What is Nia?

Nia is a gentle-on-the-body, sensory-based, movement practice / cardiovascular workout that leads to health, wellness, fitness and personal growth. It empowers people of all ages, shapes and sizes by connecting the body, mind, emotions and spirit to heighten body awareness and Sensory IQ*. Nia is a nice fit for the fitness class beginner, the enthusiastic mover, and the sweet spirit that seeks a meaningful relationship with all that she/he does.

How does Nia work?

Nia draws from disciplines of martial arts, dance arts and healing arts. Nia supports the Pleasure Principle: If it feels good keep doing it, if it hurts, stop! Ease and comfort replace struggle and effort. Relaxation is used as a tool and is elegantly infused into the movement, helping each person to ground, connect and move from a place of centeredness, regardless of the speed or intensity of movement. Imagery is used to promote natural, individualized, whole body motion. Fitness, health, well-being, and self-love naturally result from the magnetic Nia experience.

What Does a Nia Class ‘Look Like?’

Nia classes, generally taken in bare feet, are set to an eclectic selection of music, all contained within one-hour long routines that vary from week to week. Nia's choreography is still easy to follow, novel and fascinating. Vocalization is also part of the experience. During a Tae Kwon Do-style kick, you might be asked to emit a guttural “huh!” or shout “Yes!” while throwing your arms skyward. Nia combines dance movements and heart-pumping martial arts moves infused with subtle therapeutic techniques designed to heighten body awareness and Sensory IQ.

You’ll find people of all ages and all levels of physical ability in these classes. There are three levels of exertion demonstrated for almost every movement, so you can make your workout as challenging or as laid-back as you want. Your ability to remain aware and responsive to your body’s ever-changing needs will enable you to receive maximum benefit each time you work out. You’re given the latitude to tailor your movements according to your skill, mood, and sense of rhythm. In Nia classes, everybody does their own thing, but in an orchestrated way—as if they were all singing the same song, but at different octaves. Whether your pitch is high or low, the result is improved tone.

The Nia Invitation

Nia is founded on the joy of movement, incorporating comfort, passion and pleasure as the new way to feel and create both fitness and wellness. It offers a new perspective on how, where, and what one can do to gain fitness and health, supporting a new kind of lifestyle that embraces individual creativity and self-empowerment. Nia's holistic approach of working out with mindful dynamic ease has helped to bridge the gap between fitness and wellness. Step into your own joyful journey with Nia, and positively shape the way you feel, look, think and live. Nia might be just what you are looking for. So enjoy your workout, take a risk and try it out!

No Experience Necessary!!

*Sensory IQ: “Sensation is the language of your body; a language many of us have ignored (or misunderstood) for most of our lives. Feeling the sensations of your body is to actually experience yourself; raw, life coursing through you, present in the most immediate sense. The sensations of your body ALWAYS happen in present time. It’s impossible for your body to happen in the past, or in the future.” (quote from October 6, 2009 posting on the Amnesia Symptom & Treatment blog.)

Click here for 2012 Class Schedule and Fee Structure. 

Link to Nia students' testimonials - click here.

Link to the oficial Nia website (click icon) -

Links to Nia YouTube videos - (click an image below)