Popcorn
Forum Replies Created
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All this self-love and self-affirmation is so beautiful!
I also love my brain. I’ve worked hard to get it in shape. 🙂
And my broad, strong shoulders, my thick red hair, my (still!) perky boobies, and my enormously wide feet. My feet are actually quite ugly, but they do their job SO well that I can’t help but admire them. I’m constantly barefoot!
I know it’s a long, hard road for many of us to get to where we can admit what we love about our physical selves. Kudos to all of us who have made and continue to make the journey, and for those who haven’t yet gotten there– you will. You’re worth it. As Carl Sagan pointed out so beautifully, we are all made of star dust; there is something of the heavens in all of us.
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Like many of you I also consider myself a feminist. As a scientist, I’m frequently silently pushed to reject my femininity by other women in the battle to compete with men. To deny my gender and sexual identity feels more like slavery to me, so I explore my identity as a strong, powerful, sexual person through my pole dance and refuse to compromise myself by de-womanizing myself in my professional world. I am equally capable in replacing the mufflers on my airboat, giving a conference talk in a skirt, and inverting in stripper heels. I refuse to compromise any part of my personal expression to satisfy a now-archaic idea of what a feminist must be. To any feminist who feels they must define who I am in order for me to be a feminist, I ask how that differs from the oppressive role men placed women for the millennia prior to women’s suffrage?
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Haha! Oh, this is all so funny (and awesome of you ladies studying!) I can’t help but jump in and mention that the tissue of the penis is designed as a lattice on the diagonal. When, ummm, flaccid, the lattice can collapse on itself, but the lattice structure gives plenty of space to fill with blood and gives the structural integrity we recognize in the excited state. A fun bit of trivia– the structure was discovered by a woman scientist. Prior to her work everyone thought the tissue structure was on the square, kind of like plaid. Of course, that doesn’t really make sense from the, errr, shrink swell aspects, but it took a woman to point that out!
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I struggle with this as well. It’s so easy to get unbalanced! I suggest focusing on holds to begin with. Holding side planks on your left side, either on your elbow or up on your hand is a great way to strengthen your core as well as the stability through your shoulder. To strengthen both arms I’ll place my hands under my shoulders like doing a push up. I’ll then push up and hold the pose partway up the pushup for as long as I can. Oh, and one of the other things I’ve done for better balance (both muscular and in general!) are handstands and elbow stands. I’m also a fan of free weights. I simply do a few more reps on my weaker side. That said, free weights tend to do a better job on the larger muscles, and it takes using my body as resistance (the other stuff) to increase my strength over all. Good luck, and welcome!
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Oh, nice one! I just started working on holly drops last week, so they’ll be fun to try once I feel solid in that second Scorpio!
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For me, I think performing for my first audience was huge. It was a small, supportive audience, but live bodies nonetheless! Also hip holds and inverted V, along with some others were happiness inducing. In 2012 I’m getting my pole teaching certification, so I think this year will be even better than the last! Happy Poling! XOXO
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The studio I first went to didn’t, and I really wish they did. I since started either poling at home or at a friend’s place (past year +). We both have thick crash mats, and I’m so thankful we do. I’ve had a couple of rough tumbles, and I really like the option of collapsing out of a new trick that’s become too painful to hold. It’s a sure sign I’ve pushed myself too far, but makes sure I don’t get hurt.