Nia Blue Belt Training

"Nia inspires me to continue on a personal journey of self-discovery, self actualization and healing. For me, learning is one of the most exciting journeys and being in a body is one of the most poetic and romantic experiences. I thrive on educating, motivating and inspiring people to fall in love with themselves and their bodies. To me, life is my art and my body is the canvas."  – Debbie Rosas

Dedicated lifelong to self-healing and self-mastery, Debbie Rosas has been a pioneer and leader in the body-mind fitness industry since 1976. Her extensive exploration of dance, martial arts, fine arts, music, therapy and healing work inspired and developed into the creation of the internationally acclaimed body-mind fitness program and lifestyle company, Nia Technique, Inc. Debbie’s work also includes the writing and production of Nia® educational materials and lifestyle products, such as music, DVDs and the NiaWear™clothing line. Together with creative partner Carlos Rosas, Debbie has co-authored two books, Non-Impact Aerobics and The Nia Technique™, as well as the “Holistic Fitness” section of the AFAA Instructor Training Manual. 

Nia brings concepts and forms from Eastern and Western practices into mainstream fitness classes and has been instrumental in the evolution of the fitness industry, opening doors to more esoteric disciplines such as Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates. Today, Nia Technique, Inc. is a thriving business supporting approximately 2,200 Licensed Nia Teachers across 38 countries.

In constant exploration of Nia's philosophy, The Body’s Way, Debbie continues to develop educational curriculum to facilitate optimal health and wellbeing. In addition to the Nia body of work, she has played a key role in developing programs for doctors at The Naturopathic School of Medicine, women, teen departments at Shriner’s Hospital and arthritis and autism departments at Oregon Health and Sciences University. Adored by the press, Debbie and Nia have been featured in over 850 publications and numerous television shows worldwide. Debbie served on the Mind•Body Committee for the IDEA Health and Fitness Association and has presented at IDEA World and Inner IDEA Fitness Conventions, IRSA, The Northwest Fitness Summit, The National Wellness Conference, Whole Life Expo, International Spa and Fitness Association, Science and Consciousness Convention, Sound Healers Convention, Mind Body Convention, OHSU, Fireman’s Fund and at Lucas Films.

Debbie currently travels worldwide, offering workshops, Master Classes, Nia Training and Licensing to communities across the globe, stopping regularly to teach and train in Portland, Oregon, home of StudioNia and Nia International Headquarters.

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Ken Gilbert, MA, is a Somatic Educator and Theater Artist. He is one of the First Generation Nia Trainers in White and Green Belts (currently apprenticing in Blue Belt). Ken is a visual/kinesthetic learner who has adopted auditory styles of learning. He taught group fitness and practiced as a Personal Trainer for 20 years and over the past five years he teaches and applies his somatic development in his “Integrating Pilates” and Nia Classes; practicing Nia’s “Sensation Science”. He is a physical-based actor/director in the theater; directing and performing with DramaDogs, a Theater Company (www.dramadogs.org) with his wife, E. Bonnie Lewis, in Santa Barbara, California.

Ken initiated his somatic journey into self-awareness, realization and actualization in 1983 when he began re-birthing. Wanting to sense more depth into his psyche and physical integration of body•mind•emotion•spirit he began Reichian Therapy in 1986, truly beginning his inner journey of “self” as an artist in the world. Later on, he trained in Hakomi, body-centered psychotherapy; not to be a therapist, rather to be more lovingly present when teaching group classes and facilitating private and semi-private training sessions.

Recovering from a divorce, in 1987, Ken decided to take responsibility for his health, well-being and fitness. Receiving a professionally traded  membership at Santa Barbara Athletic Club he began finding wonder and satisfaction in group fitness classes as well as the weight room. During his 20 years at SBAC he taught High/Low Impact, Interval Training, Step, Slide, Spinning and Resistance Classes. For 5 years he worked with the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) as a Certification Specialist – training and testing Aerobic Instructions at the level of Primary Certification.  He also worked with clients one-on-one using the Personal Training principles of the National Academy of  Sports Medicine.

Ken’s work in somatic precision was initiated in 1994 when he began training in Pilates; he became a Pilates Teacher in 1996 when he met Ron Fletcher, with whom he studied for 10 years finding the depth, dimensionality, and expressivity of detail in spinal mechanics “for the body|the mind|the breath|the spirit.” From Ron he learned how to live in the spirit of moving in the details of each breath. Currently teaching “Integrating Pilates” based on the fundamentals inherent of the work of Joseph H. Pilates, The Ron Fletcher Work™, and Nia®.

Expressivity has always been a part of Ken’s life journey. In 1997, Ken began his study and work with Debbie Rosas Stewart and Carlos AyaRosas, co-creators of Nia®. In Nia Ken found a program and fusion of transformational health and fitness, well-being and life-style. He became a Nia Black Belt in 2003 and in 2005 one of the International Nia Trainers facilitating Workshops, Master Classes, and Nia White and Green Belt Trainings; training in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and North America including Canada.

His theatrical artistry is demonstrated within DramaDogs, a multidisciplinary theater production and education company, where as co-artistic director he produces, directs and performs. Somatically based from inception to performance, DramaDogs creates challenging and entertaining theatrical productions and provides enriching workshops and theater arts programs. His creative work gives voice to the unconventional and offbeat; providing audiences and students with the opportunity to experience a greater compassion and understanding of ourselves and others.

Currently living in Santa Barbara, Ken owns EmBODYment, Somatic Education in Movement and Creative Integration (www.embodyment.com) and “Awakening into Awareness – Journey into Body•Mind•Emotion•Spirit.” Ken teaches in Santa Barbara at CenterPoint Pilates and Yoga Soup as well as other locations in the United States and Internationally. Ken’s philosophy is based on the belief that we are here to Awaken into the Awareness of sensation; to become more connected to our physical|mental|emotional|spirit realms through the physical body. Ken helps people awaken into the awareness of their body through the joy and pleasure of movement.