Personal Nia Sessions

Enhance your experience of regular group Nia classes with personal sessions focused on mastering your mind/body movement skills. Together we can focus on adapting Nia to your special needs, or improving your technique.
Have more fun, and get the most benefit from your workouts!
Call or email me for details.

Join me for a Nia class!

South Asheville Yoga
1378 Hendersonville Road, next to Harris Teeter grocery and Starbucks.
See www.southashevilleyoga.com for directions and more info.
Sliding fee scale: $10 - $16.

• Through June 27, Saturdays from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. (9:15: Optional pre-class stretching)

The Cliffs Communities

• The Cliffs at Walnut Cove - Asheville, NC: Mondays & Thursdays from 9 - 10 a.m.
  
• The Cliffs at Glassy, Wellness Center - Landrum, SC: Fridays from 9:15 - 10:15 a.m.

Ayurveda and exercise

Visit New Life Journal for my article on Ayurveda and Exercise - Coaching from the ancient Science of Life.

Ayurveda is the health care system of the ancient Vedic Tradition of India and is the world’s oldest and most complete system of natural medicine. The aim of Ayurveda is to enliven and maintain the body's natural healing mechanisms.

Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf, medical doctor and expert in Maharishi Ayurveda, specializes in women's health. She says, "Exercise is at least part of the answer to so many problems women commonly have — It improves sleep, lifts mood, reduces anxiety, gives your complexion a healthy glow, boosts energy, improves metabolism and helps control weight. It also improves your memory and keeps your brain young, not to mention tones your muscles and gives you a great looking body!"

"It does this all by helping the body's intelligence do it's job better — move the lymph, clear the toxins, digest, circulate nourishment to the tissues, and clear the mind of stress and clutter. It's amazing what being naturally active does for the body. We were born to move, not sit at desks!"

For more information about exercise and ayurveda, click here.

Dr. Lonsdorf offers tele-seminars on topics such as the Ayurvedic approach to menopause, bone health, and weightloss, as well as personal health coaching. www.drnancylonsdorf.com

Foot fitness & barefoot conditioning

For healthy feet, see my article in New Life Journal, October 2008

For years I had chronic ankle and arch (plantar) pain that limited my enjoyment of hiking and other activities. In 2005 I started taking Nia classes, and within the first 3 weeks the pain in my ankle was greatly relieved and my foot felt more relaxed than it had in years. I continue to learn about foot care, and in addition to Nia, I've found these things to be helpful: a daily foot-massage, trigger-point therapy, and foot soaks. See below for recommendations.

For those with plantar fasciitis, weak ankles, etc. Nia will help increase the strength and flexibility of your feet and the stability of your lower extremity joints. It's gentle on the joints (non-impact), and will teach you to heal yourself through the sensation of pleasure. Nia is usually done barefoot, but if you need or prefer, you can wear a flexible-soled shoe or arch support bands. Comfort is the key.

Recommendations:

Give yourself an Ayurvedic foot massage (pad-abhyanga) in just a few minutes a day. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word meaning 'science of life,' and is the most ancient system of natural health care (from the same tradition as yoga). See www.MAPI.com for the Rejuvenation massage oil for feet and legs - wonderful stuff!

See the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, a guide to self-care pain management, for many common conditions including plantar fasciitis. Based on medical research, this book has helped me, my family, and friends relieve pain in the hips, knees, shoulder, back, and foot problems including gout!

Contrast hydrotherapy foot soak, alternating hot then ice cold for several minutes. End with the hot soak.

A great aromatherapy foot soak called Savoir is available at Nest Organics on Lexington Ave. in Asheville.

Acupuncture and reflexology can also be very helpful.

Interview with Nia Co-founder, Carlos Rosas

Celebrating 25 Years of Nia—A Conversation with a Fitness Pioneer
In 1983, Carlos Rosas and Debbie Rosas created the Nia Technique, an internationally acclaimed “body-mind-spirit movement and lifestyle practice.” They have presented at many leading health conventions, and currently sponsor Inner IDEA, an association of holistic fitness professionals.

"Nia is a body-mind-spirit practice. Spirit stands for all that is unique and different to each person."

"...In Nia, just as we are for body relaxation, we’re for mental relaxation. Instead of saying “be mindful,” I’d rather say be aware of your body, be sensitive. The practice of Nia has some qualities that are like mind-body programs, but it’s truly more expansive. (read complete interview, including Carlos's Nia tips you can use in any sports)

Recommended Reading

Here are some great books (available on Amazon or can be ordered by your local bookstore):

• The Nia Technique - The High Powered, Energizing Workout that Gives You a New Body and a New Life, by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas. A fascinating read, with beautiful, illustrative photos and detailed guide to the movements of Nia and their specific benefits. See www.NiaNow.com
  

• Ageless Woman - Natural Health & Beauty After Forty, by Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf. Menopause reveals imbalances in your system that may have been building up for years. This book provides a simple guide for understanding menopause, and easy steps for creating balance in your mind, body and emotions. Read this book BEFORE and after menopause! Read before considering any hormone treatments or other "natural" approaches to menopause symptoms. See www.drnancylonsdorf.com for articles, tips, etc.
  

• Heaven's Banquet - Vegetarian Cooking for Lifelong Health the Ayurveda Way, by Miriam Kasan Hospodar. Excellent recipes, fun to read, and a great introduction to Ayurveda. (Also includes ayurvedic recommendations for non-vegetarians.) Her colorful website, www.miriamhospodar.com, features Miriam's art, writing, and cooking.
  

• Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition, by Clair Davies NCTMB. For examples of these effective self-treatment techniques, see www.triggerpointbook.com
  

• Total Heart Health, by Richard Schneider, MD FACC. How to prevent and reverse heart disease and its risk factors — stress, high blood pressure, cholesterol, overweight, smoking — naturally and without harmful side effects. See www.totalhearthealth.info

• The Science of Being and Art of Living, by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In this classic book, first published in 1963 and read by millions of people, Maharishi unfolds his vision for “a new humanity, developed in all life’s values — physical, mental, material, spiritual.” Available from www.MUMPress.com