Sounding in Nia is making sounds, using your voice. There are many reasons to do so. One is to help the Nia Teacher know that you are breathing. There are also many sounds you can make.
Here is a list to help you begin.
Ten Tips to Help You Begin Sounding* 1. Use your lower body, the feet and legs, to connect you to the Earth, to stay centered and relaxed. Vary the distance of your feet and play with your base to find the best support for making strong sounds.
2. Breathe to sound. Exhale with the conscious intent and awareness to maintain a soft belly. A soft belly makes it easy for you to push sound up and out. It makes room for you to take fresh air into your body. It releases the abdominal muscles and frees the diaphragm so that, together, these two muscles work like an accordion to easily move air and sound.
3. Use the imaginary mind. Visualize and see your sound as color. Connect different sounds to different colors and use the colors to cleanse your energy.
4. Use all parts of our body when making sound to add a quality of ease and effortlessness to your tone. Sounding requires relaxation and trust. Let go of pushing. Listen and feel for ease in your body and in your voice.
5. Be conscious and direct your sound. Conscious action will slow you down and help you blend movements with your sound; your actions with your voice.
6. Use your spirit and give personal identity and personality to your sounds. Add emotion to feel more power, texture, and dimension to your voice.
7. Vertically align your body keeping an upright posture to support a relaxed abdomen and the diaphragm. Let go. Relax your jaw and open your mouth to allow your sound space to flow without restricting it. Releasing your diaphragm and abdomen gives power to your voice.
8. Hum, grunt, make sounds or say words. Remember, it is not about being in tune, it is about making sounds with your voice. It is about finding your sound. It is about releasing any tone to feel the power coming from you.
9. Use your upper body, the arms and hands, to direct, cultivate, build, and move your sound energy. Be theatrical with the upper body as you sing and sound.
10. Feel your body as you move and listen to your voice as you sing and tone. If you are out of breath or feel rushed, your tone and voice will sound and feel stressed. Balance your physical effort with your sound and your tone will sound powerful and relaxed. Listen and feel.