The first few real classes.

So over the last few days I have had 2 more classes! One on Thursday  and one today (Saturday) and let me tell you, I don’t think I have ever felt this way before. For one thing I am SORE. But even though it kind of hurts it kind of also feels good because it tells me that I am working things that have not been worked in a long time, or ever.  But I learned a few very important things:

 1.) At this point I cannot do two pole classes with only one day between them. Perhaps one day I can, but right now there is no way. My first class on Thursday was great and I felt very accomplished. After my class today however I just felt belch. I knew I gave it my all but I really just felt very lame. And I really couldn’t do anything on my “special” side at all, at least on Thursday I was doing thing on my “special” side even if they were not very good.

2.)I need grip assist. On my class on Thursday I was getting very down on myself because I felt like I could not hold myself up at all. It was really the beginning of a downward spiral in my mind. But my teacher, Kristin, saw me and I think she saw what was going on in my head, and without even really asking she said “Hey it looks like you are slipping a lot, come here try some of this.” And she gave me some grip helper and told me to try again and I did and it was about 100% better and she just smiled “See, you have the strength to do it, your hands are just slippery like mine, really I have to use super-duper grip to even get anything done at all.” And class went a LOT better after that, and I actually did not get down on myself at all after that. Cuz I could do it.

3.) Walking into my spins is SOOOO much better than doing them from a stand still. I swear, I could be having a lot of problems with a spin and the second I walked into it I could actually do it. Momentum is a magical thing.

4.) I need to be better at the cool down. While both classes had a nice cool down I think I need to make sure I take a few more minutes of my own time to fully stretch out. More stretching out after = less stiffness after and that is good. 

Over all I’m really likening the classes even if I was a little dumb and tried to do two classes just a day apart. I really like the Fort Collins studio, its bigger and more open. The Longmont studio seems very small to me and kind of squeezed into its location. But I think for this 5 week course I am going to try to transfer from the Saturday classes in Fort Collins to the Thursday classes in Longmont because while I like the Fort Collis studio better the Saturday class today was PACKED. I mean there were more girls then there were poles, and the Thursday class was only the teacher, my friend Tausha and I. and I think I liked the personal attention a lot. What can I say, I’m selfish. But I figure if this is something I’m doing I might as well do it on a more personalizes level if I can. I’m still waiting to hear back from the studio to see if I can do that. But I don’t think it should be a problem at all since this week was the first day of the series for both classes and I did both it should be no problem to just change the day I go to class. 

Also it doesn’t hurt that that Thursday class has my friend in it. Actually that helps a lot. Not that the girls in my class today were not nice, it is just kind of hard for me to make friends while I’m still feeling super self-conscious. Being with a friend just completely takes away the self-conscious part and then I can just have fun and learn and work out. 

Spins I know how to do now:

-Closed front hook spin

-Fireman’s spin (and about 3 variations of)

-Prep work for fan legs (that one I’m not strong enough to do yet, but I am working on it)

-Open back hook spin

-Girl on top

And to finish things off Sephy’s inspiration corner!

So today I arrived to class a little early so I was just hanging out. One of the poles was a little weird so the owners husband was fixing it and the owners little girl was dancing with one of the pole’s. I’m not sure how old this girl was but I swear she could be no older the 5 or 6 and she was amazing. Just in her party dress climbing the pole (her mom and her dad had to tell her sever times “Not to high!”) and inverting and spinning and it was just amazing to watch. I congratulated her, saying that she could teach me a lot, and asked if her mommy taught her and she was a little shy but told me “No” and went on dancing and her dad chuckled “I think she just learned by watching her mom.” And at this the little girl who had been in the middle of a trick stopped mid trick and looked at her dad and in all the seriousness that only a 5 year old can have, said “No, dad, I watch her and then see how to do it in my mind and then I do it. My mind teaches me to dance.” And I think my jaw dropped to the floor.  From the mouths of babes, I swear. She just went back to dancing but it gave me something to think about all throughout class. Because I think it is just as simple as that, and just as hard.  

Poling With Lori Myers

While surfing the internet I came along this amazing  article "Poling With Lori Myers" in Pole Spin Magazine written by Written by Lori Myers of Twirly Girls Pole Fitness. 

When the page open up with this in the first paragraph "You see, at six feet tall and over 200 pounds, I am not your average pole dancer.  Or so I thought." and this picture... 

 Photo credit: Liquidpulp Photography

Well you know I'm in. I mean, I'm just under 6 feet tall (5'11" here, just give me almost any shoe and I'm over 6 feet) and well over 200 lbs. This woman knows all about what I am about to put myself through, the highs and the lows. I read on. And I would like to highlight a few of the things she said that really struck me.

"I often hear potential students say that they would like to start pole dancing after they lose some weight or gain more upper body strength.  I encourage everyone to drop those ideas and get into a studio today." If you read my first post then you know that this was a big personal obstacle for me. And the thing is I seem to be a master of getting in my own way, so I am glad fate intervened for me but for many it will not. In this article Lori talks about some of the reasons waiting to get be before dancing is not really going to do you any good when it comes to pole dancing. And I think that is important to take note of. Lori has been dancing since 2009 and says “Had I waited to start classes until I was strong enough to do all the tricks I saw on YouTube, I would still be waiting.”

“I understand that watching the professional competitors online can be intimidating.  I know better than to hold myself to that standard.” Although I haven’t started classes yet I know this will be something I will struggle with constantly. I know myself, hell, I can hardly deal with the fact that some of my friends can walk better than me. Let’s not even talk about dancing. “Even if you never gain the strength to actually lift your body off the ground, there are many beautiful dance moves and so much floor work that can be performed with little strength required.” Lori spotlights how she has worked on creating a solid foundation of dance while she works on the strength required to do future tricks. Luckily I know I have an amazing support group in my friends now that will help me keep my head space positive. And that’s just knowing my friends now, I’m sure I’ll make amazing friends at the studio that will be amazingly supportive and helpful as well.

“Pole dancing is for everybody.  Some students may need modifications, additional time and a little encouragement to master certain moves.  But the taste of victory is that much sweeter when you finally nail those moves on which you have worked so hard.”

I love that I found Lori’s blog and this article. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go read all of her blog … like right now. 

Cheers!