All Nia workouts consist of seven cycles. Each cycle has a unique purpose and each is designed to fulfill specific student needs to ultimately deliver holistic conditioning.
Cycle 1 Setting the Focus and Intent Our minds need something to do in class. Rather than chiding you for not getting a move or worried about picking up kids or anything else, the Focus gives the mind a task to pay attention. The focus could be a body part. How often do you think about your elbow? That’s a potential focus. The Intent is the desired outcome (i.e. conditioning the body, pushing from the elbow, opening the shoulder girdle).
Cycle 2 Step In This act creates the space to workout, to leave all distractions behind and be in the moment. This is your time for your body, mind, emotions and spirit to move.
Cycle 3 Warm Up Consciously warming up, you active the energy flow through your heart, lungs and 13 primary joints. Warming up increases body heat and respiration; initiates your movement through the three planes: low, middle and high.
Cycle 4 Get Moving Now that your body is warmed up, you can increase ranges of motion, speed and intensity to condition the heart, lungs, muscles and joints. Activate your cardiovascular system using speed and shorter and longer splashes of intensity.
Cycle 5 Cool Down Time to decrease your intensity level, slow your speed and allow your heart rate to slow down and your body to begin to cool.
Cycle 6 Floorplay Floorplay is fitness on the floor using the elements of play, gravity, space, time and sound to condition the body. You can roll, crawl, stretch and reach without fear of falling. Sometimes guided yoga moves; sometimes free form. Sometimes sound or silence finding peace in your body.
Cycle 7 Step Out You transition into your next activity with an awareness of the fitness of self-healing benefits that you have received from your movement. Stepping out is a physical action you take to symbolize the end of every class whether online or in person. Watch how the rest of your day turns out. You’ll be amazed.