Nia is a powerful, exciting blend of elements from martial arts, dance, yoga and healing therapies. A form of training that focuses on body, mind and soul in equal measure, it offers opportunities for personal development. Nia is not a rigid movement prescription – it is a journey!

Both, because Nia is a holistic practice. Nia combines movement, theories and philosophies from eastern and western cultures: the explosive power of traditional martial arts such as aikido and taekwondo; the flow and concentration of tai chi; the spontaneity of different types of dance; the dynamics of yoga and the healing approaches of body therapies. This variety makes it possible for Nia to be both sweat-inducing fitness and pure relaxation.

Thanks to its varied forms of movement Nia is a sure way to achieve more strength, flexibility, balance, and relaxation, and to look good as a result. It improves posture and is an excellent cardio workout.

Nia classes can be adjusted to meet the levels of training, age and interests of participants. This means that Nia is suitable for all age groups and, independent of fitness or training level, each class is an experience for everyone. No prior knowledge or experience necessary!

Nia is not about performance. It’s about getting to know and understand your own body; it’s about experiencing your potential, and providing yourself with a means of expression. Sensing, feeling, letting go and letting yourself be inspired and moved by a wide range of music styles – that’s what you’ll experience in Nia …

Martial arts were essential to the development of Nia. When Nia founders Debbie and Carlos Rosas explored tai chi, they realised something key: your overall felt sense of your body can only be fully experienced barefoot; there are 7 000 nerves that end in each foot and their feedback is an integral part of our motor coordination.

As a holistic practice, Nia is for anyone interested in self-discovery. All the moves can be done at varying degrees of difficulty. This means that anyone capable of walking to classes can also join in!

Yourself!

Early in its development, Nia was presented to the aerobics industry as ‘Non-impact aerobics’. Over time, the training’s focus shifted to experiencing joy, power and relaxation and the new name ‘Neuromuscular Integrative Action’ was developed. Today we just say ‘Nia’.

Just come along to one of my classes. All you need is comfortable clothing. A session lasts between 60 and 90 minutes and includes a thorough warm-up and a whole lot of dance, all with a ‘daily focus’. A little enthusiasm is the most important thing. If you like music then Nia is definitely for you!

If you are drawn to the practice and have the time, you can actually take part in a Nia Training Intensive as an absolute beginner. This seven-day training course (the Nia ‘White Belt’) is the first level of Nia education, and is open to anyone. Participants whose first experience comes in the form of this week-long course are often inspired and wowed by Nia – and stay that way!