Felicia Berger Smith leads a NIA session at ACAC Fitness and Wellness in Midlothian. (Photo by Maura Varley Photography)
In 2013, Felicia Berger Smith was doing her regular workout routine at ACAC Fitness and Wellness Center in Midlothian when she saw a group of women dancing in an unusual way, and she went over to investigate.
It was a class in non-impact aerobics (NIA), a program developed in the 1980s by Debbie Rosas and Carlos AyaRosas. The NIA technique combines elements of three disciplines: martial arts, dance and yoga. The goal is to connect with the body in a way that is challenging, unconventional and enjoyable.
Six months later, Smith was a licensed instructor in the technique, and she now teaches NIA classes in Midlothian. She says she loves watching people learn to free their bodies. “NIA is a mindful aerobics class, and it’s meant to be fun,” Smith says. “It’s meant for you to find joy in exercise and connect with your body in a way you might not have done in a long time. As adults, we get used to pushing pain down. NIA is meant to bring bodily sensations to the surface, where they can be explored.” Students dance along with the instructor but are free to include movements that bring them joy.
“We don’t have people running all over the room, but there’s a real balance of form and freedom,” says Marybeth Grinnan, an NIA instructor at SoulShine Studios. “We always encourage people to listen to their bodies.
In May 2019, SoulShine Studios opened at Stony Point Fashion Park. The three instructors — Grinnan, Jessica Forsythe and Niki Schemmel — are also the co-owners. Grinnan describes the studio as a home for NIA in the Richmond area. “We’d like to see NIA treated like yoga, with classes offered all over the city,” she says. “Part of our mission in opening the studio is to expand the NIA community.”
A NIA class lives in the moment at SoulShine Studios. (Photo courtesy Soulshine Studios)
SoulShine’s NIA students can also participate in a lunch club, a book club and a movie club, and there are retreats each year to a range of destinations. Since opening 15 months ago, SoulShine has hosted retreats in Costa Rica, Utah, North Carolina, Spain and France. During the COVID pandemic, all but two classes are online, with the remainder being held outdoors. Pricing is “socially conscious” — students can choose to attend for free or pay $5, $10 or $15.
Before COVID-19, Smith was teaching classes daily at ACAC. Now there are just three in-person classes per week, as well as opportunities for those who want to learn the technique on Zoom. Other changes caused by COVID include the implementation of a 10-foot distance between students and a requirement to sign up ahead of time.
There are different flavors to the classes: Move-to-heal class helps people with specific ailments; MOVEit classes are more aggressive and fitness-oriented; and the freelance class explores movements that bring joy to the body, Smith says.
At 56, she says practicing NIA keeps her body young. Her regular students include an 80-year-old woman who Smith says is incredibly agile, and a man with Parkinson’s disease who finds the rhythm of the dance helps him cope with his condition.
“NIA helps you put out an antenna and feel for your body sensations, while improving your flexibility, strength and agility,” Smith says. “My role as an instructor is to help people get unstuck.”
Those interested in joining an ACAC class can visit acac.com or email amberv@acac.com. Anyone interested in classes at SoulShine Studios can check out soulshinestudios.com.
