Global Unity Teacher GuideGlobal Unity Workshop Guide GUTeacherGuide08.doc Page 1 Global Unity...

Teacher Guide

GLOBAL UNITY

workshope x p e r i e n t i a l

Changing Lives and Bodies Since 1983 “Through Movement We Find Health”

Get ready to deliver the science, craft and art of this 3 hour Global Unity Workshop Experience. With a Nia class you deliver “The Nia Promise.” With a Nia Experiential Workshop is you go deeper to blend the Joy of a Nia class with the Depth of Nia Education transforming bodies and lives since 1983.

The Global Unity Workshop Teacherʼs Guide

Global Unity Workshop Guide GUTeacherGuide08.doc

Global Unity Workshop

Table of Contents

Introduction........................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

1. The Global Unity Workshop Outline ....................................................................... 1 Overview and Structure – 180 minutes (3 hours) total..............................................2

PART 1 – Introduction and Practice .........................................................................2 A. Introduction...........................................................................................................2 B. The Practice (90-minute workshop)......................................................................5

PART 2 – The Experience and Closing ....................Error! Bookmark not defined. C. The Experience (55-minute Global Unity Workout) ............................................14 D. Closing ...............................................................................................................14

3. The Global Unity Student Handout (separate document, single-sided for you to copy and/or customize to handout to each participant)

4. The Global Unity Review Guide (separate document for your review)

Global Unity Workshop Guide GUTeacherGuide08.doc Page 1


Teacherʼs Guide

Introduction

As a teacher, when you offer workshops, you create a core group of students with more knowledge, body

awareness, and energy. You can offer this workshop one time, focusing on the physical realm. If you

have a large enough client base, and the interest and time, you can offer this workshop four times,

focusing one at a time on each of the four realms.

The Global Unity Workshop gives you an opportunity to

• Introduce Nia to new people

• Share the depth of Nia with your current students

• Increase your skills as a Nia facilitator

• Produce a Nia event and profit from it, generating dollars to help you attend the Nia 2003 Convention

• Publicize and market your regular Nia classes

• Support your clubs in offering events and education to members

Your students – new and current – will have an opportunity to

• Expand their knowledge of Nia

• Make improvements to their technique and craft

• See and feel more and more results as their body becomes conditioned, and as their mind, emotions,

and spirit gain more awareness.

• Present yourself as an educator to your community

1. The Global Unity Workshop Outline

The Global Unity Workshop, like the Global Unity videotape, is designed to be presented in two main

parts: The Practice and The Experience. Whereas the videotape presents The Experience first, followed

by The Practice, the Workshop offers students the opportunity to practice the techniques first, and then

invites them to experience their new skills in a full-blown classic Nia workout.

In The Practice portion of the Global Unity Workshop you will use Global Unity pearls, techniques, and

exercises (outlined in the chart later in this Guide). The focus of Global Unity, as presented in the video, is

The Joy of Movement. Use this as your overall guiding focus for the entire workshop / event.

Global Unity Workshopʼ08 GUTeacherGuide08.doc Page 2


Teacherʼs Guide

We suggest that you distribute the student handout upon registration. Encourage students to look over the

handout while they wait for the event to begin.

Times below are approximate. You can count on late arrivals. We suggest you begin no more than five

minutes after the hour. (Where sample text is given, anything in “quotes” is language you can directly

use.)

Overview and Structure – 180 minutes (3 hours) total

Part 1 (105 minutes)

A. Introduction (15 minutes)

1. Welcome

2. About Nia

3. Focus, Intent, and Way

B. The Practice (90 minutes)

1. The Workshop / seven sections

Part 2 (70 minutes)

C. The Experience (55 minutes)

1. Global Unity Workout

D. Closing (15 minutes)

1. Questions and Answers

2. Nia Support, Training, and Products

Part 1 – Introduction and The Practice

A. Introduction

1. Welcome

Introduce yourself and thank the hosting facility. Give a brief history about your experience as a

student and teacher of Nia. If someone else will be introducing you, provide them with your

biography. (A sample biography is included in “Producing a Nia Event.”)

Explain how the workshop is formatted. For example, “Over these next three hours you will

discover how to use your body, mind, emotions, and spirit, and youʼll discover why feeling,

expressing, sensing, and using a focus and intent are so effective in achieving results. Youʼll

learn how to make your body strong, balanced, and flexible from the inside out. In The Practice



Teacherʼs Guide

we will explore Niaʼs technique, the science, craft, and art. In the workout portion of the workshop,

The Experience, you will experience what you have just practiced. This is a classic Nia workout.”

2. About Nia

“Regardless of whether you have Nia experience or not, the way we teach allows everyone to

participate, enjoy, and benefit. Get ready to explore the joy of movement through some of Niaʼs

13 Principles that include 9 different, unique movement forms. In the next three hours you will be

introduced to movement generated by integrating the three arts: martial arts, dance arts, and

healing arts. Nia has spent the last 20 years in developing a fitness program founded on the

concepts, principles, and movements of Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, and Aikido from the martial arts:

Jazz, Modern, and Duncan dance from the dance arts; and Yoga, Feldenkrais, and The

Alexander Technique from the healing arts. These are just some of the tools that make Nia

powerful and effective in delivering fitness results in a safe and balanced way.”

3. Focus, Intent, and Way

“The focus is where you will place your attention. Intent is the desired outcome. The way is how

you can get the most of out this experience.”

D. “The Focus of todayʼs Global Unity Workshop is The Joy of Movement in the [__________]

Realm (choose your own realm). [Note: See notes below for more language on the focus of

each realm]. When doing one event, choose the physical realm. When doing four events,

begin in this order.

Focus 1 – The Physical Realm

When focusing on the physical realm, the body, focus on the sensory experience of the

technique and craft. Teach by using Principle #13, Teaching What You Sense, and guide the

whole experience using words that remind people to feel and sense, to notice what is

happening and to what they are experiencing in their body. For example, “Feel and sense

your feet…feel your pelvis…feel your ankle joints…feel the space between your arm and your

torso…sense your knees,” etc. Remember to use words that keep your students in their body,

feeling the pleasure of Nia.



Teacherʼs Guide

Focus 2 – The Mental Realm

When focusing on the mental realm, focus on using the mind with intent. Incorporate visuals,

imagination, logic, counting, numbers, and directions to guide the experience. For example,

“Two more times...imagine pushing into a blue bubble…splash water off your fingers…touch

the cool green grass…thunder in the clouds…step front, back and to the side…imagine your

spine elongated and flexible like a willow tree…your arms are pink scarves flowing in the

wind…notice the sequence…use your mind and choose the proper technique.”

Focus 3 – The Emotional Realm

When focusing on the emotional realm, focus on personal expressiveness. Use your voice

and emotions. Remember it is not necessary for you to tell your student to feel a specific

emotion for the experience to be emotionally expressive. Practice the art of making Nia

expressive without telling your students what to feel. For example, “Bring your arms up and

feel the exuberance of the moment…Yes!…No!…Express yourself through the scarf

dance…block with confidence…Howʼs it feeling…”

Focus 4 – The Spirit Realm

When focusing on the spiritual realm, focus on words that encourage community and

personal interactions to create a relationship between the self and spirit. Invite students to

include their own sense of spirit into the movement experience. For example, “Discover how

you do what you do to feel more aligned with the heart of your spirit…allow your body to seek

places of divine alignment…explore where spirit love grows and how it emerges…allow your

spirit to sing as you dance in this sacred moment and space.” To Nia, the spirit represents the

uniqueness of each person. Spirit is also the unique way each person dances. To create a

spiritual atmosphere, guide your students to dance for self-fulfilling purposes. There is no

need to create stereotypical rituals to bring spirit into class. Trust that spirit is always present.

b. “The Intent of this Workshop is to joyfully deepen the relationship you have with your body.

We will use seven sensory-based words as guides and specific techniques. Specifically the

sensory-based words and techniques used are as follows: 1. Sense – systemic, whole body

movement; 2. Be – in your feet, the hands that touch the earth; 3. Express – using creative

arm and hand expressions and the three body weights; 4. Move – mindfully and with

awareness using a focus; 5. Integrate – form and freedom, fast and slow, big and small via

movement form variety; 6. Enjoy – seek pleasure and comfort as your guides by working



Teacherʼs Guide

through three planes and levels, reaching personal potential; and 7. Play – teach your body

to relax by eliminating demands and stress, be vocal, be expressive, visualize and personally

interpret.”

The way for you to get the most of this workshop is to connect to your own bodyʼs sensations

and to your own movement experience. Use the music, rhythm, and melody to inspire you and your

body to dance, sense, and be expressive with your body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

B. The Practice (90-minute workshop)

Similar to your experience of exploring the movement forms in your white belt training, you will use

start and stop timing to show and tell. You will teach the movement techniques and give students time

to feel the conceptual information. Your job is to make sure that they turn the information into

something they can feel and sense. Start and stop timing gives the group the time and space to

explore each concept. Keep your eye on the clock. This practice will convey Niaʼs depth and richness

as a fitness program with sound movement principles, a craft, and a technique. The Practice is the

foundation for The Experience, the full-blown Nia workout!

We suggest a 13-minute process for each song, divided into two parts: Part 1 uses no music and Part

2 uses the music from the song you are working with, the songs taken directly from Global Unity, in

that order.

The Practice Guiding Process (13 minutes each song)

Part 1 – No music (6-8 minutes)

a. Present the technique and show the exercise they will practice.

b. Briefly explain the science, craft, and art benefit from this technique.

c. Share with them the sensory-based language, the pearl you will use.

d. Let them explore the movement while you use the pearl and language to keep them exploring

on their own and in their own way.

Part 2 – With music (5-7 minutes)

Put on the music, and show and tell. This is where music supports the experience of working with

the concept and the movement. The music, rhythm, melody, and harmony will encourage the

nervous system to guide the body.



Teacherʼs Guide

On the following pages are the charts you will use to guide your group through The Practice.

The charts include these sections, with pertinent information –

E. CD song title and time

F. Global Unity Pearl/sensory-based word

G. The Nia Technique

H. Exercise options*

I. Specific guidance and

J. The Science, Craft, and Art information

* Donʼt try to teach all the exercises or song steps; choose one or two exercises per song

from our suggestions on the chart. Watch the clock. If you donʼt get all the way through Part I,

covering each song, donʼt panic. Stop on time. Use whatever practice your group has

explored and give them the full Part 2 Experience. Donʼt cheat or cut into Part 2. It is through

the Experience of Nia that people learn and remember the most. Be with The Joy of

Movement. Have fun. Play. Connect. Be Present. Be in the moment, in your body. Teach

What You Sense. Pay attention to detail. Have a Blast !



Teacherʼs Guide

The Practice Charts

Song / Time Pearl/Sensory-Based Word Nia Technique Exercise Options

1. Tiamat III / 10:42 Sense Systemic Movement The Bubble/Free Form

Guidance: Guide the group in the joy of dancing with the whole body. Move as a whole unit, sense all

parts of you and your body connected to the experience; fingers, head, chest, pelvis, joints, bones,

muscles, ears, eye lashes, etc. Leave no part out!

Science, Craft, and Art: Systemic Movement teaches the body to move as a whole, allowing all of the

bodyʼs systems to interact and speak to each other harmoniously. This results in balance, efficiency,

greater endurance, physical ease.

Notes:



Teacherʼs Guide


2. Touching the Void / 9:05 Be The Base Heel lead, step

front/back, 1&2&3&4&;

and step side into a

stance 5&6&7&8&

Guidance: Be in the base, your feet: the hands that touch the earth. Feel the joy of your feet connected to

the earth below you. Use your feet to move and ground. Use all parts of the feet to establish speed,

grace, fluidity, and power. Lead with the heel, step onto the ball of the foot, roll through the foot, balance,

relevé, and sense how to move by listening to the cues from the feet. Everything begins from the ground

up. Sense the floor and you will feel your feet.

Science, Craft, and Art: The Base teaches you how to be in and on a foundation. To a body, this is the

feet. When the body is supported from the ground up, it can remain relaxed, and can more effectively

move dynamically.

Notes:



Teacherʼs Guide


3. Forever Changes/ 5:36 Express Creative Arms, Hands,

and the Core

Start with step behind

(small), relevé and

move into the sequence

– 1) cross behind

(small) 2) sumo stance

(big), 3) cross behind

(small) cha-cha-cha.

Guidance: Use your arms and hands to express the joy of grace and power. Building upon the previous

song and attention to the feet, press into the earth to rise, aligning the three body weights: your head,

chest, and pelvis. Help the weights move by moving your spine. Practice isolating each body weight to

eventually integrate.

Science, Craft, and Art: Creative arms and hands and the Core are the emotionally expressive parts of

the body used to speak without speaking. When you connect what you feel to your arms, hands, and

core, and use the body parts to gesture, you create a body/mind/emotion connection. The more

connected your body is to feelings, the more power, strength, and grace you have, and the more stress

you are able to release.

Notes:



Teacherʼs Guide


4. Inevitable Peace / 9:38 Move Aware and Conscious Guts and Grace.

FreeDance moving like

a scarf / grace; up,

down, elbow, strike /

guts.

Guidance: Activate awareness and notice the joy you feel and sense as gutsy and graceful movement.

Consciously make changes to improve overall comfort and pleasure. Seek balance by becoming aware of

what speed, range of motion, and energy dynamic allows you to move in gutsy and graceful, efficient and

powerful ways. Become aware of what strength, balance, flexibility, relaxation, and endurance feels like in

your own body.

Science, Craft, and Art: Aware and Conscious gives you what you need to move your body safely and

efficiently. When you become conscious and aware, mindful while moving, you create the body/mind

connection. Using the mind is an efficient way to more effectively direct the bodyʼs action and reaction.

Notes:



Teacherʼs Guide

Song / Time Pearl/Sensory-Based Word Nia Technique Exercise

5. I Love Baby Cheesy /

6:37

Integrate Movement and Energy

Variety

a series: walking

forward, kick front

1&2&3&4&; primal down

walking back

5&6&7&8&; primal up

walking forward

1&2&3&4&; side blocks

5&6&7&8&.

Guidance: Introduce the group to the joy of the energy and chemistry of Tae Kwon Do and Jazz. This is

the most complex and teaches a series or combination of moves. Depending upon the group, choose one

part of this sequence or the whole. Play with teaching them how to properly kick, how to side block, and

how to expressively be primal using the chemistry and energy of jazz. Encourage the group to use their

voice by saying “yes” and “no.”

Science, Craft, and Art: Movement and Energy Variety is how you nourish the bodyʼs mind, emotions

and spirit cellularly. When you shift energy, the body is encouraged to remain more awake and attentive.

Change and growth happens faster when we change what we do, how we do it, and what we feel.

Notes:



Teacherʼs Guide


6. Burundi / 6:23 Enjoy Three Planes and Three

Levels

jazz square, Duncan

relevé, martial art step-

back, bow stance

Guidance: Introduce the group to the joy of moving energy by moving through the three planes of low,

middle, and high. Encourage them to move through their own level 1, 2, and 3 to discover places of ease

and challenge. Remind them that regardless of the planes, they want to feel powerful when sinking and

rising. In the jazz square, play with fun, showmanship, and expression, incorporating use of the hands.

With Duncan Dance, play with free-spirited, honest movement on the relevé, cross front. In the martial art

step back bow stance, play with precision and add emotion to increase stability and power in the motion.

Use the sequence of cross front/step back four times to explore planes.

Science, Craft, and Art: Three Planes and Three Levels give you the tools necessary to make sure you

do what feels right for you. When you open and close the body, like an accordion, folding and opening,

you pump the muscles and lymphatic system. This improves joint mobility and circulation. When you do

what feels right for you, your body begins to trust that you are listening. When you listen, it responds by

sending healing messages.

Notes:



Teacherʼs Guide


7. Stillpoint / 6:05 Play Express FloorPlay

Guidance: Play with the joy of Play. Using gravity, falling into, pushing away, and surrendering. Use the

earth as a place to move into and away from. Seek the sensation of muscle flexibility and strength by

playing with body parts, joints, and bones in space. Do not think. Feel and sense playing and exploring to

discover new places of agility, strength, and flexibility. End in stillness, dead-manʼs pose, or tailor position

as preparation for what may be their very first full-blown Nia Technique workout experience.

Science, Craft, and Art: Play is one of the best teachers. All animals learn how to be in the world

through play. When you play, all parts of you are activated and become instantly involved, giving you

more power and control. Play fuels your body and movement with energy, making what you do more fun,

efficient, and easy.

Notes:



Teacherʼs Guide

Part 2 – Experience and Closing

C. The Experience (55-minute Global Unity Workout)

This is where you lead the group in a classic Nia workout. Stay focused. Sustain the focus of each song

and use the pearl. Be in RAW. Dance with them and enjoy the experience. Using the Joy of Movement as

your own inner guide, let them see and feel what you sense. As a suggestion, prior to the workshop,

enlarge and print the sensory-based words, the pearls, on 8 1/2 x 11 or larger paper. Display them on the

mirror or around the room and use them as a tele-prompter to help you in guiding the experience.

For example,

“And Now – The Main Event. We have practiced some of the principles of Nia - now letʼs experience the

magic of Global Unity. Throughout the hour, I invite you to connect to the Joy of Movement in the

[_________] realm. Stay out of your head, and in your body. Letʼs dance.”

D. Closing

This time is used to thank students for their participation and to talk about the White Belt Experience.

Be prepared to answer questions about the Intensive and also the registration process. Invite the group to

go to the Nia web site www.nianow.com. As well as participate in the monthly Teleconference calls that

occur on the first Monday of every month 5-5:30pm (PST). 1 269 320 8200 Access Code: 647901

The Joy of Movement The Focus

The Realm

What you choose to drive the language

The Pearl Specific with each song

Global

Unity Experience



Teacherʼs Guide

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