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Susan Sloan discovered Nia in 2003. She signed up, stepped into her first class – and something clicked.
For the past three years, Sloan has been sharing Nia through five-day training immersions at Wholeness Haven, opposite Sievers Point in Hermanus. With Jeanette Hogg, she has also helped bring Nia to ProActive Fitness, a gym where the practice has become a weekly fixture.
So, what is Nia?
At its heart, Nia is a holistic movement practice that blends fitness, dance, mindfulness and self-expression. It draws on nine movement forms across three disciplines: martial arts, dance arts and healing arts.
In a single class, you might experience the grounded precision of a punch or kick, the joy and freedom of expressive dance, and restorative, body-based healing principles. There is form, but there is also freedom – and that, for Sloan, is where the magic lies.
Nia comprises 52 foundational movements designed to help develop a deeper awareness of how our bodies are naturally designed to function. These movements can help release tension, improve mobility, build strength, and deepen body awareness.
But Nia is not only about technique. It is also about feeling.
It invites participants to listen not just with their ears, but with the whole body – to become present with the music, sensation, breath, emotion and, ultimately, themselves.
Through the Taekwondo elements of Nia – the kicks, strikes and explosive cardiovascular power – one discovers another side of oneself, too.
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