Shake Up Your Fitness Routine with Nia

On Thursday night in Cambridge, Massachusetts, some 150 women and one man (one brave man) crowded into a Masonic Hall and flowed, stomped and joyfully expressed themselves for two hours doing a form of aerobic exercise called Nia (pronounced “Knee-ah”). It was so much fun I forgot that I was exercising until the next day when some previously unused muscles decided to speak to me.

According to Wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nia_(fitness)  Nia stands for Neuromuscular Integrative Action and it’s a physical conditioning program based on the idea that movement is a pathway for self-discovery and personal transformation.  Created in 1983 by Debbie Rosas (now Debbie Rosas Stewart) and Carlos Rosas (now Carlos AyaRosas), it’s also terrific for whole-body conditioning.   

Actually, it’s fun.  The session I attended was two hour Nia master class led by founder AyaRosas and it kicked my butt.  Taking the class from one of the founders was a blast because his passion and commitment are palpable. In a typical one-hour class, a certified Nia instructor plays music and leads you through rhythmic movements that combine principles from yoga, martial arts and dance.  There is also time given to free-form creative movement, singing, and other vocalizations. 

Rosas teaching Nia

For me it’s perfect because I love to dance but I rarely get out to clubs anymore and I can’t remember a dance routine to save my life.  Two other good reasons to do Nia are that you don’t have to be a great dancer and you don’t need a partner. Basically, you can be as goofy and as free as you wish – because everyone else is! Moving like this made me remember how good it feels to move with total freedom and abandon.  It was like being a carefree kid again.

If you think this might be an interesting addition to your fitness routine, check out the official Nia website http://www.nianow.com/  for more information and local opportunities. Many gyms and yoga studios also offer classes.

Bobby McFerrin: Playing with Genius

Genius & Joyful Bobby McFerrin

Yesterday, I had the privilege of seeing genius at work: Bobby McFerrin’s matinee performance at the Boston Symphony Hall on March 21 was amazing.    

McFerrin created contagious joy as he shared his vocal inventions and invited us, the audience, to collaborate in the role of back-up orchestra.  In a way, McFerrin, well-known singer and conductor really didn’t sing as much as he played.  And we, as if we were all talented and obedient children, gleefully played with him, enjoying the simplicity of our own voices.  

You may remember him as the guy who sings “Don’t Worry – Be Happy” as I did before attending this performance.  I knew that he used his voice, his microphone and his body as his primary instruments – but I did not know that he would so completely engage and entertain a few thousand people for two full hours doing just that!   I highly recommend that you visit his YouTube postings and his site bobbymcferrin.com to get a glimpse of what he offers – because I can’t find right enough words do justice to the experience. 

However, I do want to comment on the inspirational lessons I learned by observing a creative craftsman at work.  McFerrin has transformed the art of vocal improvisation to a renowned art form.  Because he was generous enough to answer audience questions post performance, I was able to ask him how he discovered his art.  I was fully expecting that he had accidentally happened upon it.  But no – first he conceived of it and then he spent six years transforming his vision into action.  I am paraphrasing, but essentially, McFerrin said that at the age of 27, when he decided to go from pianist to singer  – he had a vision that he wanted to be able to improvise vocally in a similar way to what he had seen Keith Jarrett, composer and pianist, achieve on the piano.  He told us that he learned to listen and observe very carefully, and after working at it for six years, he was able to craft a vocal performance skill that began to meet his expectations. 

Lesson number one for me:  Great accomplishments and art, (even if you have some genetic talent) often takes work and vision!  Serendipitous that also that same day, the New York Times reviewed a book called “The Genius in All of Us” by David Shenk. Reviewer Annie Murphy Paul sums up the book’s concept, “…think of talent not as a thing, but as a process; not as something we have, but as something we do.”  Further support for this principle is also evidenced in Daniel Coyle’s book “The Talent Code.”  The book’s subhead says it all, “Greatness Isn’t Born.  It’s Grown. Here’s How.” 

I find these are thought provoking resources for those of us who dream of doing great things. 

Lesson number two for me:  To allow maximum creative flow, I believe one is best served by being completely present and comfortable in one’s own skin.  McFerrin’s improvisations and connection with the audience are astounding.  Imagine how different that experience might have been had McFerrin been consumed by fear or worry?   I don’t believe he could have delivered.  I also don’t believe that the audience would have felt the joy that radiated through our hearts had that been the case.  Such a state of relaxed being can be learned and there are many paths to get there.  Any mindfulness practices, such as meditation or yoga are often helpful.  In some cases, therapy or life coaching may also assist.  Check out this link http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/home/index.aspx  for additional information about mindfulness. 

While I may never be a genius and my mindfulness is a work in progress, many thanks to Bobby McFerrin for providing a great afternoon and the inspiration to keep practicing my way toward greatness.  And in the meantime, per his direction, I won’t worry – and neither should you.

Going To NYC? Keep it Fresh!

Are you a frequent traveler to NYC?  I grew up a New Yorker – and I love that city.  I go as often as I can and I am constantly seeking new adventures while there.  But I find I have gotten stuck in a rut lately, going to Central Park, shopping in Soho, see a Broadway show - same old thing! 

This past weekend, there was a terrific article in Sunday’s New York Times about cool things to do if you have 36 hours to spend in NY.   I’m putting it into my TAKE ACTION folder. (This is where I put ideas, plans, etc. that I want to get done to keep my life fun, fresh,  and on track.)  This article looks really juicy with lots of new ideas.  Check it out here with this permalink:   http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/travel/10hours.html 

It’s  called 36 Hours in New York City and appeared on  January 10, 2010.  Since I love to walk,  I am especially excited to visit the City’s new  High Line park,  www.thehighline.org a popular linear park created on what was once an abandoned freight rail line near West 13th and Washington Street.  I’m also excited to visit  the Lower East Side ‘s New Museum of Contemporary Art (235 Bowery at Prince Street; 212-219-1222; www.newmuseum.org).  According to writer Amy Virshup, the museum was designed by the Japanese firm Sanaa to look like a series of off-kilter boxes, and opened to raves in 2007.  Somehow, I haven’t been there yet!

So wherever you go, whatever you do, I hope it’s fun!

Are you an Oenophile?

Gosh, I have a love affair with wine.  What is it about wine?  Just one or two fabulous glasses of wine with a nice meal is pure joy  for me.  I’m really excited about Zinfandel lately and about Willamette Valley Pinot Noir - always.    However, while I am a wine lover, I am surely  not a connoisseur – so I’m not sure that I qualify as an oenophile.     I’m learning about wines as I go, and wanted to share  that the Wall Street Journal online has a wonderful section on wines:  how to buy, what to look for, on and on.  Here’s one of their latest pieces that I think is helpful, but I disagree with them on Chardonnay – I like it oakey! http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703574604574499320477240740.html#articleTabs%3Darticle

The Answer to ‘What Can We Bring?’

If you’re going to a dinner party, you’ll please your hosts with any of the choices here

• By DOROTHY J. GAITER AND JOHN BRECHER

The holiday season is beginning in earnest—seeing all of those little ghosts, vampires and Miley Cyruses certainly tips us off—and that means it’s time for that annual angst-filled question: What wine do I take to a friend’s house for dinner?

The worst answer to that question is “Whatever the wine salesman throws at me when I run into the store on the way to dinner.” If someone has been kind enough to invite you to dinner and asked you to bring a bottle of wine, you should reciprocate by putting some effort into this. So here are some excellent wines that also happen to be trendy at the moment. They will show thought and care—and that you are on top of the latest trends in wine. Yes, you could show up with a bottle of Merlot or a wine with a critter label and a cute tale about the animal, but you could also bring an eight-track tape of the Turtles’ greatest hits so you could groove to the beat. 

Prosecco from Italy. Usually we’d avoid bubblies because your host is likely expecting a dry, still red or white. But Prosecco isn’t really a bubbly—it’s a lovely, easy, soft wine that happens to sparkle. Your host might want to open it for the appetizers, but it’s a very nice white wine to have with dinner, too. It’s also one of the most popular wines around at the moment. They are generally reliable and your host shouldn’t feel he or she has to break out the flutes; we serve these in all-purpose glasses. Mionetto is one big producer and its various Proseccos are winners. Another favorite is Bartenura, which is kosher. Some good Proseccos cost less than $10 and you’re unlikely to spend more than $20.

  Anything biodynamic, organic or sustainable. Obviously, all of these things are hot at the moment and there are more wines on the shelves every day that reflect this. You will more likely see “made with organically grown grapes” than actually “organic,” which means the wine was made with no added sulfites. Sulfites are used as a preservative. If you see an organic wine, make sure it is from a recent vintage and that you buy it from a store that cares for its wines well because organic wines often don’t have a great shelf life. No wine will seem trendy if it doesn’t taste good.

Malbec from Argentina. This spicy red continues to be the great success story of the past couple of years. Everybody seems to love it, so it’s pretty much a can’t-miss offering. You should be able to find some very good ones for around $15, but there’s certainly no reason to spend more than $25. Altos Las Hormigas is one of many good producers.

 “Naked” or unoaked Chardonnay from anywhere. Personally, we don’t think oak is the villain in the world-wide epidemic of bad Chardonnay; we think greedy, lazy winemakers and bad fruit are to blame. Nevertheless, all the trendiest people these days are proudly talking about how they drink “naked” or unoaked Chardonnay and the ones we have tried are perfectly fine. One standout is Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay from New Zealand (2008, about $17). Get these as young as possible because they are generally made for early consumption.

Oregon Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir isn’t quite as cool as it was in the immediate aftermath of “Sideways,” but it’s still trendy and the epicenter of its trendiness has moved north, to Oregon. It’s hard to go wrong with just about any Oregon Pinot Noir these days. Some can be quite pricey, but many excellent examples are $15 to $25. They also pair with just about anything your host is making for dinner.

2005 red Bordeaux from France. It wouldn’t seem that Bordeaux could ever be trendy, but a lot of people these days know that 2005 was a fine year in Bordeaux and that the wines aren’t selling briskly so there are great bargains. Value is trendy. If you want to spend big bucks and blow away your friends, go with midrange 2005 Bordeaux, such as Château Gloria or Gruaud Larose (probably around $45 to $60). But the miracle of 2005 Bordeaux is that you can pick up any bottle, even for around $10 or $15, from a reputable merchant and impress your friends.

Grüner Veltliner from Austria. This peppery white is super trendy—hot, hot, hot. It also goes well with a wide variety of food. There are plenty of fine examples for less than $20. And when you tell them you brought GROO-ner felt-LEE-ner, they are sure to be impressed.

2009 Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Chile or South Africa. Thanks to the emergence of Southern Hemisphere wines, we can all drink the current year’s vintage long before Beaujolais Nouveau is released. Bringing a wine from the “new year” is a very special way to celebrate the holidays and a new vintage—and these wines are generally both affordable and mouth-poppingly delicious. Beware: Many of these will have a screw cap. If you think your friends will think you are cheap for bringing a twist-off wine, do something else. But we think most people these days know that screw caps on good wine are, themselves, quite trendy.

Torrontés from Argentina. This is one of the most charming whites around, with a nose of orange blossoms, a taste of tropical fruits and a nice undertone of minerals. In fact, if you take a bottle of this, be sure to take two, and you can afford to do that because these will probably cost less than $15. Get the brand-new 2009 if you can. That will give you double points (see above).

Remember a couple of things. If you bring a white, chill it in your refrigerator before heading out. When you hand the wine to your host, it’s nice to say one sentence about the wine that shows care, such as “This is from the brand-new 2009 vintage.” Then shut up about it. You’ll know how much everyone appreciates the wine by how quickly it disappears.

Write to Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher at wine@wsj.com

Creativity: The Ticket to Your Best Life

Okay, how many people say “I’m not creative!”  That is so not true.  Maybe we are not all artistically creative, but every day, each one of us applies creative thinking to our lives to make things better.   Such as, did you set an awe-inspiring table?  Outsmart a fish?  Solve what seemed to be an insurmountable problem? Create an amazing Halloween costume?

This is all creativity my book:  applying new patterns or different ways of thinking or reacting to a situation that allows you to create a satisfactory or even awesome outcome! 

So if you are young, old, unemployed, underemployed, overwhelmed or blocked, how can you use your creativity to make it better? Can you step outside of your routine? Shake it up and get a new perspective?

And guess what?  Your creativity will improve with practice. Many years ago, I had the privilege of meeting a fascinating creativity consultant named Roger von Oech, author of A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative.

 Here are just three ideas I adapted from von Oech’s Creative Whack Pack that demonstrate how flexing your creativity muscles can help you build your best life:

1)    Change an Assumption:  For example:  if you think, ‘I am too old, too young, too fat, too inexperienced to do ______’; what if you could let that “assumption” go?  What would you do differently? Maybe your assumption really isn’t valid.  Is it just an excuse?

2)    Combine Ideas: So you want to be a writer, but you need to make a living?  You are also a runner.  Could you combine your skills and interests to make a start?  What about writing articles or stories about running while you hold down your 9 to 5 job?  Sell them, blog them – you know, start being a writer!

3)    Imagine How Someone Else Would Do It – How would someone you respect and admire handle your situation?  What could you learn from their perspective that is different from yours? What then could you do differently?

Creativity is available to all of us as a natural resource – every single day. For more ideas and exercises, visit Roger von Oech’s blog http://blog.creativethink.com/ and work your creativity muscle: your ticket to your best life!