October 2006

Special Feature

Nia and the Feet

Working out in bare feet was one of the most innovative elements that Nia added to aerobic exercise – and it can be one of the most freeing and innovative elements you’ll enjoy about Nia. Taking our shoes off proved to be one of the most profound choices we made in 1983. It provided us with a way to discover our feet, and a way to discover our energy source, the earth. It became a way to ground, to center, and to move efficiently, gracefully, and powerfully.

Balance in the whole body begins with your feet. Every imbalance in the body can be detected in the feet. Ida Rolf, the creator of Rolfing, a therapeutic practice designed to deliver postural integration, believed that to develop healthy and powerful posture, and to have a strong and agile body, the feet must provide a firm, sturdy, and flexible foundation.

Like your hands, the feet are prehensile. They grasp, clutch, support, reach out, touch, and provide balance. Like the hands, the feet draw energy into the body and move it out. On the underside of the arches of your feet you have, in effect, a bubbling spring where “kundalini” or “chi energy” enters your body from the earth. Flexible feet “breathe” and take in chi. Like healthy lungs, they expand and contract as they “breathe” energy in and out.

The Body’s Way teaches you how to properly use each foot’s amazing network of 33 joints, 26 bones, more than 100 ligaments, 19 large muscles and many small (intrinsic) muscles, and 7,000 nerve endings. Nia movement engages all parts of your feet every time you work out. All the Nia foot motions are designed to benefit the entire body, from the ground up. They increase balance, strength, and definition; improve movement efficiency; cultivate energy; and help you develop awareness. The moves are all used to build strong and agile feet. They develop a firm and flexible foundation, one that is solid, but adaptable. The Body’s Way also shows you, through the size of various bones, the best areas of the foot upon which to place weight, sink into, and push out of. For example, one large bone is the “talus.” Its thick, powerful design reminds you to rest into it, as if it were a landing pad, when you stand. This relieves pressure on the front of your foot and your toes.

One of the most important skills to develop is simply paying attention to your feet as you move. “Listen” to your feet. Become attentive to your Base. The more you are connected to your feet, the more power you can generate from them, and the more you can express yourself through Nia movements. Having a weak connection to the earth is similar to having weak reception on a television set. The picture is unclear and lacks form. To feel the earth, you must feel your feet.

Gain awareness of your feet. Take the on-line self assessment, Getting to Know Your Feet and download the Educational Handout, The Feet: Your Foundation.

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