Joy. It’s not just a Christmasy thing. It’s not just a name (although every Joy I have ever met does the name proud).  It’s not just a dishwashing liquid. Joy, according to my thesaurus, is delight, happiness, pleasure, enjoyment, bliss, ecstasy, elation, and thrill.

Being a word nerd, I feel the last four words are closer to my interpretation. Joy is more than simple happiness. Joy has that wow factor, when you feel all is right in your world. It’s a taste of heaven on earth, a glimpse of personal paradise. When your heart is at peace, despite extraneous circumstances, that’s joy.

Joy is personal, yet universal. Joy is distinctly mine, yet I want to share it. What brings me joy may be not the same for you, yet we can feed off each other’s joy. We can help one another find his and her own joy.

Writing this column and connecting with readers ranks high among my joys, and has been the catalyst leading to other joys. Different speaking programs have led to unexpected connections and new joys. I even do a workshop now on finding your joy.

Feeling joy and a quest to maintain a state of joy brought me to a new form of exercise. Who wudda thunk it? Any exercise for me is technically “new,” as the only physical activity I get is carrying laundry up and down two flights of stairs.

I’ve joined a Nia class. Nia (an acronym for neuromuscular integrative action or non-impact aerobics) has been around for over twenty years, but is not a common offering in my area. What appeals to me is the “no pain, all gain” theory, and the focus is on the joy of movement.

Nia is a mind-body-spirit fitness practice that incorporates three martial arts, three dance arts, and three healing arts (T’ai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Jazz, Modern Dance, Duncan Dance, Yoga, Moshé Feldenkrais and Alexander Technique). The class has music and an instructor, yet there is not a too-skinny 26-year-old blonde in a curve-hugging leotard yelling, “Hold that squeeze.”

With Nia, I am outside dancing in the grass barefoot, feeling the peace and energy, and still working up a sweat. Nia is recognized as an innovative and safe cardiovascular exercise program.  It’s also fun. I like looking up at the trees and sky, and hearing the fountain gurgle and the birds twitter. It’s all part of the whole experience.

The philosophy is “through movement we find health.” Now that I’ve achieved a certain age (and it is an achievement), I think more about health issues. Nia also supports the Pleasure Principle: “If it feels good, keep doing it; if it hurts, stop.” That mentality is right up my alley.

No skills or coordination are required, thank goodness. Clothing is whatever floats your boat. The instructor wears flouncy Nia pants. One classmate wears jeans. It is not a hot-bod competition or a spandex fashion show.

Long-distance runners will tell you that a natural high can be achieved through running or physical activity. It’s the mind-body-spirit connection saying, “Thanks, I needed that.” I’m not a runner or any kind of athlete. To find a fitness program that accepts me for who I am and wants to empower me to achieve physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being, that gives me joy. The joy of movement.

{Write Kelly at this paper or kel_epperson@yahoo.com or PO Box 2324, Loves Park, IL  61131. To learn about Nia, visit www.nianow.com. To learn about Kelly, her book, and her workshops, see www. kellyepperson.com.}