Stress Less, Move More: The Science Behind Nia’s Calming Effect

Imagine a movement practice that doesn’t just strengthen your body but also soothes your mind, calms your nervous system, and lifts your spirit.

Many women struggle with chronic stress, anxiety, and overwhelm, yet traditional workouts often add to the pressure rather than relieving it. The impact and physical toll of some workouts can even worsen how we feel.

Finding the right workout is no easy task, especially a holistic one that nourishes the relationship between mind and body.

Nia® offers a unique, science-backed approach to movement that reduces stress, enhances relaxation, and promotes deep emotional well-being.

In this guide, we’ll explore how Nia® helps the body and mind relax, the neuroscience behind its stress-relieving effects, and how you can experience this calming practice for yourself.

The Link Between Movement and Stress Relief

The Science of Stress and the Nervous System

Stress triggers the fight-or-flight response, increasing cortisol levels and muscle tension. We feel the effects of stress in our body, like a clenched jaw or tensed muscles. Continuous stress adversely impacts not only our physical self, wearing us down over time.

Chronic stress can lead to fatigue, anxiety, and even physical pain. A constant state of “fight-or-flight” exhausts us and fills us with worry about all aspects of life. In this state, we feel our bodies tense up and ache.

Whether it’s reading a book or taking a nap, we all have our own ways to manage stress. However, these methods are typically a short-term resolution to the effects of stress, a moment to take a breath. But our nerves may still feel on edge and our mind and body may feel unbalanced. Movement is one of the most effective ways to reset the nervous system and bring the body back into balance.

How Movement Helps Release Stress

Physical activity releases endorphins, which are the brain’s natural stress relievers. Movement reduces stress, and joyful movement like dance can provide anxiety relief.

Dance-based movement engages both the body and emotions, making it more effective than repetitive exercises like running or weightlifting. These workouts often focus on physical results, emphasizing how you look, not how you feel. Dance lets you focus on yourself, how you’re feeling. It’s movement aligned with what feels good for your body, so you can process emotions like stress and release them.

You can also heal through dance. Somatic movement practices, like Nia®, stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps regulate relaxation and recovery. Dance inspires intuitive, fluid movement, sparking creativity and playfulness that can improve your self-esteem as you heal.

Why Nia® Is the Perfect Stress-Relief Practice

Gentle, Joyful, and Accessible

Nia® is a non-impact, high-energy movement form that conditions the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. With moves and music to inspire joy, the choreography draws from a blend of dance arts, martial arts, and healing arts.

Unlike high-intensity workouts, Nia® is designed to be nurturing rather than depleting. It encourages movement that feels good rather than forcing the body into discomfort.

Nia® is also adaptable for all ages, fitness levels, and body types—no experience necessary. The experience is also accessible to you at home through online Nia® classes. You only need an open mind and curious spirit.

Mindfulness in Motion

Nia® combines movement with breath awareness and mindfulness, bringing participants into the present moment. The movement aims to reconnect your mind and body, keeping you focused on how both work hand-in-hand.

Through 7 designated cycles, Nia® helps us shift from stressful thought loops into embodied presence. Each class follows a flow that engages the mind-body connection, enhancing relaxation and mental clarity.

The Role of Music in Nia®’s Calming Effect

Music and movement are integral parts of Nia®. 

Music is a powerful stress-reducing tool, activating the brain’s pleasure centers. Many of us listen to music to relax due to its calming effect. There’s something so soothing about the rhythmic sounds of a favorite song. It may inspire us to take a deep breath and sing along, or even dance!

Moving to music helps release emotional tension and elevate mood. Nia® choreographies are designed to sync movement with rhythm, creating a meditative, trance-like effect that promotes relaxation.

Soul-stirring music, from world beats to pop, jazz, electronic, and beyond, allows you to stay present and focused on reconnecting with yourself. Nia® encourages you to look inward, while giving your soul a time to relax and heal.

The Emotional Benefits of Nia®

Releasing Tension and Stored Emotions

Traditional fitness programs tend to emphasize achieving external goals, rather than boosting how we feel inside. Our emotions, however, directly impact the way our bodies feel. The body stores stress and emotions, often manifesting as tightness, fatigue, or pain.

Nia® incorporates fluid, expressive movements that allow emotions to move through the body rather than staying stuck. Through Nia®, we release our emotions, and in turn, our bodies feel the physical effects of stress, sadness, and frustration dwindle. Many participants report feeling lighter, calmer, and more at peace after class.

Building Resilience Through Joyful Movement

Joy and playfulness in movement rewire the brain for positivity. Letting yourself be free to explore the space around you can release frustration, worry, and doubt. The same movement comes from what feels good for you. It nurtures a positive relationship with your body, increasing self-esteem.

Engaging in a practice like Nia® can help reframe stress—rather than suppressing emotions, movement becomes a tool for processing them. When we’re stressed, we may share our feelings with close ones in our lives, like our significant others, family or friends. We may reflect and process how we feel. Nia® is a way to turn inward, focusing on the deep connection between movement and well-being. It allows you to process stress and release it.

Over time, this builds emotional resilience and a greater sense of ease in daily life. When you reconnect with yourself, reuniting mind, body, and soul, you develop a greater sense of who you are and what you can accomplish.

Testimonial

“Nia has given me powerful tools for living my life with greater authenticity, engagement, and joy. As a 60-year-old woman, professional, mother, widow, musician, survivor, teacher, I have realized that the healthiest way for me to navigate life is to start first by listening to this body, rather than try to ignore it, or push it harder, or be mad at it, or disappointed in its imperfections, which has been my lifelong habit as an adult. I’m finding a new way with Nia, and it’s giving me tools in all areas of my life. My music has found a deeper freedom of expression, my grief has new channels through instead of getting stuck, and I feel more flexible overall in my thinking. I find creative sparks and more joy informing my approach to the inevitable challenges of life. Kellie is a masterful teacher and mentor, at all levels of practice. If you haven’t tried Nia, please join us! It’s an incredible community of wise and wonderful souls.”

— ANNETTE L

How to Incorporate Nia® for Stress Relief in Your Life

Start with a Class

The best way to experience Nia®’s calming effect is to try a class in a supportive environment. For me, Nia® is about creating an environment of connection and fun. Classes are designed to be intuitive, welcoming, and deeply relaxing. They’re never about perfection–the classes are about presence.

Create a Stress-Relief Ritual with Movement

Even 5-10 minutes of movement at home can shift your energy. If you’re a remote employee, and you start to feel the day’s workload weighing on you, simply standing up and allowing yourself to be present in your body can calm your stressed mind.

Some suggestions for personal practice:

• Morning grounding movement – Set an intention and move gently to wake up the body.

• Midday shake-off – Release tension with free dance or mindful movement breaks.

• Evening unwind – Slow, flowing movements to calm the body before sleep.

Pair Movement with Mindfulness and Breathwork

Adding simple breath techniques to movement enhances relaxation and stress relief. When we practice breathwork, we focus our mind only on the experience of inhalation and exhalation. Breathing allows our body to pause and reset, while releasing tension.

Deep belly breathing while moving fluidly to music can shift your nervous system into a state of calm.

Where to Experience the Calming Power of Nia®

Join a Nia® Class with Kellie Chambers

Experience stress-melting, joy-filled movement in a welcoming, supportive community.

From the moment you step into my Nia® class, you are welcomed exactly as you are. My deepest intention is to create a safe, supportive space where you can move freely, explore joyfully, and connect with your body in a way that feels good. 

There’s no pressure, no judgment—just movement, music, and expression. No dance experience is ever required. You only need to bring curiosity and a willingness to explore movement as self-care.

My Nia® classes are for all ages and body types. I also offer in-person and virtual classes available so you can move from anywhere!

Attend a Wellness Retreat in 2025

Throughout the year, I lead retreats and workshops designed to nourish your body, mind, and spirit. These immersive experiences blend movement, mindfulness, and connection, giving you the space to recharge and reconnect with yourself.

• 🌲 Spring Awakening Retreat (Pleasant Hill, Oregon) – Immerse yourself in movement, mindfulness, and nature to reset your nervous system.

• 🌀 Fall Grounding Retreat (Columbia River Gorge) – A retreat designed for deep relaxation, self-reflection, and stress release.

Each retreat offers Nia®, somatic movement, and intentional rest, creating a full-body reset for your nervous system.

Find Your Calm Through Movement: Your Invitation to Stress Less & Move More

Stress doesn’t have to run your life. Movement is one of the most powerful ways to release tension, restore balance, and feel more at peace in your body.

Through Nia®, mindful dance, and somatic movement, you can create a practice that helps you:

• Let go of stress and overwhelm.

• Move with joy and ease, no matter your fitness level.

• Feel deeply connected to yourself and your emotions.

Join a Nia® class, attend a retreat, or simply start moving at home—because your body deserves to move with freedom, and your heart deserves to feel at ease.

Explore classes and retreats designed to help you move toward peace, balance, and joy.

Because when you move, you heal.