It was pure happenstance that Deborah Walker discovered Nia, a holistic movement and wellness practice that fuses dance, marital arts and mindfulness practices started by former Marin residents Debbie and Carlos Rosas in the early 1980s.
She had hurt her back and the usual things weren’t working until she was invited to take a Nia class. It didn’t take long for her to start to feel better.
Although the Rosas moved their headquarters up to Portland, Oregon, Walker was been keeping the Nia flame going in Marin for 35 years, one of a few practitioners in the county.
The San Rafael resident, named Nia teacher of the year five years ago, teaches it at her studio, BodyVibe Studio, in San Rafael. Over the years, she’s also taught at the San Rafael and Sausalito parks and recreation departments, Dominican University of California and elsewhere.
Q When did you get interested in health and fitness?
A I was interested in the nutrition side of health when I was growing up. I started running when I was in my early 20s and that was my first real introduction to the benefits of movement. My roommate was a world-class athlete, a triathlon runner, and she made me go out with her one day to Tennessee Valley. It was so beautiful. I had never been out there and I fell in love with being out in nature, getting your body moving, the endorphins and fresh air. I was hooked from that moment forward. It means the world to me to be able to be in this community I was born and raised in and love, and be able to help the community with the most important thing — their health and their body.
Q When did you make the move to make this a career?
A I had hurt my back really badly. I was in a chiropractic office for six months. I couldn’t run anymore and I ran into Debbie Rosas in front of the chiropractor office one day. We are friends, but I hadn’t seen her in a couple of years and she said, “You should come to my Nia class tonight, and I can show you how you can heal your back.” I didn’t believe her, but I went out of respect for our friendship. After that class, I got it, and said, there are new ways to pay attention to the body that I hadn’t done before, and it gave me that opportunity. I started taking classes for five years consistently, and I did find a way to really make my physical body feel almost 100% of the time. I fell in love with it. Movement is critical for us to really live fully in our lives. It’s about expressing your body how your body likes to move, what gives your body the most joy.
Q How did Nia feel different?
A What I love about it is that I can do it for my whole life. I had a woman in her 90s when I taught at Dominican who would stand in the back and pulse or shift her body weight from side to side. You don’t have to be a certain way or dress a certain way. Everyone listens to their own body and we get to take responsibility for where our bodies are at and celebrate that. It takes people out of their head and into their body and for me, too.
Q You live by the motto “love your body, love your life.” How did that help you?
A I had to reframe loving my body and I think it starts like that for all of us — to love where you are today and love this physical gift we are born into.
Q How have you changed since doing this?
A One year I didn’t teach and I thought I’ll just take classes. I had a really high-stress corporate job and I didn’t take one class because I was so stressed. I told my employer, I can’t do this, I have to teach, otherwise you don’t get what you are getting from me — enthusiastic, inspired, stepping into every day feeling happy. I just keep my body moving and my emotions moving. Every benefit that students get, I also get. I am passionate about it for my own wellbeing and if it can touch anyone’s life like it has touched mine, that’s a huge gift.