Nia, an internationally acclaimed practice for over 30 years.
Nia is now taught in 49 countries around the world. Awakening the senses, Nia teaches you to love your body and your life. Here in Australia, Nia is shared with enthusiasm by a lively community that has grown organically since 2004.
Check out the Events page for the latest workshops, gatherings, retreats and trainings Australia-wide. Explore the Blog below for community news and stories.
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4th September, 2019 in Nia Practice, Nia White Belt Training
IS FEAR STOPPING YOU FROM TEACHING Nia?
I know you! I know who you are.
You’re the student in class who teaches in your mind. You already have a class behind you. And in your imagination, you are there teaching them.
And you love to dance! “I could do this”, you think.
Then that other little voice comes in. It plants a seed of doubt.
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5th August, 2019 in Body-Mind, Nia Practice
WONDERING IF Nia IS FOR YOU?
In a society that generally promotes an image of health, fitness, beauty and power that is air-brushed, ageless, homogenous and unattainable, Nia says, ‘Come as you are, in your glorious wholeness and imperfection, learn to listen to your body’s wisdom, be kind to yourself, and dance like no one’s watching.
No more apologies, guilt, comparison or shame.
What if ‘Health’ was about choosing Joy and expansive self-love…
What if ‘Fitness’ was measured as your capacity for pleasure playfully expressed…
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1st July, 2019 in Body-Mind, Nia Practice
Nia welcomes us at the door and says come as you are…
We all know, pretty much, what it takes to be healthy.
Good food, exercise, plenty of sleep, meaningful connections – bonus points for happiness, fulfilment and joy.
But in our modern world, it takes a gargantuan effort to keep up with all these ‘to do’s’ especially with so many other things blaring at us for attention.
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5th June, 2019 in Nia Community, Our Stories
A TRIBUTE TO ROSE MILTON
“Rose Milton
16 August 1948 – 13 April 2019
Rose was a much loved member of the Nia community on the NSW South Coast.
You may have danced with her at one of the many Nia events she enjoyed – the most recent being the Nia Australia Gathering in Berry in March this year.
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5th June, 2019 in Nia Community
#dance4dignity 2019
Earlier this year we saw the power of our Nia Australia commUNITY and this was demonstrated once again with grace and generosity as 26 community classes came together to #dance4dignity to raise much-needed funds for Share the Dignity.
Every day, 48,000 Australian women face another night with nowhere to call home.
Not only did this wonderful event raise money it also raised awareness of the issues faced by women and girls experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and period poverty.
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MUSIC – Nia PRINCIPLE #3
“If music be the food of love, play on.” Willliam Shakespeare
I can’t imagine life without music.
Music can make your heart sing or make your heart cry. Music has the power to bring back such strong memories you feel like you are reliving the moment. Music is primal, emotive, sensual – it can energise and excite or relax and soothe.
And above all … it can make you want to dance!!
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2nd April, 2019 in Nia Community
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY
One of the most wonderful benefits of practising Nia is the commUNITY of beautiful souls you meet along the way.
It could be your teacher, your class members, other teachers, your students or even the many trainers who visit us from all over the world.
The heart of Nia is JOY.
This is the strongest when we come together.
This happened in March when 42 people came together for The Gathering, in Berry NSW.
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LOVE THE SKIN YOU ARE IN
Love the skin you are in!
It’s a simple statement filled with gratitude for the body that you have now. Yet as simple as it may seem, the embodiment of this statement is sometimes easier said
then done.For as long as I can remember, I have been experiencing the ups and downs of the relationship I have with my body. On some days I feel confident and completely at ease with my body. While other days I look down at my body with displeasure and frustration, spending the day avoiding mirrors, for I know I will not like what I see.
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11th February, 2019 in Community News, Nia Community
THE GATHERING 22-24 MARCH 2019
It has been a number of years since Nia Australia has hosted its annual Gathering and as our community grows we wanted to offer the opportunity for us to come together to connect, learn and grow.
The Gathering is a two-night, two-day experience for our Nia Australia Community Member or Teacher Members. It will be held in Berry NSW on the 22nd-24th March 2019.
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4th February, 2019 in Body-Mind, Nia Practice
Nia IS CREATIVE EXPRESSION
The term creativity refers to the ability to produce something both new and valuable in an innovative way. Related to this is self-expression where you infuse your personality, feelings, and opinions even down to clothing and how you “wear yourself!”
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19th December, 2018 in Nia Belt Trainings
MORE ABOUT Nia WHITE BELT TRAINING
In this Blog Post, our President Helen Suchting, interviews Australia’s White Belt Trainer, Sophie Marsh on all things White Belt.
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You can watch the video interview here, or read about it below the video. -
Nia WHITE BELT TRAINING – A TIME FOR CONNECTION TO YOUR BODY
Nia White Belt offers a 7-day immersion into the Art of Sensation for self-discovery, self-healing and self-mastery.
The Training is an internationally recognised course of somatic (meaning body-centred) education. Yes, you will move a lot but it’s not all high energy cardio dance class. This is embodied learning, a well-crafted balance between cognitive and experiential journeying … Listening to your body … learning from it … consciously tracking pain and pleasure and then choosing to be kind to your body, to move with the joy of movement and feel the power of your aliveness.
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FROM SELF-DOUBT TO CONFIDENCE & CLARITY – A Nia TRANSFORMATION
How to transform your body and life in a pleasurable way that just gets better …
I fell in love with Nia straight away, the music and moves got under my skin and my teacher’s vivacity drew me in. Back then I had no inkling of the changes to come, even if someone had told me I wouldn’t have believed. Lucky for me, Nia has worked its magic softening edges and removing inhibitions until confidence and clarity quietly replace self-doubt.
All this from a movement practice you ask? Yes!
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1st October, 2018 in Body-Mind, Nia Practice
TODAY I CHOOSE JOY!
“Turbulence and divisiveness can distort our minds, leaving us susceptible to the contagion of fear. Like the common cold virus, fear is all around us….and none of us is immune.”
The easiest way I know to build immunity against fear (and the cold virus!) is to raise our vibration with Joy, individually and collectively. Nia’s foundational principle, Joy of Movement, is more than just feeling happy. This Joy is an expansive life-affirming energy that can sit beside any emotion.
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4th September, 2018 in Body-Mind
NATURAL TIME & MOVEMENT FORMS
I take a deep breath, feel the space around me, take my time there is no rush, it is in, my time in Natural Time.
Exhale enjoy the movement, the sensation of living in a body that moves, senses and is there for me.
Take a deep breath, sense how my body is feeling, how the energy is flowing around. Is there resistance? comfort? ease?
Tune in to these sensations as it is my body my awareness of my sensory being.
These sensations are the teachers on how I will move today. To be in my body and trust my body. Exhale, feel the fluidity in my body, the juices running into all my joints and digits exploring high, median and low, taking my body around my body feeling back and front.
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2nd August, 2018 in Body-Mind, Nia Practice
MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE – WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?
When we think about Medicine we often conjure up thoughts of bottles of pills, prescriptions, potions and many other things prescribed to us to make us feel better, to heal from an illness or prevent us from getting sick.
What about if we switched the concept of medicine as we know it and think about how movement can heal our bodies, mind and spirit.
This is precisely why the theme for this year’s National Playshop – Movement is Medicine. At this Australia-wide event we will be guiding those participating to sense “movement as medicine”, experiencing the healing and conditioning power of moving your body in ways that feel good to you.
To explore this concept a little deeper we asked our teacher community what Movement is Medicine means to them. We have broken their thoughts into a few key areas:
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30th June, 2018 in Nia Community
Nia is more than a practice, it’s a community
If you are on Facebook you may have noticed a few people sharing a video about community. It is titled – ‘What we do together matters’ – a video celebrating community.
It pulls up your photos and has this text overlay over the video;
What we do together matters
Community means a lot
but it’s different all over the world
whoever you ask,
one things is always the same.
It’s what we do for each other
that makes community matter. -
4th March, 2018 in Nia Practice, Our Stories
This is for YOU – Nia is for Everybody
It’s Fun.
It’s Fitness.
It’s unwinding from the day and simply moving to beautiful music.
It’s Exercise without Pain.
It makes you feel grounded, relaxed, free, joyous, refreshed, happy, energised, centred, connected, feminine, strong, confident and inspired.
It’s Nia and it’s for Everybody.. Read More > -
27th January, 2018 in Body-Mind, Our Stories
Nia Dance – ‘Feel the Fear & Do it Anyway’
Whenever I’m about to do something that makes me feel nervous, I remember the quote from Susan Jeffers – “Feel the Fear & Do it Anyway”.
Fear itself is not the enemy, sometimes it protects us from real danger. Sometimes we give fear the power to make us much smaller than we are destined to be. We need to feel our fear and then decide if it’s based in reality.
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17th December, 2017 in Community News, Nia Belt Trainings
The Power of Two: Open Nia classes with Sophie Marsh + Laurie Bass
Are you ready to start 2018 feeling inspired to BE the best version of yourself, to listen more to your own inner wisdom, to understand your body’s voice and learn how to move and live with more awareness, pleasure and purpose? For the first time in nearly 6 years, the Nia White Belt training in Brisbane 5-11 January will be led by two members of the International Nia Training Faculty – Laurie Bass from Portland Oregon and Nia Australia Trainer, Sophie Marsh. Read More >
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23rd November, 2017 in Nia Belt Trainings, Our Stories
What does it feel like in a Nia training?
“So many of my Nia friends from far and wide are gathering and bubbling with excitement at the prospect of stepping into the third level of Nia training, the Brown Belt with International Nia Trainer Ann Christiansen. And their excitement and anticipation comes from knowing what it’s like in a Nia training.
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1st November, 2017 in Body-Mind, Our Stories
Medicine for my whole being.
I discovered Nia . . .
at a farmers market in Eugene, Oregon where Nia was being shared on a grassy patch. I happily danced along with the group and was given a pass for a free class. I can’t remember who it was or what they looked like but that person changed my life! Read More >
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Fitness Pioneer Debbie Rosas to Tour Australia in April 2017
Fitness pioneer and thought leader Debbie Rosas is embarking on a tour of Australian Nia communities starting April 15th. Debbie will be teaching in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Mullumbimby, to audiences of both Nia veterans and new dancers. Read More >
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Universal Joy connects our global Nia community
Imagine finding a movement practice that spans the whole world and connects you to a global community. A fitness class that speaks not one singular language, rather a universal dialogue of the body. A mindful workout that opens your eyes to each moment as a possibility of seeing new aspects of yourself. For me the image of an exercise class that encompasses all those qualities became a reality in the form of Nia. And it continues to expand as I travel the world taking classes, connecting with communities and experiencing the ever present Joy of Nia.
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Dancing together to create something great!
Collaboration means to work (or play) together to produce something and that’s exactly what we did in Ulladulla. Together with the Canberra Nia community, our NSW South Coast Nia community came together to deliver a doozy of a Dance Jam on 6 August this year.
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14th September, 2016 in Body-Mind, Our Stories
Go There! Embracing change …
When Nia student ‘Cosima’ experienced a sudden change in circumstances, her first response was panic. But thanks to Nia’s practice of listening to the body’s voice, she found a way to embrace the change. “The beauty, the simplicity of it was uplifting”
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Blue Belt – Art of Communication
Blue Belt, the second level of Nia education, explores how to create healthy relationships through body-centred communication. This intensive introduces the 13 Nia principles (that follow the White Belt’s 13 Nia Principles), which focus on the 4 realms of body, mind, emotions and spirit. While the White Belt curriculum focuses entirely on awareness of physical sensation, Blue Belt applies these skills to explore internal sensations as perceived through – but distinct from – physical sensations in the body.
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Nia White Belt in Perth
My journey with Nia began in 2003 in South Africa when I took the White Belt with dear Kathy Wolstenholme. I had taken one class and was sold! Since then I have learnt so much and had Nia by my side to express the continuum of emotions through life’s many transitions and undulations! I have travelled to Germany and Portland with my Nia friends and left with many more friends and aha’s.
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16th August, 2016 in Body-Mind, Nia Practice
Health, fitness, beauty + power
In a society that generally promotes an image of health, fitness, beauty and power that is air-brushed, ageless, homogenous and unattainable, Nia says, ‘Come as you are, in your glorious wholeness and imperfection, learn to listen to your body’s wisdom, be kind to yourself, and dance like no one’s watching.
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5th August, 2016 in Community News, Our Stories
Our Community In Our Words
The most rewarding part of having a Nia community ..
“I feel deep passion when I dance with my Nia tribe.
The energy in the room sometimes brings me to tears of joy.
Thank you Nia x” Mandy Loveday
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5th August, 2016 in Community News, Our Stories
From Little Things Big Things Grow
Communities thrive when they share a common purpose and sense an ability to connect and contribute. A seed was sewn in 2007 when four Nia teachers formed the Nia Australia Association with the intention to support and grow an Australian Nia community.
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22nd July, 2016 in FAQ and Tips, Nia Belt Trainings
What IS the Nia White Belt?
Imagine a week of tuning into your own body and moving in a way that feels good. In the Nia ‘training bubble’, you’re invited to leave distractions behind and connect with other like-minded people of all ages and experience, as you explore ‘The Body’s Way’ and ‘Your Body’s Way’. Learn to let go of the ‘have to’ voice of your mind and drop into authentic being, guided by the voice of your body.
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17th May, 2016 in Body-Mind
Remember the floor is your friend: Maintaining Mobility as We Grow Old
‘Are you comfortable down there on the floor?’ my sister, who is younger than me by several years, asked while we sat around with Mum, Dad, our other sisters and their husbands. We were talking about the physical ‘woes’ of getting old. I was sitting on the floor, as I often do and always have and looked up at her and answered truthfully with a ‘YES’.
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3rd December, 2015 in Our Stories
Pieta ~ our International Nia Student of the Year!
This year, one of our Nia students and members of Nia Australia, was honoured by the Nia community globally, receiving the International Student of the year award by Nia HQ in Portland. We are so proud of Pieta as she truly embodies and walks the path of a wise woman intuitively following the signs that are leading her to a life filled with Joy and wellness. As is Pieta’s style, with her overflowing kindness, Pieta’s response to the award was to send a gratitude hit and love bomb to the Nia Community. Here are Pieta’s beautiful words of thanks and story for you.
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14th November, 2015 in Our Stories
Nia Conditioning and Cycling
Nia, as a whole body conditioning practice, is a powerful addition to any exercise program and can be used effectively and efficiently to improve all-round athletic performance and expand body awareness. A Nia student in Brisbane, Paul, shares his experience of incorporating Nia into his weekly routine to enhance his speed and strength in the sport of cycling.
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16th October, 2015 in Nia Practice
Music, Movement, Magic
Many of our Nia students come from the medical and physiotherapy professions. As a barefoot practice, grounded in increasing the movement options available to the body, Nia creates pathways to optimal well-being and is adaptable for all. Mandi Cavallaro, was recently interviewed by one of her students, a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, to explain a little bit more about Nia for the new student…
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13th October, 2015 in Community News
Embrace your Uniqueness within Community
Nia Australia is offering three playshops, in three States, on one day! On Sunday the 25th of October, we will be coming together to move, receive and share Nia, as we weave our magic across the land, in Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast. Each playshop creating the space for you to share, explore, play, collaborate, connect and dance with community.
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30th August, 2015 in Nia Practice
Awareness – A Parable
Once upon a time …
there was a little girl who loved to sing, dance and frolic through the fields gathering brightly coloured flowers, warm stones that twinkled in the sun, and any other treasures that interested her curious little mind.
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24th July, 2015 in Music & Videos
Feel Good, Look Good
“I feel fantastic, I feel really in my body and I feel my body is alive. I can sense my skin and my muscles and my bones, tingling, feeling. It’s always important to feel good first. The body wants to feel good and when the body feels good it looks so good; it brings a smile to my face.” Fantastic!
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22nd July, 2015 in Our Stories
An Inner Connection and Sense of Being
Ann Boon teaches in Morningside, Brisbane. One of her students, Glenys Gibson, shares her experience of Nia, describing what drew her to a Nia class and why she keeps coming back!
“I feel I have benefited so much from Nia and I want others to have the opportunity to experience Nia, so I share my experience and encourage others to attend.”
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22nd July, 2015 in FAQ and Tips
Tips for Beginners
Here are our Tips for Beginners, to help you get the most out of your Nia movement experience.
- Bring a water bottle and dress to move. When you dance, wear anything that makes you feel free, comfortable and excited to move. Yoga clothing, dance or exercise wear or even a skirt changes the way you move, feel and workout.
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22nd July, 2015 in FAQ and Tips, Nia Belt Trainings
The White Belt – Nia’s Foundational Training
The White Belt is open to everybody: no Nia experience necessary.
Learn how to access your body’s innate wisdom and power through Nia’s 13 foundational principles. This training focuses on the ‘Art of Sensation’ with techniques, information and inspiration for you to feel deliciously embodied and more vitality, connection and Joy every day.
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20th July, 2015 in FAQ and Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are our FAQ. Feel free to email or call a teacher directly or Contact us if you have any more questions. Nia classes are adaptable for all ages, body types and fitness abilities. Everybody is welcome!
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15th July, 2015 in Nia Practice
The 7 Cycles of a Nia Class
All Nia workouts use seven cycles. Each cycle has a unique purpose, and each is designed to fulfill specific student needs to ultimately deliver holistic conditioning. The Body’s Way reminds us that to maintain harmony and balance, we must move through these cycles.