Nia Resources
Nia Glossary
A
"A" Stance- A (Base) Nia Move in which you stand in place, with your legs wide apart, as if creating the letter "A."
ACL Tear - A tear in the knee's anterior cruciate ligament.
Aikido - One of the three martial arts, in the nine movement forms of Nia, known as "The Dance of Harmonious Spherical Motion."
Alexander Technique - One of the three healing arts, in the nine movement forms of Nia, known as "The Dance of Movement From the Top."
Awareness - Constantly paying attention to your physical sensations, to promote self-healing. Awareness is the conscious starting point of all action.
B
Back Kick - A (Base) Nia Move in which you pull your heel up toward your buttocks, then kick backwards, keeping the back of your thigh facing toward the ceiling and the knee of your supporting leg spring-loaded.
Balance Finger - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you press down and through your middle finger, the power finger, for balance, and to integrate the upper body with the lower body.
Ball of the Foot - A (Base) Nia Move in which you step directly onto the ball of your foot, keeping your heels off the floor and your toes relaxed and stretched forward.
Base - Your foundation – your feet and legs.
Blocks - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you use your forearm to block, in any direction, as if to shield yourself from an oncoming blow.
Body Awareness - The ability to be conscious of your body, moment to moment.
Body Centered - The ability to remain focused on your physical sensations, not your thoughts.
Body Euphoric Phenomenon - Self-acceptance of one's own body.
Body Image - The image one has of his or her own body, comprised of reality and perception.
Body-Mind-Spirit - The triad of being that Nia impacts.
Body's Way, The - The specific design and structure of the body, which dictates its proper use.
Bow Stance - A (Base) Nia Move in which you stand in place, with your feet hip-width apart, then step back onto the ball of one foot, as if that leg were a bow drawing back.
Business of Fitness - The eleventh of Nia's Thirteen Principles, which directs you to nurture your body in an organized, structured way.
C
Cat Stance - A (Base) Nia Move in which you stand in place, on one foot, and balance yourself, keeping the knee and hip joints of your supporting leg soft and spring-loaded, and keeping your hips level.
Catching Flies - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you pretend you are catching flies with your hands as they buzz around the room, following them before you catch them, and leading your movements with your eyes.
Center - The physical center of the body, from which support comes. In Nia, moving through center keeps the body balanced and supported.
Cha-cha-cha - A (Base) Nia Move in which you step rhythmically, in a 1-2-3 count, keeping your feet close to the ground and your hips loose.
Chakras - Ethereal energy centers located at seven points along the front and back of the body that, when balanced, help to maintain health and homeostasis in the body.
Chest Isolations - A (Core) Nia Move in which you gently move your rib cage in all directions, moving in isolation.
Chi - Ethereal energy that provides life force.
Chop - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you chop the air with the edge, or "blade side," of your hand, as if you were executing a karate chop.
Claw Hand - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you mimic a claw with your fingers and claw the air, as if you were a cat chasing a flying bug.
Closed Stance - A (Base) Nia Move in which you stand in place, with your big toes touching and your heels slightly apart, keeping your feet and knees relaxed, and your spine tall.
Conscious Personal Training - Using specific information to personally guide yourself, as if you were the personal trainer of your consciousness.
Continuing Education - The twelfth of Nia's Thirteen Principles, which directs you to continue focusing on your craft and technique perpetually.
Cooperation - The actual, physical sensation of feeling the linkage of body, mind, emotions, and spirit in holistic union, sometimes referred to as "being in the Zone," or in a state of "flow."
Core - The eighth of Nia's Thirteen Principles, which directs you to integrate your pelvis, chest, head and spine with all of your movements.
Crawling - The third stage of the five stages of self-healing, in which you venture into new movement territories, taking calculated risks to discover new skills that improve the way you move.
Creeping - The second stage of the five stages of self-healing, in which you begin to consciously guide your body to move in new ways that include healthier patterns, recognizing and acknowledging subtle improvements.
Creepy Crawlers - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you wiggle all of your fingers, including your thumbs, as if you were tickling someone.
Cross-Behind Step - A (Base) Nia Move in which you step backwards onto the ball of one foot and cross your ankles, as if to make them into an "X," keeping both feet under your hips.
Cross-Front Step - A (Base) Nia Move in which you step diagonally, toward the corner of an imaginary box.
D
Dancing Through Life - Enjoying the dance of your every movement, and carrying over to real life all the healthy movement choices of Nia.
Duck Walk - A (Base) Nia Move in which you stand with your feet hip-width apart and your heels firmly on the floor, alternately lifting and then lowering your toes and the balls of your feet.
Duncan Dance - One of the three dance arts, in the nine movement forms of Nia, known as "The Dance of Free-Spirited, Honest Movement."
Dynamic Ease - A distinct physical sensation of effortless power, consummate balance, the perfect mix of mobility and stability, and an unparalleled blend of yin and yang energies.
E
Earth - Spelled with a lower-case "e," earth refers to the magnetically charged ground, and to the lowest plane of movement (as in moving to and connecting with the earth).
Elbow Strikes - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you grab and pull with your hand, using your elbow to strike down, out, or back to make contact with your target.
Embryonic - The first stage of the five stages of self-healing, in which you explore your present condition and become aware of what needs healing.
Extrinsic Muscles - Large, superficial muscles responsible for gross movement.
F
Fast Clock - A (Base) Nia Move in which your lead foot steps from number to number on an imaginary clock, while the other foot remains in the center of the clock.
Feedback - The information you receive from your body, from noting the sensations of pain and pleasure.
Feldenkrais Method™ - One of the three healing arts, in the nine movement forms of Nia, known as "The Conscious Feeling of Movement."
Finger Extensions - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you extend your fingers, one at a time, as if you are pointing, sensing for different qualities of energy in each finger.
Finger Flicks - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you place your thumb over your four fingers, create positive tension, and then flick your fingers out, as if you were flicking water off them.
Fist - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you fold all your fingers into a fist, keeping your thumbs on the outside of your closed fists.
Five Stages of Self-Healing - The five developmental stages of optimal movement: embryonic, creeping, crawling, standing, and walking.
Free Dance - The use of unfettered, unrehearsed movement to stimulate somatic creativity.
Front Kick - A (Base) Nia Move in which you lift your thigh – with your heel close to your buttocks – then kick forward, keeping the front of your thigh facing the ceiling, and the knee of your supporting leg spring-loaded.
Fusion Fitness - The combining of classic movement forms.
H
Hara - The Hara is located approximately two inches below the navel, seated in the center of your pelvis. Known as the “one point” in Aikido, the Hara corresponds to the physical gravity center of balance in the body. It is where the body contains and stores concentrated inner energy, called Ki (key) or Chi (chee). Learn to consciously contain, circulate, and extend energy from this one point to focus and direct the flow of this vital energy so that movement and life in a body becomes powerful and harmonious–a source for energetic, healthy, and joyful living.
Head and Eye Movement - A (Core) Nia Move in which you look in any direction with your eyes, and then follow that direction with your head.
Heel Lead - A (Base) Nia Move in which you lead with your heel when stepping forward, diagonally, or laterally.
Heightened Awareness - Awareness that includes the body, mind, and spirit, which is stimulated by moving with purpose and focusing on physical sensations.
Hip Bumps - A (Core) Nia Move in which you bump your hips in different directions, as if you were bumping someone out of the way.
I
Imagery - Consciously creating visual images to trigger whole body movement in a personal way.
Intrinsic Muscles - Small muscles, closer to the bones and joints, responsible for detailed movements and internal support.
J
Jazz Dance - One of the three dance arts, in the nine movement forms of Nia, known as "The Dance of Fun, Showmanship, and Expression."
Joy of Movement, The - The first of Nia's Thirteen Principles, which directs you to seek and experience joy in every movement.
K
Knee Sweep - A (Base) Nia Move in which you sweep one of your knees across your body and out to the side.
L
Lateral Traveling - A (Base) Nia Move in which you step to the side.
Life as Art - Receiving inspiration – as a physical sensation – from everyday life.
Living Meditation - The process of including stillness in every moment, in order to bring balance and harmony to life.
M
Meridians - Ethereal energy pathways that run throughout the body.
Mindfulness - The ability to focus all your attention on one area while staying alert, calm, and relaxed, as you witness your own body, mind, emotions, and spirit.
Mobility - The freedom to move, provided by flexibility in the joints.
Modern Dance - One of the three dance arts, in the nine movement forms of Nia, known as "The Dance of Playing with Balance, Shapes, and Space."
Movement Forms - The second of Nia's Thirteen Principles, which directs you to use the nine movement forms to develop physical skill, and a wide movement vocabulary.
Muscle Memory - Neural networks in the body that retain memories of physical movement.
Music and the 8BC System - The third of Nia's Thirteen Principles. It directs you to master the art of listening.
N
Natural Time - Moving your body in its own way, in its own time, with individualized and personalized movements that allow you to build proper neural connections.
Neuromuscular Integrative Action - Nia -- a program of using physical activity to integrate one's neurology with one's body or musculature.
Neutral - The resting phase in movement, in which you gain power from relaxation. Also known as "coming back to neutral."
Nia Moves - The set of 52 moves of the Base, Core, and Upper Extremities, which, along with the Thirteen Principles, comprise the Nia Technique.
Nia Technique - A cardiovascular program that uses whole-body, expressive, grounded movement to achieve fitness and wellness.
Nine Movement Forms - The nine movement forms of Nia that create its unique fitness fusion: Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, and Aikido (martial arts); Jazz, Modern, and Duncan Dance (dance arts); and Feldenkrais™, The Alexander Technique, and Yoga (healing arts).
O
Open Stance - A (Base) Nia Move in which you stand in place, with your feet hip-width apart, and your toes pointed directly forward, keeping your feet relaxed, and your knees loose.
P
Pain - A voice and physical sensation in the body requesting change.
Palm Directions - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you consciously change the directions of your palms, in coordination with the physical needs of your arms and shoulders.
Path of Least Resistance - The effortless way to move; it's always the right way.
Pelvic Circle - A (Core) Nia Move in which you circle your hips in a fluid motion, as if you were playing with a hula-hoop.
Pleasure Principle - The act of creating pleasure in your body, which connects you to your body and to its own way of moving.
Pleasure - A physical sensation of personal enjoyment.
Positive Tension - A state of healthy physical stress that supports healing and builds strength.
Power Finger Cross-Over - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you independently cross the middle finger (your power finger) over your index or ring finger.
Psoas Muscle - One of the most important muscles in the body, which is attached to the thigh bones and plays a major role in coordinating your upper and lower body movements.
Pumps - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you squeeze, and then relax, the palm and fingers of your hand, as if you were milking a cow.
Punches - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you punch with your fist, in any direction, pushing down with your feet to give power to the punch from the Base up.
R
RAW - The quality of being Relaxed, Alert, and Waiting, which teaches you to get into and stay in your body, as a way to reach the meditative state.
Relevé - A (Base) Nia Move in which you rise by stepping directly onto the balls of your feet.
Repetition - What you use as your guide to seek the sensations of mobility, flexibility, strength, and balance.
Riding Stance - A (Base) Nia Move in which you stand in place, with your knees slightly bent and your feet apart, as if you were riding a horse.
Rock Around the Clock - A (Base) Nia Move in which you stand with your feet hip-width apart, and sense the outside edges of your feet, as you rotate your weight.
S
Self-Healing - The conscious act of addressing personal needs, which results in greater pleasure and improved function.
Sensory IQ - The measurement of somatic intelligence, or awareness of the body.
Shimmy - A (Core) Nia Move in which you shake your shoulders as if you are shivering from the cold.
Side Kick - A (Base) Nia Move in which you pull your heel back toward your buttocks, then kick to the side, keeping the side of your thigh facing toward the ceiling and the knee of your supporting leg spring-loaded.
Sink and Pivot Table-Wipe - A (Base) Nia Move in which you make a quarter-turn, left to right, by picking up your left foot and pivoting your left thigh, sinking slightly as you place the ball of your foot on the ground and, at the same time, using your hand to wipe off an imaginary table.
Sleepwalking - Moving through life unaware of the body's sensations.
Slow Clock - A (Base) Nia Move in which you step with one foot from the middle of an imaginary clock onto any number, then bring the foot back to the center before stepping to another number.
Somatic Memory - Muscle memory.
Spear Fingers - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you extend your index and middle fingers, cock your thumb, and fold in half of your ring finger and little finger, as if "making a gun" with your hand.
Spinal Roll - A (Core) Nia Move in which you slowly lower your head and rib cage to the floor, and then gradually hoist it back up, as if you were a rag doll falling asleep and then waking up.
Spine - One of the primary elements of the body's Core, consisting of 26 vertebrae, and housing the spinal cord.
Squish Walk - A (Base) Nia Move in which you stand with your feet hip-width apart and squish down with the heel of each foot.
Stability - The ability to support, provided by strong and flexible joints, muscles and connective tissues.
Standing - The fourth stage of the five stages of self-healing, in which you can enjoy the benefits of your heightened attention and actions.
Stepping Back Onto the Ball of Your Foot - A (Base) Nia Move in which you step back directly onto the ball of one foot, keeping your heel high, while keeping your head, chest, and pelvis upright.
Strike - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you strike out with the heel of your hand, as if forcefully pushing someone out of the way.
T
Tae Kwon Do - One of the three martial arts, in the nine movement forms of Nia, known as "The Dance of Precision."
Tai Chi - One of the three martial arts, in the nine movement forms of Nia, known as "The Slow Dance."
Thirteen Joints - The 13 main joints in the body, comprised of left and right ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, and shoulders, plus the whole spine. The joints are designed to provide optimum mobility and stability throughout the whole body.
Thirteen Principles - The set of 13 tenets that, along with the Nia Moves, comprise the Nia Technique.
Three Body Weights - The three weights of the body (pelvis, chest, and head) that are used as free weights to load and lighten action, and improve alignment.
Three Levels of Intensity - The three rates of exertion: low, medium, and high.
Three Planes of Movement - The low, middle, and high postural positions that support the flow of energy through the whole body.
Toes In, Out, Parallel - A (Base) Nia Move in which you point the toes of each foot in alternating positions, to improve hip mobility and stability.
Touching - An (Upper Extremities) Nia move in which you use your hands to touch the things that are around you.
Traveling in Directions - A (Base) Nia Move in which you move through the room while consciously changing directions.
U
Undulation - A (Core) Nia Move in which you undulate, or wave, your spine -- from top to bottom, and then bottom to top.
Upper Extremities - The arms, hands, and fingers.
V
Vertical Axis - Any center line that distributes energy vertically or horizontally, such as the spine.
Voices of the Body - The somatic feedback that teaches you how best to move.
W
Walking - The fifth stage of the five stages of self-healing, in which you have reached your ideal goal and are ready to set another self-healing goal, beginning from the embryonic stage.
Webbed Spaces - An (Upper Extremities) Nia Move in which you spread your fingers, and open the spaces between them, as if you were "yawning" with your hands.
Well-Being - A reflection of optimal health.
Whole Foot - A (Base) Nia Move in which you walk, step, or stop on your whole foot, sensing your entire foot as the foundation of your body.
Witnessing - Observing yourself, without judgment, while focusing on what you sense and what you feel.
X
X-ray Anatomy - The act of sensing and observing your skeletal structure and alignment.
Y
Yang - Outward-directed, or "male" energy, such as that used when exhaling. It is the opposite of yin ("female") energy.
Yin - Inward-directed or "female" energy, such as that used when inhaling. It is the opposite of yang ("male") energy.
Yoga - One of the three healing arts, in the nine movement forms of Nia, known as "The Conscious Dance of Alignment."
Your Body's Way - Also known as Your Own Body's Way – the current design and function of your own body.
