movement techniques of three of the Healing Arts (Yoga, the Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais). The blend of these arts, elegantly supported by unique, varied musical styles and sounds, makes Nia Technique a holistic fitness program and path that stimulates the nervous system in a healthy way, leaving you feeling rejuvenated and fully alive.Nia is simply a delightful way to connect to your body, your heart, and your spirit.

Why Should I Choose Nia?
Nia is FUN! Words may not thoroughly describe the unique Nia fitness experience - we say "Nia is like chocolate. It's difficult to describe, you have to taste it!"A Nia class will awaken feelings and sensations throughout your entire body. The movements allow you to listen to and trust your body, to grow through self-expression, to relax into comfort and strength, and to revitalize and uplift your spirit and emotions.

Who Teaches Nia?
People from all backgrounds who are passionate about the benefits of Nia. Nia teachers undergo an intensive certification process led by professional Nia trainers, including instruction in anatomy, music theory and a wide range of movement techniques. Teachers are required to renew their certification annually and must be CPR certified.

Where Does Nia Come From?
Accredited by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the Nia Technique is an internationally recognized fitness program. Nia founders Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas transformed the fitness industry in 1983 when they took off their shoes and created a barefoot technique that addresses the whole person, not just the body.Leaders in the fitness industry since 1976, Debbie and Carlos have been keynote presenters at the International Dance Exercise Association (IDEA) Conferences for over ten years, and are the authors of two books, as well as seven Nia videos. Now based at their Nia dojo in Portland, Oregon - Body Moves - they teach weekly Nia classes, train Nia teachers, create the Nia class routines, teach workshops, and write on health, fitness and wellness.