What is the Point?

Have you ever felt this way in life?

Have you woken up and felt just absolutely blah?

Maybe you’ve planned to go to class that day, you know you need the exercise, you feel like a blob (too many days in a row of work-work-work and no fun)…

But when you get up to go, it’s nearly impossible to get out the door?

Why is that?

Moving your body and exercising does it every time, and you know this. It raises your endorphins, it increases blood circulation, it sheds unwanted pounds, you feel all glowy when you leave,

But…

It’s STILL sometimes a struggle to talk yourself into going to class on a regular basis!

With all this logic, why do we not all go to class with incredible consistency?

The answer I’ve found is that there is some type of fear involved.

Fear of others seeing how we feel that day (most of us want to show up with our A-game on!)

But what if you’re having one of those “What is the point?” kind of days?

I know I would resist going to an exercise class because I wasn’t sure how to deal with my vulnerabilities when I got there…especially in the face of any super-peppy super got-it-together, I-never-have –a-bad-day-ish kinda classmates! (I’m not judging, sometimes I’M that super peppy person too!)

But what good is an exercise routine if you feel you have to be completely ‘fine’ in order to show up?

What is the point of going to class if you feel pressure to have it all together before you can be comfortable going?

Shouldn’t we feel permission to ‘be’ with whatever we feel that day, show up as we are, and also know that we would feel safe and supported to work through our stuff while in class?

I know that is what I wanted…

And then I found Nia…

Nia is an exercise routine held in a 1-hour format, with 7 cycles through which you warm up your body, get it into the cardio zone for maximum calorie burning, and then warm down and stretch.

More than that, Nia is a blend of dance, martial arts and yoga…

Each Nia class starts off with an Intention and Focus that anchors the class emotionally and spiritually. This is the beginning of the magic of Nia…as a student you are often asked how you are feeling that day, and what intention you would like to focus on. In this space you are given permission to speak freely about what you are either struggling with or celebrating in your life, and allow the group and the teacher to support you.

Or, you might find that the teacher has prepared a special focus and intention for class, and it is just what you needed for that day…and you didn’t even say a thing.

This is the kind of space that Nia creates, a space of physical health and supportive community.

For me, Nia class is like a ‘come as you are’ scenario. I feel as though I am safe to be exactly how I feel, to not be perfect, to be working through difficult things in life, and then come to class and be empowered to dance it out, let it go, and find joy anyway!

In Nia, the point is to feel safe enough to let your physical health unfold alongside your emotional, mental and spiritual health. All of you is invited to the party, however you are today.

There is no pressure to be a good dancer, as Nia encourages each person to move their own way, and aim for something Nia calls ‘The Joy of Movement’. This is accomplished through linking movement to imagination. It’s a definite playground for the mind in which we get to explore the nexus between movement, music and magic.

To sign up for one of the free Nia classes call our Front Desk or click here!

DON’T FORGET! Watch the video below to hear some revealing personal tidbits about Nia Blue Belt teacher and Pilates Studio City co-founder Nichole Martinez, and myself, Paith MacQueen of www.PaithMacQueen.com, Nia White Belt teacher and creator of the “Move It Out!” method.