Eugene Weekly: Special Features

Integrating Movement
NIA offers enjoyable blend of exercise techniques.
By Aria Seligmann

After years of lacing up expensive sneakers and pound, pound, pounding her body into cardiovascular, muscular shape, Lottie Hess found that the high-impact aerobics classes she had been taking so religiously had not only taken a toll on her knees, but had become something she dreaded, rather than enjoyed. "I was fit, in great shape, but it wasn't any fun," she says.

Walking down the hall at her healthclub one day, she saw a flyer for NIA, which originally stood for "non-impact aerobics" and now stands for "neuro-muscular integrative action." A picture of a pair of feet illustrated the course.

Hess had no idea what to expect when she entered the class the next day, but three years later, she is a die-hard convert, along with thousands of others nationwide who are learning what the exercise/movement/dance form holds for them.

NIA was founded in 1983 by Debbie and Carlos Rosas, two Portland aerobics instructors who had noted that many avid participants were sustaining injuries from the high-impact sport. The Rosas wanted to provide a safer, yet still effective workout, that not only exercised the body, but relaxed the mind and released emotions, altogether eliminating stress. They borrowed from eight disciplines: martial arts, tai kwan do, tai chi, ballet, modern dance, Feldenkrais, jazz and yoga, taking what they felt to be the essential – and fun – elements in each technique to create a sort of "best of" exercise program. Next, they choreographed specific routines set to specific and eclectic music – Yanni, African, Riverdance — and packaged the routines to offer to instructors to teach their classes.

Programs were set up to provide training to instructors, and training to instructor trainers, that worked much like martial arts: Instructors and trainers could earn white belts up to black belts as they progressed. As in martial arts, the black belt level is for those who have achieved high levels of physical and emotional discipline, and can begin to incorporate a spiritual element to their workout.

"There are so many analogies between my everyday life and what I have learned first in the physical realm," says Janet Hollander, a local NIA instructor. "Practicing lightness, having a sense of forces that pull me up rather than down, brings me the courage to follow aspirations, the courage to 'fly' with an idea. I trust the earth to hold me up, and I am grateful."

Hollander, a gerontologist and activities coordinator at Willamette Oaks, received her NIA training in the early '90s and has been teaching at Four Winds Yoga Center for the past few years. Because NIA classes can accommodate all levels of participants, for the injured or stiff who might have difficulty touching their toes to the experienced ballerina, she incorporates aspects of it in her work with older adults. "Anyone can move," she says. And sometimes, introducing that concept to those who've spent many years sitting idle can be almost miraculous.

Deborah Power, a NIA instructor who teaches at Eugene Swim and Tennis Club, focuses on the empowering aspect of NIA in her work with women. Strengthening the body through martial arts kicks and blocks is one element to the power NIA builds in participants, but Power points to another, deeper component. "Both mental blocks and body blocks are addressed in NIA," says Power. "If someone can't move a certain way it becomes habitual. They need to send healing energy and thoughts to body parts that have shut down. Not 'I hate my thighs', but loving our bodies… that positive energy gets results." Because NIA also uses vocalizations – people can scream, shout, sing while waving an arm in the air, kicking a leg or striking a yoga pose — it releases emotions, stress and baggage carried in from the workday.

Power also says that as the body becomes stronger, "we develop a self-reliance on our power by honoring our body." She also believes that unlike some fast-paced aerobics classes that move to really bad music with some silly moves, NIA is "an elegant, grown up form of exercise that's not insulting."

For more information on NIA, see www.nia-nia.comEugene Swim and Tennis: 342-4414Four Winds: 484-6100Janet Hollander will hold free NIA demonstrations during the Health and Well-Being Celebration, on Sunday, Aug. 25 from 11:15-11:30 am downtown; and from 4:30-5:30 pm at Four Winds Yoga Center, 18th and Willamette.

With the swish of a closing door, the world of deadlines, honking horns and ringing phones disappears. There are no clocks on the pure white walls. The floor is smooth, cool wood with a lit candle, a pine cone and a stone in the center. My mind is at ease — the only thing I'm worried about is how to scratch the itch on my leg while balancing on one foot. So this is yoga.

Until now, my experience with yoga has been limited to the university course my roommate and I took last year. I admit this with shame, but we spent most of the class in the back corner, stifling immature giggles whenever the instructor mentioned a word like "buttocks." Eventually, my roommate dropped the class. She said she couldn't handle staring at rows of other people's "buttocks" for two hours a week.

But this is different. I'm standing in a circle with the other students, staring at a candle instead of someone else's rear end. And these aren't college kids trying to earn a P.E. credit. Nope, they're serious yogis, and I'm starting to see that there's a lot more to yoga than meets the eye. It's a lifestyle, a unique culture — an entire world of its own.

MANY TYPES
For starters, there are countless different types of yoga, all based on varying philosophies — which also differ with each instructor and student. "I imagine that there are about as many different kinds of yoga as there are people on the Earth," says Richard Alevizos, who teaches Sivananda Hatha yoga at the Eugene Yoga Center. (I actually saw him do a headstand without his head!) "I keep hearing about new kinds of yoga, but there are four different types of yoga, traditionally speaking. All yoga derives from Hatha yoga." Alevizos and his wife live at the yoga center. Alevizos has studied yoga since childhood and began teaching it a year ago.

According to Alevizos, each person —from young to old to disabled — can a form of yoga suited to their needs. Bhakti yoga, or devotional yoga, focuses more on chanting that movement. Jnana is a philosophical yoga. Raja yoga, or royal yoga, is, Alevizos says, "integration of body, mind and spirit." Karma yoga focuses on selfless acts. "Through selfless service to others you can find union with the divine spirit," says Alevizos.

He has taught yoga to everyone from small children to 85-year-olds. "Everyone can work with the limitations of their own bodies," he says. Since yoga is based on philosophy and not religion, Alevizos says people of all faiths can practice it.

Whether spiritual or physical, yogis say the practice offers countless benefits to its students. "It's good for the circulation, lymph nodes and digestive stuff — just about anything," says Stephanie Barton, of Four Winds. She has been teaching yoga for four years. "It's incredibly good for mental clarity, coordination and balance."

Alevizos says Hath yoga has five main points — proper diet, proper breathing, proper meditation, exercise and positive thinking. "Each point can give you a tremendous benefit," he says, from longevity to a better outlook on life.

He also says yoga postures performed in class "prepare the body to relax." Children with attention deficit disorders can also benefit from this calming effect. "Kids love it," says Barton.

In the past, all kinds of people have been flocking to yoga classes, not only in Eugene, but throughout the United States. While Alevizos and Barton agree the sudden interest is generally positive, both have their reservations.

"I have mixed feelings about it. It's become media and externally focused," says Barton. "It doesn't seem as true, but now it's more socially accepted, and the more people who do yoga, the better," says Barton.

"A lot of people tried to westernize it," Alevizos says. "Some types of yoga have become almost aerobics-like, and what has been forgotten — or what had been forgotten — is there's something behind it, more than just a physical movement. And I think that a lot of people are missing something." However, he also says yoga's increasing popularity is positive, since its beneficial properties are now available to more people. He points out that in the past, yoga was only available to the higher classes in India, due to the caste system.

Barton says the growing interest in yoga can in part be attributed to the state of the world we live in today. "After all the tragedies, we're really looking for a sacred place to be."

GETTING STARTED
It's easy for an interested individual to learn more about yoga. There are several centers offering yoga instruction around Eugene, and classes are relatively inexpensive. First classes are often offered at no cost. "We're very fortunate in Eugene," says Alevizos, "because if you go to San Francisco, yoga classes can cost $20 a class. Go to New York, it's more like $25 or $28 a class."

Alevizos says many local classes are all-level, and each exercise or posture can be modified to a person's knowledge and ability.

For Barton, Alevizos, and many others who are involved in yoga, its influence seems to extend far beyond knowledge, ability, or anything else that can be described on these pages.

"I can't imagine life without it. It brings me through the hard times," says Barton. "It is taking me to a place where I feel like it's a chance to remember the divinity in myself and others."

Another in the long list of reasons we love living in Oregon is the fact that in various places all over the state it's possible to slip through a time portal and find ourselves deep in the past, in another place and time. In Corvallis, the portal opens at The Gables.

In fact, 9th Street is a miasma, a maelstrom of time: On the southern end, near the OSU campus, the houses are older, stately and elegant; at the northern end, the 21st century has arrived, with big-box stores and shoe-box architecture, gas stations, fast-food joints, tacky neon. On the border between them, bridging the times, sits a smallish gray house, lap siding, black shake roof with gabled dormers, black window shudders over warm used-brick half-wall, solid wood doors, one window filled with a fine stained-glass still life of food and wine. Through that door, the clock turns back to 1958, the year The Gables opened and time stood still.

Just to the right, in a cozy bar, three older men sip scotches, talk politics, old Cold Warriors: Roberts or Mannix, the only choices, no "libruls" here.

Dining room walls are textured gray, bearing heavy mirrors, creating the illusion of grander space in the small rooms. Among the mirrors hang repro oils and Old Master prints in thick gilded frames. Tables are dressed in pink polyester cloths; chairs are heavy, comfy. Candles glow in plain glass globes. Waitress arrives with menu, offers cocktails, drops off relish tray with raw carrots, celery, dip.

Wine list surprises with good choices, local wines, available reserve list, not very deep but expensive.

The Gables' menu is a throwback to the era of good red meat, prime rib the house specialty, written in neon on the outdoor sign, backed up by rack of lamb, porterhouse, New York, filet. Salmon, scallops or prawns for those who must have fish. Two pastas as a concession to later decades, veggie ravioli, penne with portabellas. Prices range $14-$24 for entrees. Two oldies in the appetizers, escargots, paté maison. Dinners come with choice of soup/salad, basket of sourdough; salad is iceberg lettuce, but crisp, served with ramekins of dressing choices: thousand island (!), blue cheese, pesto vinaigrette, bowl of garlic croutes. The pesto is tasty, the croutes crunchy.

The servers are all pro waitresses in black and whites, running routine arm service. Used to the geriatric crowd, they raise their voices, enunciate carefully, repeat patiently. Nearby, a table for six celebrates a birthday for the youngster among them; that whippersnapper is only 58. Server checks in: "Still working on that plate, hon?"

The eight-ounce NY strip is served sauceless, with "Danish whipped" spuds with blue cheese, gooey and pasty, but flavorful, side of sautéed fresh zucs, red peppers, onions. The beef is superb quality, tender and lean, outstanding.

Desserts could be guessed: cheesecake, of course, and mud pie or key lime, vanilla ice cream. Sure. And predictable coffee.

Outside, the door closes with a nostalgic whisper. Traffic crawls north, past Shari's, into the ragtag 21st century.

Dining at Sushi Station was like going to church. Not the pewed church with stained glass and the guy up on the wall, but sea church, ocean church, the church of sushi; the only church of which I am a devout and practicing member.

Sushi Station leads a charge of new restaurants attempting to surf the waves of consumers enjoying the Fifth Street Public Market neighborhood. It's posh and spacious with modern lighting and suspended Asian wall panels. It's chic with a monstrous arena containing the sushi chefs. You sit around them. They place intricate raw-fish and vegetable delights on a cute motorized walkway that circulates the perimeter of polished wood. You see what tempts you, and you pick it up and scarf it; the wait-staff knows what you'll pay by the color of the empty plate you leave behind. Trés cool.

Once the brand-new Sushi Station warms up I'll devote more words to it, but for now I'll say the sushi rolls are large, delicious, inventive and inexpensive. The fish looks top quality; the raw maguro (yellowtail) was like butter; the raw sake (salmon) like a flat lollypop. A menu bursts with various Japanese salads and appetizers.

Morsels is a revolving feature that tries to capture the atmosphere as well as the cuisine of some of our favorite places to eat in and around Eugene, along with food news. Suggestions? Call Ben or Marina at 484-0519 or e-mail marina@eugeneweekly.com

To Infiniti (and Beyond)
A revived Nissan offers the outstanding I35.
BY JIM MOTAVALLI

Nissan is the comeback kid, revived after what many describe as a "near-death experience." Led by Brazilian-born Carlos Ghosn, who joined the company in 1999, Nissan went through a round of layoffs, plant shutdowns and procurement cost cuts. Although Japanese workers are legendary for their team spirit, former Michelin executive Ghosn's revival plan included persuading the disgruntled workforce to cooperate more fully. Nissan posted its first profit since 1996, making $2.6 billion in 2000.

Also in 2000, Nissan unveiled plans to build a $930 million light truck plant in Mississippi. Facing tough competition from Toyota's Sequoia SUV and Tundra pickup, Ghosn declared, "We have to increase our volume potential in the U.S."

On the ropes just two years ago, now Nissan is producing a full range of high-quality cars and trucks, including the long-awaited 350Z. I think that 3.5-liter coupe, which sports a 24-valve V-6 producing 287 horsepower, is a cunningly designed tribute to the gorgeous Audi TT. The new version of the Altima has won much praise, including some "Best of the Year" awards. Everyone likes the new high-end Q45, and I did, too. In 2003, the Murano, a combination SUV and sports car, debuts.

With all the hoopla over ultra-profitable SUVs, do rebounding companies like Nissan even care about building cars anymore? Sedans were once the flagships of Japanese automakers, which still care more about them than, say, GM does. There was a fascinating piece in the Wall Street Journal recently about the domestic auto scene in Japan, where nine companies compete for a market a fraction the size of the U.S. The result in a country with very high gas prices: lots of tiny cars we never see over here, few SUVs, and frequent model changes.

All this leads to the Infiniti I35 I'm test driving. It's proof not only that Nissan is rebounding, but that the company still makes an effort to build excellent cars. The I35 replaces the I30, which sat on the Nissan Maxima platform. The I30 was pretty nice, but this one is more impressive. Like the 350Z, it sports a 3.5-liter V-6, producing 255 horsepower. The engine is connected to a smooth four-speed automatic, which can be manually shifted if desired. Fuel economy, at 26 mpg on the highway, is pretty good, but it's too bad the car needs premium gas.

For a fairly large car, the I35 handles well, thanks to standard traction control and a taut suspension (which can be made even tauter with a $1,700 sport tuning package, which includes 17-inch wheels, stability control and that all-important performance add-on: side-sill extensions). Like almost any BMW or Mercedes sedan, it has a certain majestic grace, like Jackie Gleason dancing.

The interior's quite classy, and highly reminiscent of the Q45 with its big leather seats, maple trim and "quality timepiece" in the center of the dash. Five people will be quite comfortable, even if the back seat passengers are big guys. My little guys weren't happy back there, but don't blame the car: They were squabbling. The bottom line, in a single luxury trim, is about $33,000. There are plenty of other high-quality cars at that price, but this one's a powerful contender.

My other recent ride was a Subaru Legacy sedan, with the standard five-speed and, as with all Subarus, four-wheel drive. Now, my wife drives a Legacy with a five-speed, and I'm pretty familiar with the breed, but try as I might I just could not pilot the 2002 with anything approaching good manners. I jerked off the line at every stop sign. No matter how subtly I maneuvered clutch and accelerator, I lurched down the road like a 16-year-old taking driving lessons. A pity, because I liked the Legacy in every other way, even though I think the design is getting a bit stodgy. I hate to say it, but the automatic is the way to go with this one. By the way, only Audi offers another four-cylinder car with all-wheel drive.