Upcoming Trainings

ART OF SENSATION
nia® white belt training

APRIL 21-27, 2024 with Kellie Chambers and Debbie-Lee Van Ginkel

Part movement training, part personal retreat, the ART OF SENSATION Nia® White Belt Training will guide you home to your body where you can discover and connect with your most authentic self.

In this 7-day immersive experience, you will learn to listen to the voice of your body and enhance body literacy which will empower you to make choices that enhance health and total well-being in your body and life.

This training is open to everybody including those who desire to deepen their personal Nia® practice or as a first step for those who wish to share Nia® in a professional capacity.

STEP ONE: Book Your Spot in the White Belt Training through Nia® International

STEP TWO: Book Your Stay at Bloom and Pick Your Room

INTRODUCING DEBBIE-LEE VAN GINKEL:

South African born Debbie-Lee is a Black Belt Nia teacher and member of the 3NGT Nia Training Faculty. She found Nia in a rehabilitation centre whilst she was being treated for chronic eating disorders, and it became her most important tool for self-healing and development. She began teaching Nia in Beijing in 2008, and has never looked back. Through her dedication and commitment to sharing the practice, she helped grow the Nia community in China, whilst at the same time transforming her own body, mind and spirit. One of the aspects she loves the most of Nia is how the practice encourages people to move with authenticity, honesty, and uniqueness. Debbie aims to bring this human element into every single Nia experience she delivers.

Through her own experience of transformation and self-empowerment, she has gained a great deal of empathy and compassion, and uses these qualities in her teaching of Nia.

"Nia continues to be my number one navigation tool for life in this body. It's the biggest gift I have ever received, and I hope to always be able to share it with others".

Debbie has been leading Nia retreats in Siem Reap since 2015. After falling in love with Cambodia and its beautiful people, she decided to relocate to Siem Reap and pursue a full-time path with Nia. Debbie is dedicated to planting the seeds of this incredible practice in this country which she now calls home.

Can’t make the April Training?

Don’t worry! We have more dates coming up in 2024

White Belt Training
July 20-26, 2024

Blue Belt Training
September 14-20, 2024

White Belt Training
September 27-October 3, 2024

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What is Nia®?

Ask any Nia practitioner to describe Nia and you will get a number of answers. More than just a workout, Nia fills a void where other traditional fitness programs fall short. A powerful fusion of dance, martial arts, and mindfulness practices, Nia is a holistic movement & wellness practice addressing each aspect of your life - body, mind, and soul.

  • Nia has a class or program for everybody, regardless of age, health or fitness level. 

  • Using a system of 52 simple moves, each Nia workout delivers full-body conditioning leaving you energized, mentally clear, and emotionally balanced.

  • Practiced barefoot, Nia’s purpose is to inspire and guide people to listen to the wisdom of the body, choose movement that feels good, and find connection in community.

  • Nia is for every person who desires to discover, explore, unleash, and enhance their individual potential to live a healthy and meaningful life.

Nia® Training Overview

Looking to improve your overall well-being in a fun, empowering way? Nia® trainings might be just what you need! Whether you're looking to gain strength, flexibility, focus, or reduce anxiety, Nia® can help. It's suitable for people of all shapes and sizes, and the benefits are numerous. Whether you're looking to take a training for personal enrichment or professional development, Nia® has something to offer.

Join us and see for yourself how Nia® can improve your physical, mental, and emotional health!

NIA® TRAINING STRUCTURE

Nia® offers a unique and transformative training program that is designed to take you on a journey of self-discovery and exploration. This program is modeled after traditional martial arts training and consists of five belt levels, with the highest level of mastery represented by the Black Belt.

Each belt intensive is carefully crafted to help you develop your core competencies in five key areas: movement, music, anatomy, science, and philosophy. With 50+ hours of education that includes movement, interactive discussions, and self-reflection sessions, you will gain a deep understanding of yourself and your body.

Many students and teachers choose to enroll in trainings more than once, as each level offers unique benefits and insights. Graduates are encouraged to take a 12-month reflection period between belt intensives to fully embody the potential of each level before moving on to the next.

Nia® is not just for professional development, but also for personal enrichment. Whether you are looking to improve your physical fitness, gain strength, reduce anxiety, or improve your overall well-being, Nia® offers an empowering and fun way to achieve your goals. We welcome people of all shapes and sizes to join us on this transformative journey towards personal growth and self-mastery.

TRAINING FOR PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Embarking on a personal enrichment journey with Nia® is a transformative experience that offers four levels of training: white, blue, brown, and black. Each level presents an opportunity to develop and refine a unique set of skills, while deepening your connection to your body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Throughout the journey, you will cultivate heightened self-awareness and a deeper appreciation for the power of movement.

The training offers a holistic approach to personal growth, touching on a range of topics including physical sensation, communication, energy, creativity, and transformation. You will learn to listen to your body and trust your instincts, ultimately leading to a greater sense of inner harmony and balance.

As you progress through the levels, you will witness your own evolution, both on and off the dance floor. This is a journey that can be taken at your own pace, with each level building upon the last. Nia® trainings are led by experienced teachers who are committed to creating a supportive and empowering learning environment.

TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Becoming a certified Nia® teacher is a fantastic way to turn your passion for Nia® into a fulfilling career. If you're interested in teaching Nia®, you'll follow the same path as personal enrichment students, starting with the White Belt Training and becoming a Livelihood member.

To enhance your teaching skills, we strongly recommend that you take the Green Belt Training. This program is specifically designed to help you cultivate and refine your teaching abilities. Black Belt graduates who have fully mastered the practice may apply to become Nia® trainers. If you're accepted into the ten-month Next Generation Trainer Program, you'll learn how to teach White Belt Trainings while also exploring your potential to adapt Nia® for specialty populations.

We believe that teaching Nia® is a great way to build a rewarding career while sharing your love for the practice with others. Our training programs will help you develop your teaching skills and gain the confidence you need to lead Nia® classes with ease.

NIA® TRAININGS AT BLOOM

We are excited to welcome you to our intimate training sessions at Bloom Retreat Center, nestled in the breathtaking Pacific Northwest. Our aim is to create an optimal learning environment where you can expand your knowledge, connect with others, and retreat to relax and recharge to meet your needs.

Our trainings are limited to a small group of participants, providing ample space to explore and connect with like-minded individuals who share similar goals and interests. Whether you're seeking to deepen your personal practice or gain professional development, our trainings offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a supportive community surrounded by the grounded and centering tranquility of nature.

In addition to the fulfilling learning experience, you will enjoy fabulous meals and access to the best facilities.

We can't wait to share this beautiful and transformative journey with you at Bloom. Join us and become a part of our community dedicated to personal growth and wellbeing.

Join us for your Stay at Bloom:

IMMERSE YOURSELF in a warm and welcoming community at our retreat center, where you can feel safe and supported while you learn, play, and relax alongside others.
ENJOY training in a beautiful natural setting.
STEP INTO the immersive experience dedicated to you and your practice.
FIND YOUR BALANCE in body, mind, emotion, and spirit.
JOIN a community of like-minded individuals, connect with new friends, and enjoy yourself along the way.

Nia Belt Levels

  • Art of Sensation

    Step-In to your Nia Journey with the Nia White Belt: The Art of Sensation. Here you will be introduced to the first 13 foundational Nia principles that have been helping people live healthier, happier lives for over 30 years.

    White Belt Training will take you on a journey of self-discovery by exploring and tapping into the art of sensation.

    Beginning with the Joy of Movement, you learn 13 principles for body-centered awareness. Each principle teaches you a variety of somatic skills for connecting to physical sensation in your body.

    From the Nia perspective, all movement should feel good. White Belt trains you to develop body awareness, using your own bodies wisdom to guide you towards self-healing and conditioning.

    By consistently feeding your body with small acts of kindness and by learning to track “feel good” sensations, you will become a master at Nia's body-centered approach to health, wellness, and fitness.

  • Art of Teaching

    If you are inspired to share the joy of Nia through teaching, the Nia Green Belt: the Art of Teaching is your next step. Here you will learn how to share your newfound White Belt skills as a Nia teacher. You may also take this training at any point along your Nia journey.

    The Green Belt Training provides a full set of knowledge and skills to teach Nia for all ages, levels and abilities.

    Green Belt provides tools, practices, coaching and support to you in stepping-in to teaching Nia with ease and relaxation. You’ll learn to dynamically listen, teach and share Nia while sustaining your connection to joy.

    The Green Belt training approach focuses on both the individual and community and emphasizes the importance of creating healthy relationships with everyone, including students, trainers, peers and colleagues.

    In Green Belt, you’ll receive mentoring and guidance as you practice teaching and will learn how to make the experience of sharing the joy of Nia meaningful and full of purpose.

  • Art of Communication

    Continue to your Nia journey with the Nia Blue Belt: The Art of Communication where you will explore how to take the foundation of sensation and awareness created in White Belt and expand into deep relationship with the world around you.

    The Blue Belt Training guides you deeply into the relationship and intimacy you have with your body and the world around you.

    You will explore and discover the Joy of Being in Relationship - with yourself, with others and with life.

    Building on the foundation of awareness from White Belt, you will expand your understanding of sensation in the body to include awareness of mental, emotional and spirit realms.

    Training in the Art of Communication will teach you the power of 2-way communication and provide tools to fully receive and transmit with clarity, enhancing your own body literacy and depth of connection in all relationships.

  • Art of Perception

    Your Nia journey continues with the Nia Brown Belt: The Art of Perception. Here you will learn to perceive all life as energy and discover “The Zone” - a deep flow state empowering you to make positive changes in all aspects of life - body, mind, emotions and spirit.

    Brown Belt Training is where logic and mystery come together. It’s where perception of sensation, thinking, feeling, and intuition intersect and the door of conscious awareness opens up to the world of energy.

    Through the 13 Brown Belt principles, you become awakened to an unseen power moving through and around you, and become connected to the regenerative system of the universe.

    From the Nia perspective, when perceiving everything as energy, all of your senses become more open, curious, awake, and part of the miracle of life.

    You will learn to sense energy by becoming physically present to the moment, and energetically attentive. When you begin to view everything with an open mind your Nia experience will be transformative.

  • Art of Creativity

    Your Nia journey continues with the fourth Body + Life training, Black Belt: The Art of Creativity. Here you will be invited to let go of all you know and enter the River of the Unknown, a place of infinite and endless creativity.

    The Black Belt Training is about harmonizing wisdom by integrating and applying the cognitive knowledge and physical skills you have embodied thus far.

    In this training, you will combine the principles of White, Blue and Brown Belts building an integrative web to create the 13 Black Belt Principles.

    Black Belt puts you face to face with possibilities, potential and the unfolding of the now to transform what is into something new. You’ll discover that what you cannot see, the underneath, is the fuel for your change and transformation.

    Black Belt serves as an algorithm for creating and transforming. Moments of “play” and inspiration will touch you and reveal the evolving and creative conscious mind.