Thirteen Joints. Nia Continuing Education. Copyright 2009 by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas

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1 Thirteen Joints Nia Continuing Education Copyright 2009 by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas All Rights Reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the authors.

2 preparatory material Key Terms 13 Joints Movement Materials Needed Skeleton to show joints (optional) The Body s Way Key Concepts xin Nia, we see the body as having 13 main joints: two ankles, two knees, two hips, two wrists, two elbows, two shoulders, and one spine. xthere are many more joints in the body. However, using the simplicity of referencing the 13 main joints is helpful for guiding participants to activate them (versus referencing the overwhelming number of actual joints). xjoints are where all movement takes place. xwe need to move our joints to keep them healthy. xif one joint is frozen (not moving as it is designed), the joints above and below it will be adversely affected. 2 Nia 5 Stages Lesson - Thirteen Joints

3 The Voice of The Joints Who Am I? I am the space that exists between one bone and another. Voice of the Joints I am the voice of your joints. By design, I am the space that exists between bones that link one bone to another. There are over 800 of me, with shapes that vary and determine my kind of movement. My architectural designs permit free, slight and sometimes, imperceptible movement. Without me, you could not move your legs, spine or arms. I am covered with a special lubricant called synovial fluid, designed to reduce friction between parts and to allow my bony ends to easily slide over each other. I am protected by rubbery cartilage, functioning as a smooth protective layer of padding to help you move and absorb shock. I am enclosed in a protective bag, the bursa, and your ligaments prevent you from moving too far. Without you looking in a mirror to see where you are, I let you know where your body and separate parts are in space by way of the voices of joint receptors that respond to the sensation of angle and plane changes. By design, I can be a diarthroses, ball-and-socket, hinge, pivot, saddle, gliding, or a condyloid joint. If I am a diarthroses joint (as most of us are) I allow you freedom to move in one, two, or in many directions. If I am a plane or gliding joint, you will find me in your spine, where I make it possible for you to experience the sensation of gliding or sliding. If I move in only two directions, I am a hinge joint, and you will find me in your elbow and knee. If I am concave or convex, I am a saddle joint, and you will find me in your thumb, functioning to help you pick up a glass of water. Because of me, you are the only animal on this planet whose thumb has great mobility. If I am a condyloid joint, I fit into an elliptical socket, and you will find me where your smaller forearm, the radius and your carpal bones of your wrists meet. If I am a multiaxial joint you find me as a ball-and socket-joint, in your hip. No movement, slight or great, free or structured, is possible without me. I make it possible for you to sit down and stand up, squeeze a ball or hug a child. You keep me healthy by respecting my design and range of motion. My Gift to You I make it possible for you to be mobile and move energy for as long as you live! I keep energy moving through your whole body in efficient ways to keep your muscles healthy. Imagine Me As Visualize me as mouths between the ends of bones that open and close to move energy and life force, moving healing energy in and out so that you feed all parts of you from the inside out and the outside in. In Nia The Nia craft and techniques you use to keep your joints healthy are: 1. Natural Time Moving and practicing Nia in Natural Time helps you experience the sensation of moving energy and of measuring. 2. The Three Planes of Movement and Three Levels of Intensity teach you to engage your joints in a wide variety of movement and ranges of motion. 3. X-Ray Anatomy and Awareness Use them to work with your Sensory Intelligence. Pay attention to sensation and to the alignment of your bones in relationship to seeking comfort. Body awareness and attention to detail will guide the way you use your joints, resulting in more protection for your muscles, ligaments and tendons. Maintain vertical and horizontal relationships to the alignment of energy flow to respect your joints. Nia 5 Stages Lesson - Thirteen Joints 3 preparatory material

4 preparatory material 4. The 13 Joints - Activate your body s 13 main joints (ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, shoulders and the spine), moving energy through the whole body as you sense comfort and Dynamic Ease. 5. The Movement Forms - Play with The Nine Movement Forms so that your joints get fed with movement and energy variety, helping your joints to remain responsive to fast and slow, big, and small dynamics. 6. CPT - Consciously Personally Train yourself to seek personal comfort and ease in your joints before attempting more intense athletic moves. 7. The Base Use the Base moves (Steps, Stances, and Kicks) to condition your joints. 8. Balance Move and seek the sensation of balance of Mobility (movement) and Stability (stillness). 9. Listening to the Voice of Your Joints Move your muscles while listening to the voices of your joints that say, This feels good. I am getting stronger and more flexible because I am free! When Dancing Through Life Remain active in your joints. Use day-to-day movement to stimulate the flow of energy through all 13 main joints. When sitting for long periods, change your position to keep energy flowing through your joints. Shift your position when standing and move more often to keep your joints agile and filled with energy. Avoid locking your knee joints when standing, and keep them relaxed so that energy from the earth can rise up into your legs and body. Open your mouth slightly when working at a computer to release your lower jaw. Your head and neck can remain relaxed with this technique. Keep your ankle and knee joints relaxed when walking to keep your legs strong and your back relaxed. Avoid effort and strain in the joints. Connect to the sensation of joints gliding, sliding, opening and closing with ease. Debbie says: Today s focus is on activating our 13 joints while experiencing an invigorating movement meditation. The purpose is to convey how powerful these 5 Stages are for opening the joints and maintaining joint mobility. These five movements are powerful when they are used as a sequence. Within a five-minute process, we can get more deeply into any posture because of the organic nature of these 5 Stages in their power to unlock, untie, unblock and realign the body so that we can get into a movement more easily and comfortably, very quickly, without thinking. These stages are excellent for opening the body so that we can be in a deeper awareness of sensation moving through the body. 4 Nia 5 Stages Lesson - Thirteen Joints

5 Nia 5 Stages Lesson - Thirteen Joints 5 preparatory material

6 lesson plan lesson plan PART 1: YOUR BODY S WAY PRACTICE Welcome Show & Tell 5 Stages Your Body s Way xbody Awareness x5 Stages xbody Gratitude PART 2: THE BODY S WAY PRACTICE The Body s Way Lesson 5 Stages - The Body s Way Body Gratitude Closing The Body s Way Lesson Look x13 Joints Listen xthere are a variety of shapes of joints, each unique shape shows us how it is meant to move Imagine xjoints as mouths at the ends of bones that open and close 6 Nia 5 Stages Lesson - Thirteen Joints

7 5 Stages - The Body s Way The Body s Way Practice 1: Embryonic Embryonic. Activating all 13 joints. Embryonic is the beginning. It is the place to which you return. Activate all 13 joints. I am Self-Healing using the 5 Stages. I am using the 13 joints to Self-Heal, to stimulate the flow of energy through my whole body. The 13 joints: Left ankle, left knee, left hip, left wrist, left elbow, left shoulder, the spine. The entire spine: the top of the spine, between the eyes at the bridge of the nose, the base of the spine, sacrum and coccyx. The right shoulder, right elbow, right wrist, right hip, right knee and right ankle. No-thinking. All 13 joints opening and closing. Desiring to move and interact with energy inside the body. Pulse. Flow. Every movement stimulating. Every movement healing. The cardiovascular system, supporting your motions. Your nervous system transmitting and receiving information. Your lymphatic system is happy that you are squeezing, pumping, moving. Your spirit is happy to be free. A spirit embodied in flesh, ecstatic at the opportunity to feel. Body in motion. Creeping Creeping. Your body is stronger. There is a more athletic quality in your Creeping. No hesitation. As if mountain climbing, one hand and the opposite knee simultaneously create a cross-patterning movement. Your eyes look forward. Your breath is supporting the empowered desire to move. Body awareness is activated. You move freely. No fear. You trust your ability to adjust and find comfort. Adjust and find Dynamic Ease in all 13 joints. Dragging your body, you feel the psoas muscle stretching and lengthening and greater mobility developing in the small of your back and in your hip joints. Sense the great power in your groin as your thigh draws up from your hip joint. Sense the strength in your hands as they push and pull, activating the wrist and elbow joints. Great mobility in your shoulders and elbows as your elbows draw back behind you, lizardlike. You are compelled to crawl. Crawling Your body rises and remembers this forward movement. Your eyes look forward. Your head moves up and out. Your suspended spine is free, supported by mobile hip joints, loose hands, like paws. Strength, Flexibility, Mobility, Stability and Agility at their finest. All five sensations are harmoniously integrated. Relaxed wrist joints as your soft paws step forward. Sense your relaxed hip joints as you shift, balancing on three points. Your spine hangs. Sense your relaxed ankle joints as you drag your shinbones forward with your feet sunnyside up. Your eyes look forward. Your nervous system is managing the input and output. Your heart and lungs are providing you breath, nourishment and energy. You desire to stand. Nia 5 Stages Lesson - Thirteen Joints 7 lesson plan lesson plan

8 lesson plan lesson plan Standing There is an Ease of resting into your hip joints. Rest into your base your strong ankle, knee, and hip joints. Feel the natural lengthening up and out. The 13 joints are balanced. As you pause in this body mudra, you are aware that your body is a symbol. You are aware that the alignment of your bones creates a grid for energy flow. You are aware of the 75 trillion cells in your body - each activated and pulsing. You are aware of the organs of your body being fed by the energy moving through the 13 joints. The volume and space is now feeding you from the inside out and the outside in. You look up and you wait for the impulse to rise and stand into your power. Walking Walking now with Dynamic Ease, personally empowered. All 13 joints activated. Ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, shoulders and spine. All joints moving energy. Now I am stronger, and yet my strength is one of gentle receptivity. Now I am relaxed, and my relaxation is a quality of complete presence. Complete availability. Now I am alert. My alert is a quality of being here now, seeking nothing in the future, and being fully present to the moment. In motion and waiting, each step is a step of Now I Am Here. Now I Am Here. Now I Am Here. Now I Am Self-Healed. 8 Nia 5 Stages Lesson - Thirteen Joints

9 The Body s Way Practice 2: All Stages Quickly (10 min) One minute in each stage You return to Embryonic. Without thinking, your body moves through 5 Stages. Embryonic. Creeping. Crawling. Standing. Walking. 30 seconds in each stage Embryonic. Creeping. Crawling. Standing. Walking. 10 seconds in each stage Embryonic. Creeping. Crawling. Standing. Walking. Body Gratitude Guide participants to give gratitude to their body by walking around the room and noticing the healing changes that have occured. Closing Guide participants through the Closing of your choice: the 7-minute Workout, a Guided Meditation, or an Unique Step Out of your own. lesson lesson plan plan Nia 5 Stages Lesson - Thirteen Joints 9

Mobility and Stability

Mobility and Stability and Nia Continuing Education Copyright 2009 by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas All Rights Reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,