Growing up (and I still feel like I’m growing up!) I’ve been “plagued” by being challenged to connect; connect with my body, people, facts, learning, remembering… the list goes on. Something magical happens when I do 5 stages on a regular basis… the dots connect!! my body feels less tension and moves smoother, my mind feels less distracted and more focused, my emotions feel more balance and I’m less stressed.
Every time I lead a Nia 5 stages course, I'm reminded of how amazing this Nia practice is and how wonderfully the Nia 5 stages course compliments Nia technique, deepens the understanding of the human body, enhances how to teach Nia and provides the opportunity for deep healing. It's all in all, an awesome program.
Of all the Nia belts, and continuing education courses, I’ve taken over the past 31 years, Nia 5 stages is the one that has enhanced my knowledge of the body, enriched my vocabulary in Classic Nia classes and helped deepen my practice the most.
Nia 5 stages is a process that takes us through the 5 developmental stages we go through from an infant to a walking human (Embryonic, Creeping, Crawling, Standing and Walking)
The Nia 5 stages lessons are an in depth, well thought out program, that, utilizing these 5 essential movements provide an opportunity to learn, heal and receive deep benefits. All in one hour! The lesson is divided into 2 parts Your Body’s Way and The Body’s Way.
Part 1 Your Body’s Way is an introductory exploration to the 5 developmental moves, where you check in with your body and breathing, are guided through the 5 stages then reassess and recognize the healing that has already occurred simply from moving through the 5 stages.
Part 2, The Body’s Way includes an educational lesson providing more information about the body, this can be anatomy, biomechanics, enhanced sensory awareness and other fascinating, yet easy to follow, information sound bites. The theory is then applied to the Nia 5 stages in an extended experience where “interference” is applied to the process to create new neuron pathways and help the body restructure to provide more ease and greater efficiency in movement.
Debbie Rosas, co-founder of Nia, has poured her wisdom, knowledge, creativity and fascination for the human body into this wonderful program. Often participants who sign up for the course have no idea how valuable the course will be for them both personally and professionally. They don’t realize how part of the package, when you become a Nia 5 stages teacher, is you have access to more than 60 lesson plans.
For more than 2 decades Nia Founder, Debbie Rosas, provided a Nia 5 stages class called “the lab” before her most popular Saturday morning Nia class. This was Debbie’s exploration and development of the work we now call Nia 5 stages. Nia 5 stages teachers receive the amazing downloads from these classes, the transcripts have been formatted into an easy to follow, fascinating to read and amazing to learn from, format. I personally think it's the closest thing to getting a sneak peak into the brilliance of the mind who co-created Nia!
In a world that constantly pulls us outside of ourselves, our healing and well-being depend on our ability to stay present within our bodies. The many stresses of being a human in these times can cause our bodies to regress to a less evolved state. When we first learn to move as babies, we integrate what doctors call our primitive reflexes, moving from a cuddly ball to our backs, our bellies, all fours and finally onto two feet.
Stress can bring children and adults back to earlier stages of evolution on this spectrum, causing challenges in coordination, endurance, balance and mental focus. The best known way to re-evolve ourselves is to learn and practice movement patterns that look like that first learning we had with gravity.
“The Nia 5 stages teaches us how to stay present, and evolved, and guide others in the same. In my experience, this kind of work has the healing power of both physical and emotional therapy. I recommend this training not just to teachers, but to moving humans who want a better understanding of their senses and themselves.
So, for the love of gravity, please check out how to learn more about Nia 5 stages.”
Nia 5 Stages
Focus: Art of Self Healing
Intent: To facilitate optimal function and comfort in the body.
As integrative practice based on the five developmental stages humans experience from the embryo to walking, Nia 5 Stages supports your body holistically to sustain mobility, flexibility, strength, agility and stability. Whether a Nia teacher, movement practitioner, somatic educator, health professional or individual seeking healing, this 2 day course provides a new skill set to add to your realm of expertise and practice.
““For everyone looking to dive into the wisdom of The Body’s Way, Nia 5 Stages is your answer. As a lover of the body, always interested in learning the how, what, and why, this unique somatic course makes it possible to learn, practice and teach what you love. During the course of the training and teacher apprenticeship, you will explore 52 unique lesson plans designed to teach you and your student what makes living and moving in the body an amazing sensory experience.””