Blog & Updates

Musings and Teachings from Holly

Art of Sensation

I am days away from stepping into a Nia White Belt training in Lincoln, NE. The White Belt is the entry into Nia’s art of sensation; what it means to live a sensory life. I began this journey for myself in 1993. I have facilitated scores of White Belt trainings since then and am always…
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Creating the Space

I’ve just returned from a week of immersing myself in the Nia White Belt experience. The Nia White Belt is the first level of somatic education offered by the Nia Technique. It’s a week-long process of discovering the magnificence of the human body and its potential to live into greatness through an embodied practice of…
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Sing-a-Long

I taught a Nia Moving to Heal class at a memory care residence called Country House yesterday. It was my first experience working with this population. I had compiled a playlist of hits from the 50’s and 60’s, songs I knew they would be able to sing to. As I was setting up and waiting…
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From Standing to Sitting

My intent through my work has been to bring movement to as many people as possible. I’ve been practicing this intent for 35 years now, beginning with Jane Fonda aerobics and ultimately finding Nia. It’s been an amazing journey that marks my life in a powerful way. As I age I look ahead to the…
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International Happiness Day

March 20th is International Happiness Day. It was celebrated yesterday by a group called Positivity Matters in Lincoln, NE. I was invited to offer a ten minute dance break to the group. I jumped at the chance, knowing that dance can be direct source to joy and happiness. A small group gathered at the local…
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Dancing In My Wake

I moved to Santa Fe, NM from Austin, TX in 2002. At that time there was just a handful of Nia classes going on in Santa Fe, and I was determined to see Nia flourish there. I had several false starts with studios, taught in almost every venue in town, and finally ended up working…
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Teaching Nia Online

Nia has seen an incredible change since the start of the pandemic.  There is so much Nia available online now, from Body and Life Trainings to ongoing Nia classes of all types, we can tap into it whenever we want.  The ease and convenience of doing it from home are perfect for many, but not…
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Nia Moving To Heal

I’ve recently returned from a Nia Moving to Heal® (M2H) training in Dallas with the founder of Nia, Debbie Rosas. Like Debbie, I have always believed that Nia, at its heart, is a healing program. The conditioning we get from practicing Nia has been the wonderful extra benefit we receive and I have loved that…
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Expanding Nia

I’ve had many wonderful opportunities to expand Nia into Lincoln these last few weeks. It began with taking on a class at the new Firethorn Resort back in August. A new venue means new people, and I love introducing new people to Nia. Although classes are small, there is an enthusiasm that’s growing. I then…
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Nia Down Under

I just returned from a trip to Australia and New Zealand. It is spring time there now. Coming from the Midwest, preparing for winter, I was thrilled to be in the bright, hopeful energy of spring. The greens were fresh and young, and flowers were blooming everywhere. I was accompanying my husband on a scientific…
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Exploding Inward and Outward

Little did I know back in March that so much change and growth were at my doorstep. The transition to teaching online Nia classes was an epic shift for me and all of Nia. Beyond catching up with and understanding the technology, I have had an immense inward expansion that has connected me in new,…
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Everything I Learned From My Right Foot

Long ago, when I first began my career as a group fitness instructor, my goals were driven by charts, measurements, distances, time, scales, and body fat percentage. These numbers, along with their ranking from poor to excellent, defined my reason for exercising and teaching aerobic dance classes. However, I had found my way into it…
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body | mind | spirit | dance fitness