[Runemist34]

As much as I love the idea of using a mirror, my only mirror is wall-mounted, and the room is really not conducive to using it to showcase my pole. Directly next to the pole is the closet, and the only proper place for the mirror is directly next to that. I’d love to angle the mirror, or move it to accomodate (especially since I’d love to be able to see myself dance in it!) but I haven’t yet figured out how to do that.
At some point, I may rearrange my room, and have that in mind. I’m hoping to get rid of my own dresser and add in my desk, allowing me to have some place for work, and maybe I’ll move some other things around so I can do that.
The maximum amount of space I can have between my pole and the video camera is approx. 9 feet, but there’s a bed literally between the two spaces. Otherwise, I’d say max space around 3-4 feet from camera to pole.

[Runemist34]

Hey there!
Sorry to hear that you’re stuck and in pain. That really sucks and I know how it feels!
However, this is a time when you can get creative and keep yourself moving, maybe even bring your new experiences back to pole when you’re feeling better.
On that note, I know that a friend of mine with twisty spine (scoliosis) found Tai Chi to be extremely good for her! It encourages good posture and controlled movement without being difficult on the body, and without impact of any kind.
Belly dancing is a lot of fun, too! If you get into the more advanced stuff, I found it can really increase your body awareness. Just don’t go up on those toes too much!
Have you gotten into Yoga? It would also help, and there’s a lot of strength component in it as well, though sometimes it doesn’t feel like it.

I hope that you feel better very soon!

[Runemist34]

Good to know! I was wondering about that when I came on today.
Why are some stars not fully gold, but seem to be grayish in the middle?

[Runemist34]

Alright, so my video camera is a Canon Vixia HF R300. I’ve not seen any indications that the zoom can be “turned off,” and generally I have it at absolute minimum zoom I can get, anyways.
I have a pretty good tripod that it’s compatible with, too, but as I said, when contending with the bed and all the furniture, I’m not sure where or what angle to place the camera at in order to actually see me dancing, and not just have half the shot being of my bed, or my bookshelf, or just showing my feet or just my torso.
Any help with that would be awesome.

[Runemist34]

The Veena pole is one piece, and if you’re moving, it can be pretty difficult to predict how tall your ceilings are!
In that case, being able to move around and adjust your pole would be key for you, so as I said, you find a pole that works with what you need it to! Just be sure that it’ll be able to handle what you’re going to do with it without bending or being scary.

[Runemist34]

Hey there!
On the topic of portable or removeable poles, you need to be careful! I know that Lil Mynx’s fully portable pole is not recommended for a person’s full body weight, and some of the moves in the intermediate range, and getting more advanced, could put a lot of strain on it.
I have a lil mynx (it’s actually the Studio Veena pole, which is similar to their regular coloured poles, but not quite the same) and it connects into the ceiling via a bolt into the studs in the ceiling, and a mounting point. It’s extremely easy to put in, take out (and take the pole down when not using, if you want), as well as make it look great in case you’re moving. I’ve done it many, many times!

I’m very happy with the powder coated pole. Having had a stainless steel pole previously, I trust the powder coat a lot more, and find myself better able to grip and try new things.

In the end, though, I suggest you do your research into how much weight poles can take (if it’s not listed, I would say it’s probably not much!), how well they’re anchored in, and whether they meet your needs. If you NEED it to be completely portable, you’re going to see some drawbacks, but… it’s totally up to you!

The major thing is that none of us want you to get hurt!

[Runemist34]

I believe the 30 day challenge is part of the lessons, so when you pay for one you pay for all of it!
I do seriously recommend them though. I don’t have a studio nearby, so the lessons here are pretty much all I use… and they’re fantastic 😉

[Runemist34]

I have a small camcorder, which doesn’t really take lenses or anything. I’m not sure if you can disable the zoom, but I’ll look into it! Would be nice to be able to get more into shot, as long as it’s the right stuff 😉 As far as I know, I can’t get any new lenses for this thing… and if I can, it’ll be pretty expensive!
I’d love to know if anyone has any tips for camera angles and such with smaller spaces, though, in case it’s not something I can disable.

[Runemist34]

Well, bruises and pole burn ARE things we need to deal with, but if they’re getting discouraging, I think that it’s not something you should just be “living with.”
You don’t want to be pushing yourself too hard and feeling unhappy and in pain. Perhaps cutting back one of those days would make the other two more productive! Also, depending on the moves you know and can do, you can always avoid some and work on others so that you’re not sore all over all the time.

[Runemist34]

Personally, I take supplements because I know I am iron deficient, and it helps me maintain the level of nutrients I know I require in a day… because I recognize my diet isn’t always awesome (though it is definitely getting better!) My go-to right now is Carnatian Instant Breakfast, because it’s chocolate(ish) and I can drink it fast. It’s actually encouraged me to start eating in the morning, as well as providing my iron and other needs in a much more effective way for me.

I’ve seen, heard of, and learned about a lot of different ways to build muscle, lose fat, and all that jazz. I’ve also seen doctors change their tune over the decades, I’ve seen the inception of BMI into our culture (which I wholeheartedly disagree with), and I’ve heard about very, very many different kinds of diet and “weight” loss exercises.

My advice? Learn about YOUR body. What does it respond to? Do you prefer strength training, but see huge results (the kind that you want) from cardio? Is there a way you can enjoy both, or combine the two? What sorts of foods make you feel best, and what sorts do you feel you need more of?

The science around these things is constantly changing, and it’s difficult to get a handle on what is “the best” because it can be the best for one person, and for another it could be the absolute worst… and for most, it’s somewhere along the spectrum.

[Runemist34]

Hey Kalighhargraves5811!
I’ve had and tried quite a few different pole DVD’s and such, and I also have a membership with Veena’s lessons.
I really do like Jamilla’s Art of Pole DVD’s, and out of all the ones I’ve tried, I find that they are extremely helpful and very informative. She has conditioning exercises (which will kick your butt, seriously) as well as warm ups and cool downs. There are also some performance clips and mini-routines and combos you can try in there.
However, even though they are probably the best DVD’s I’ve found on the market so far, I wouldn’t trade out Veena’s lessons for them at all!
I find Veena’s method of teaching and video to be extremely helpful. Jamilla only shows from one angle, and Veena often has a couple, so you can see what’s going on with different ares of the body. Her conditioning is a little more comprehensive for the whole body, and you can spend time working out (read: kicking your butt) different parts of your body. She also goes over a lot of flexibility training, and safety stuff, even if you don’t have a spotter.
She’s also right here if you want to ask her questions!

The first couple of DVD’s in the Art of Pole set cover a lot of moves, broken up right down to a basic walk, and ending (in DVD 2 anyways) with some things you can do once you’re comfortable with the basic invert (which she does teach, of course), like Gemini and Scorpio, and the Apprentice (which she calls a Starfish).

Again, they are awesome lessons and it’s lovely to have DVD’s to go back to often, but Veena’s lessons are excellent, and continue to be updated! You could always use both if you want to, as well 😉

[Runemist34]

I’m actually a weird one in that carpet doesn’t hurt my feet… linoleum, though, that frigging HURTS!
I used (and have) a pair of Foot undeez as well, and while I don’t need to use them on carpet, I could see how they would be extremely good for any surface that might hurt your feet.
I found them at a local dance store when I was in another town for a short time, so you could look them up, or at the links these other lovely ladies have provided!

[Runemist34]

My pole currently lives in my bedroom, as it’s the largest space I have! I actually feel a little strange just going “Okay, I’m going away now to play music really loud and pole dance.” But, no one seems to mind!
I’ve had my pole in my living room, my kitchen, and the “computer room” before, too.
One of my favourite times was my first pole, in my living room. It was a stainless steel, and it was known as my “stealth pole,” because literally NO ONE noticed it for at least half an hour of being in my house, unless they specifically knew to look for it. They would just go around it, not even thinking that they were adjusting the way they were going. And then, some time into their visit, they would suddenly look at it as if it had appeared by magic in that moment, and ask “Is that a stripper pole?!” To which, of course, I would respond “Yep!”

As for finding time to practice, I understand feeling a bit self-conscious. However, I think part of that is the fear of public “sucking.” We, as a culture, are afraid to show failure, vulnerability, effort. We value effortlessness, natural talent (which is usually depicted as being able to pick something up and do it almost perfectly int he first go), and polished performance! So, showing people our failures, our “struggling faces,” and our effort seems to be something that they will be able to pick at, something that we’ll be ridiculed for.

The reality is, though, that if we show the world our effort, our struggles, our fighting face, they will respect us more! People seeing how many days and hours and attempts you try a move, over and over, without giving up, can celebrate with you! Especially since you’re new, and have a lot to look forward to!

I actually love to share my pole dance with people who are around. I got my roommate into it, and every now and then he used to (when it was in our previous living room) just start doing crazy things on it, without my prompting. It never failed to get me back on the pole, too!

[Runemist34]

Interesting thought!
My nemesis, as it has always been: Hamstrings. Anything Pike oriented (or splits) is crazy-hard for me!
I’ve had tight hamstrings for most of my life, and when I started stretching them, I had NO IDEA how to do it! They didn’t feel like any of my other muscles, but I tried to push them the way I did the other ones… and it backfired! I ended up with really sore, really unhappy, and even shorter hamstrings than when I began.
So, my best advice for stretching any part of those hammies is to go SLOW. Don’t push too hard. I know it’s frustrating and I know it can be a pain, but you’ll definitely see progress in the long run!
I’m more flexible in the hammies now than I ever have been! I may not have my splits or my pike, but I’m a heck of a lot closer!

[Runemist34]

Hey there!
It sounds like you’ve got a decision already, but I wanted to add my experience here, in case it helps you out.
I’ve taken a lot of “breaks” in the past 6 years of my pole dancing. I’ve stunted my progress very much because of it, but I’ve also learned to find, and find again, my motivation. It’s waned, it’s existed when I couldn’t dance, and I’ve danced when it’s not there (which is horribly difficult and I’m very bad at it). I started off, waaaay back, in a studio, and eventually was forced to transition to home-pole due to money and time constraints.

Finding my motivation has been a lot of searching of WHY I like to pole dance. What about it appeals to me? Once I have that move, will I want to continue pole? Why? Or, Why not?

I discovered it was because there was so much to learn- there are so many styles, so many moves, and so many ways to put it all together! I knew I wouldn’t get bored if I didn’t want to, and that’s pretty big for me (I get bored easily). I also determined that, when doing aerial moves, I end up feeling like I’m made of magic, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted to feel like! I love the strength building, I love the flexibility goals, but those are things I’m not super good at… and so I try not to focus too much energy on them, and instead keep looking at the things I love about pole.

It DOES sound like your studio is no longer giving you what you’d like, so I can suggest a couple of things: Home poling, while different and sometimes boring, can be made much more fun. Doing skype pole jams, and even having the freedom to just fiddle around and see what you’re made of can be super awesome. It also allows you to plan and focus on what YOU want to do, rather than being at the whims of instructors who want a good Instagram photo.
A different studio may help, and if you find a great one, I think that a somewhat longer drive would be worth it! Unfortunately I have no studios in my area, so this isn’t something I can vouch for personally… but, if I could, I’d do that.
You COULD also consider talking to the instructors of advanced classes, and see if you can request more of a focus around flow. Talk to the other students, too! If a bunch of them would rather focus on flow, and not “the latest trick,” perhaps that would help your studio understand that they may not be teaching the correct thing for everyone. Maybe they could also split up some of the advanced classes- some for tricks, some for flow.