Special thanks to Nia Teacher Jennifer Hicks for sharing this document with us!

Improving Your Experience of  Using Zoom For Nia Classes

In general, being part of a Zoom class is using a lot of your internet connection’s “bandwidth”. In other words, your internet “capacity” is being taxed.
Because of his, sometimes the audio or video in Zoom becomes choppy or distorted.

But there are things you can do to enhance your experience and to help your internet to work optimally, and help us to deliver the best class to you that we can.

Here’s what you can do to get the most out of your online Nia class experience.

1. Use the best Internet connection you can.
In general:
• Wired connections are better than wireless (WiFi or cellular) connections.
• WiFi connections are better than cellular (3G/4G/LTE) connections.
2. Plan ahead for Zoom classes. For Move2Center's classes, you can pre-register online as far ahead as you'd like for your Zoom classes. Your registration link is tied to a particular day's class, so using a link from a previous class may not allow you to enter a Zoom class in progress.  And as often as possible, join Zoom classes from a location where you can use a fast, reliable, wired Internet connection.
3. Mute your microphone. Our instructors will do our best to mute everyone before class starts, but we also want to make sure we get some time to socialize before class begins.  It's important to mute because when your microphone is on, Zoom will devote part of your Internet connection to an audio stream for you, even if you are not speaking.
4. Stop your webcam video once class begins. We love enjoying your smiling faces and creative movement, so it's great to see you. That said, be aware that when your video is on, Zoom will devote part of your Internet connection to a video stream for you and this may add to distortions.

So please feel free to start your video at the beginning/end of class – to say “hello” and check in. When we start class, I will remind you of the option to stop your video.

5. Disable HD webcam video.
Sending high definition (HD) webcam video requires more bandwidth than sending non-HD. Disabling HD video will free up more of your Internet connection for other parts of your Zoom meeting.
Even if you will only be sharing your video at the beginning and end of class (if you choose to do so), disabling your HD video will still help improve your internet connection.

How do I disable HD video in the Zoom Client?
From within the Zoom Client:
1. Click the "Home" tab.
2. Click " Settings".
3. In the Settings window that opens:

• Click the "Video" tab.
• Uncheck "Enable HD".

4. Close the Settings window.

On a Mac, you can access these settings when signed into Zoom from the top right-hand corner of your screen.
Click on the icon that looks like a camera (the first symbol on the left), and you will find the “Video settings” which you can change.
For some reason you cannot change these settings from your browser or from your mobile device, only by clicking on this icon.

6. Close other, unneeded applications on your computer. Zoom meetings can demand significant memory and processing power from your computer. Closing other applications, ones you do not need during the session,
will help Zoom run better.

7. Avoid other activities that will steal bandwidth. Don't start other bandwidth-intensive activities just before, or during, a Zoom meeting. On your Zoom device—and as much as possible, on other computers
and devices that share your Internet connection—avoid:
• large downloads
• large uploads
• streaming video (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, YouTube)
• cloud backups (e.g. Carbonite, CrashPlan)
• cloud file synchronizations (e.g. OneDrive, Dropbox)
• other high-bandwidth activities

Other info
• If you are joining on a mobile device (iPhone, iPad, android) make sure that your “Do not disturb” feature is enabled to prevent other apps from derailing your Zoom experience.

If all else fails, sign out of the meeting then join back in again!

The information for this document was found here:
https://wiki.millersville.edu/display/instructdocs/Improving+your+Zoom+connection
Created by Stephen Gadsby, last modified on Mar 16, 2020

I nearly stumbled into Move2Center a year ago. I had seen the studio’s posters. I’d driven past the corner sandwich board. I had even looked up the website, so I knew it was a Nia studio, but it wasn’t until I was walking by and noticed the sign on the door, that I decided to take a moment to check it out. I took a chance, turned and reached for the door. Finding it open, I walked my curiosity down the steps to the warmth and beating heart of Move2Center.

Some sweet scent was in the air. There were flowers. There was music. But mostly, there were warm smiles and welcoming eyes waiting for me. There was an intimacy present that was born of authenticity. I wanted to teach yoga here. The Move2Center community did what it does best for newcomers: it opened a space for me.

Each Friday from 5:45 to 7:00 pm our circle of Happy Hour yogis unwind—together. No matter how our week has been, how stiff our backs are, or how tight our shoulders, we sit, stretch, twist, flow and hold gently and with ease.

We breathe together, gathering strength from within ourselves and from those circled around us, and we radiate that same strength back to the group. We move slowly, consciously, allowing our bodies and hearts to open with ease and safety and to connect to ourselves and each other—all in the welcoming arms of Move2Center Studio.

Take a moment. Take a chance. Join us for Happy Hour Yoga.

We're pleased to welcome Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner Betsy Snyder to Move2Center Studio for a new series, Awareness Through Movement!

Move2Center is presenting Betsy's classes in response to multiple community requests for a Feldenkrais class, and we so happy that she's available to share her skill and talent with us. With its focus on presence and self awareness, the Feldenkrais Method is one of the disciplines that comprise the Nia Technique.

An Awareness Through Movement lesson is an opportunity to observe yourself and how you move through life, and to offer the possibility of more kindness, gentleness, power and efficiency to your dance.

Classes are held at 9am on Tuesdays beginning January 14, 2020.
Included with all 5 Class Passes and Unlimited Memberships.

This class will not involve a cardio workout the way the a Nia class does, so you can wear comfortable everyday clothing that’s OK for getting up and down off the floor. ATM lessons involve several periods of rest, which is required for the brain to assimilate new information. Many students find ATM classes informative and relaxing, and continue to ‘digest’ what they’ve learned as they move back into their everyday activities. All walks of life and all fitness levels welcome.

What to expect in an "Awareness Through Movement" class

In this class series, we will begin on the floor exploring some developmental movements to clarify our relationship to the ground.

We will explore our relationship to gravity, the way we breathe, how we think and talk internally to ourselves, and how the quality of our movement is affected by all these factors.

More about "Awareness Through Movement" as a practice

This is gentle yet challenging practice developed by Moshe Feldenkrais, a scholar, athlete, martial artist, and author who taught his method to thousands of students until his passing in 1984.

In a typical Awareness Through Movement lesson (or ATM for short), we begin with simple, gentle movements that stay within the range of ease and comfort. Instead of ‘stretching’ like we do in yoga or some other practices, we explore what muscular or mental holding we can let go of, to widen and expand our range of ease.

The ‘workout’ that happens in an ATM is primarily in the brain, since we’re using intentional movement to clarify our brain's image of the body, often referred to as the self image. The clearer our self image, the more we can move and live in alignment with our intentions, and the more we can do as we want to do.

I dance because I have to.  I am a dancer.  I was born a dancer.  I filter my experience through that lens, and I express myself though movement.

My family are all different from each other.  But each one of them has something.  They ARE something. And they filter their experience through that lens.  They express themselves differently because of what they are and what their “thing” is.

But we are still family.  We have a shared existence and a shared experience, with different filters, and different outcomes.  Each one of us has something that we do because we have to. 

I dance.  I am happy and I dance.  I am angry and I dance.  I am grieving and I dance. 
I am alive and I dance. 

I had a very difficult phone conversation with my Dad, the result of which has altered our family’s dynamic in such a way that the future of our family as a unit is uncertain.  I hung up the phone.  I cried.  And then I danced Dragon.  In my living room.  Crying.  Living.  Sensing. Dancing my life, my experience, my tears.  I filtered my emotions through dance.  I danced my life with Dragon and it all came to the surface.  My legacy, my family, my experience blended with Britta’s life and her experience that lead to her body of work, Dragon.  The result was perfect and transcendent and something new altogether.

What do you filter your life through?  What makes sense to you when other things don’t?  What have you discovered and what have you made when you came from your truth, your dance, your very own “thing?”

Have you ever wanted to slow down and sense the healing mindfulness in your movement? This is the purpose of Nia Technique's Moving to Heal. And in the coming weeks, Move2Center is delighted to host a Moving to Heal series facilitated by Black Belt Nia teacher Jeanna Wheeler.

When: Fridays at 5:45 p.m. until 7 p.m. on August 23 and 30, Sept 13, 20 and  27.

What to expect: Enjoy music and easy-to-follow choreography in a supportive atmosphere of safety and trust, slowing down to focus on pleasure, and feeling better.

Classes are designed to meet the needs of those diagnosed with long-term or chronic illness, mobility limitations as well as individuals with short-term personal healing goals for body, mind and emotions.

Nia Moving to Heal can be done standing, sitting in a chair, or some combination of both. Beginners are welcome.

Fee:  $18 drop-in plus tax. Also included with your 5-class pass and unlimited memberships.

“True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life.” -- Aadil Palkhivala

Welcome to Yoga at its most welcoming and inviting!

Susan Westlund returns with her Hatha Yoga classes starting  on October 11. The idea is to give new and returning yogis a chance to get a taste of the various forms yoga can take. Each week we’ll offer a different style of yoga, beginning with a gentle class where we will share an overview of class structure and the language used in most all yoga classes regardless of who teaches them or where they are offered.

Although we encourage you to join us for the entire series, it is not required. You may pick and choose those that most appeal to you or that fit into your schedule.

Before we get into that, just know this: You don’t have to be a pretzel to practice yoga! Yogis come in all shapes and sizes. More that 2,000 years old, yoga has guided all sorts of practitioners to greater health, clarity and joy through self-discovery. It is an inward practice that helps us learn to recognize and change our habits, to appreciate and enjoy our being. It is non-competitive and non-judgmental. We use our breath and body sense to guide us throughout our practice and become more skillful in our everyday lives.

The classes are listed below and are included in your Five Class Pass or Unlimited Membership. The usual drop in fee of $18 (plus tax) also applies.

Week One--Intro to Yoga: This gentle Hatha class will offer brief explanations of the benefits and origins of yoga, how it differs from other physical practices as well as what to expect in most any yoga class. Please bring your questions! The class is designed to help you to select and be ready for yoga classes anywhere. Requirements: Dress comfortably with an open heart and curiosity on your sleeve.

Week Two--Gentle Yoga: Takes a gentle approach to slow, centering stretches. Links the breath to slow, simple movements. Builds flexibility, increases range of motion and body awareness. Ideal for new and continuing students—anyone who wants to find calm and feel more ease in their body.

Week Three--Flow/Vinyasa Yoga: Moves with the breath in a dynamic flow of postures that build heat, stretch and strengthen the body. Pace is slow to moderate to allow for proper alignment and mindful transitions. Sun salutations, standing poses and balances central to the flow but seated and reclining postures also come into play before easing into restorative svasana. Step-by-step guidance includes variations that help you dial back more challenging postures deepen and extend them.

Week Four--Power Yoga: Strengthens and stabilizes through standing and weight-bearing poses for ALL LEVELS of yogis. Longer holds are used to build muscle and increase stamina, but a balanced practice that includes movement, flexibility, and breath-oriented mindfulness remains the hallmark of this and all yoga classes. Variations on the poses make this a super-accessible class!

Week Five--Yin Yoga: Opens and stimulates the fascia and core connective tissue by holding moderate stretches for longer-than-usual times, sometimes for several minutes. Calms the mind and encourages a sense of well-being through mindful breathing. Complements sports’ activities, aerobic exercises and the more “yang” style dynamic yoga practices. Generally targets the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and lower spine. Suitable for beginners as well as experienced yogis.

Week Six--Restorative Yoga: Supports deep rest. Holds nurturing poses effortlessly for long periods, allowing the body and mind to let go and relax. Steady, deep breathing and slow, deliberate transitions maintain the calming, restorative effects of the “relaxation response.” Blocks, bolsters, and straps are often used as supports, allowing the body to remain in the postures without effort. This practice benefits all who can use a little relaxation.

Week Seven--Partner Yoga: Adds a playful twist to postures and flows. Levity and laughter accompany pairs trying to keep their rocky boat poses afloat or finding their roots in tottering tree poses. Forward bends and backbends deepen in the press and pull of a partner. Connections with the Self and Other are brought into focus with mirrored movement and breathing.

The general name for the physical practice is Hatha yoga, the umbrella under which the various styles of yoga exercise classes fall. That said, when a class is listed on a yoga schedule as Hatha, it will generally include elements of more specified styles and approaches. It will generally be slow to moderately paced and will have modifications for beginners through more experienced yogis.

Hatha yoga includes both yin and yang--or restorative and dynamic--aspects of the practice. Slow to moderately paced flows with modifications for beginners as well as more experienced yogis. Sun salutations and standing poses, seated and reclining postures, as well as a variety of twists, balances and inversions will be introduced.

Yoga exercise classes differ from other forms of exercise primarily by the intentional focus on the breath. A full class of any style will generally include forward bends, backbends, twists, inversions, balances, stretches and strength building poses even if they are done in subtle--or very gentle--forms.