Nia is a genus of fungi in the family Niaceae. The genus contains three species adapted to a marine environment. All are wood-rotting fungi, producing small, gasteroid basidiocarps (fruit bodies) on driftwood, submerged timber, mangrove wood, and similar substrates. The type species, Nia vibrissa, is widespread in temperate and tropical seas.
NIA or Nia may refer to:
Nia is the first studio album by Blackalicious, American hip hop duo consisting of Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel. It was released in Europe by Mo' Wax on August 30, 1999 and later re-released in the United States by Quannum Projects on February 29, 2000 with a slightly altered track list.
John Bush of AllMusic gave Nia 4 stars out of 5, calling it "an album that stakes the claim of Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab as not only the best pair of rappers in the underground, but also the best pair of producers." Patrick Jones of PopMatters commented that it "renews your faith in the power and potential of hip-hop."
Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club said, "Blackalicious' work will strike some listeners as hopelessly naïve and New Age-ish, but Nia is nevertheless an audacious, uncompromised, enormously promising album by a group with the courage to disregard hip-hop's codes and unwritten rules to create music that is vitally, distinctly its own."
It ranked number 45 on NME's 101 Albums to Hear Before You Die.
The NIA Technique is a mind/body physical conditioning program that initially stood for Non-Impact Aerobics, a health and fitness alternative that emerged in the '80's, and evolved to include neurological integrative practices and teachings. The Nia Technique was founded in 1983 by Debbie Rosas and Carlos AyaRosas in the San Francisco area. Nia combines martial arts, modern dance arts and yoga in a workout set to music.
From 1972 to 1983 Debbie Rosas operated an exercise business in the San Francisco Bay Area known as the Bod Squad. In 1983 a series of sports related injuries prompted her to research and develop an alternative method of aerobic exercise and strength training aiming for safe, non-impact, bodymind based movement.
This led to the establishment of the Nia Technique. Nia Technique headquarters moved to Portland, Oregon in 1991 and is currently overseen by Debbie Rosas, CEO.
Nia dance cardio fitness classes are taught by instructors licensed in the Nia Technique. Each class includes mindful movement guidance and somatic education; class cycles include warm-up, sustained non-impact aerobic conditioning, strength training, cool down and stretching. Nia Fitness classes are taught to music, including pop, electronica, jazz, Latin, New Age, Indian and hip hop. They employ 52 basic movements and techniques that draw on a combination of Jazz, Modern and Duncan Dance styles, Tai Chi, TaeKwonDo and Aikido; and the bodymind healing arts of Feldenkrais Method, Alexander Technique and Yoga.