Holy Zoinks, There’s Nia in Redmond?! Who Knew? Not Me!

If you have heard of 5Rhythms Dance, then I’m sure you know the other amazing dance form called Nia, and if you don’t…now you know of not just one new dance term, but perhaps two!

I was introduced to 5Rhythms a long time ago through an old friend of mine that lived in Seattle. I was never able to find a class on the Eastside. It’s been so long since I’ve done anything, except for maybe Jazzercise and Yoga…and stop laughing! I can shake my booty with the best of them, and I quite enjoy it, thank you very much! Okay, so back to what I was attempting to tell you about—I had no idea about Nia! People really need to tell me about these cool things. Shout out to for introducing me to our local Nia classes!

What is Nia? Nia is freestyle dance movements that utilize breath and vocalization in terms of energy flow and release of those pesky emotions you have stuck in the box. I spoke with the Teacher/Dance Instructor Pauline Osborne, and here is what she had to say about Nia, which is currently held at :

“I came across Nia while I was in nursing school and it became a wonderful complement to my nursing career. I loved that when I was stepping into a Nia class, I was stepping into a community and not just a workout class," she said. "The class isn’t just for that physical workout, it’s also about having a vocal release, using sound to activate breath, engage the core, and release emotions in a safe place.”

What can I say? Pauline speaks my language and I was sold after hearing that! When I first started the class, I was very excited to see what the "full release" would feel like compared to the sample that I had tasted in the Mommy and Me Class. The community of people in the class was very open and friendly. The teacher, Pauline, definitely takes her time to welcome everyone and she loves and wants to know you.

The transition between movements and different phases from warming up to whoa, and back to cooling down is literally amazing for any fitness level, or age level for that matter. And yes, I said "whoa!" By the time it hit me that I was working out due to the fun level, we were in the cool down phase. Is it wrong that I was disappointed in the cooling down part? Go home dance party for me! Yes, my daughter will be traumatized, but this Mama is going to end up with the name Dancing Mama!

From modern dance to martial arts, to the downright silly, your range of body movements and dance types is vast and wide. I was doing some salsa, tango, dirty dancing and then…I was a monkey. These classes bring an exciting variation to your workout routine. It didn't feel like a workout—the classes are that much fun.

But guess what—four hours after the class, I was feeling it right in those target areas I was looking for. This class is also an amazing release in terms of getting that box emptied—I felt great afterwards. With that much weight being lifted off of my shoulders, all I can say is, let’s dance some more! With a great sense of community these women are forming a bond with movement.

My experience in the Mommy and Me Class at  and in the Original Adult Class at  was very natural, and it definitely calls to women (and men) on an almost primal level bringing awareness to our physical feminine (and masculine) by merging these aspects of self-together on a very spiritual level. If yoga had a dance, this would be it. The class is definitely toned down and catered towards the kids at HappyNest, but ladies and gentleman be prepared to let go in the adult class and do what I promote best… Dance with Life!
 
See you in class!

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Check Pauline’s website for class details and pricing.