dustbunny
Forum Replies Created
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I disagree! You said you stopped smoking. That's wonderful. It's a huge accomplishment, and a great way to better yourself! It is also partly to blame for the weight gain, and the "down" feelings. Smile and congratulate yourself for doing something so difficult. How long have you been smoke free? It only gets easier, so don't give in! 🙂
So you injured yourself, it happens. Don't worry about the strength and the tricks, I know it's easier said than done but try. It will all come back, and it will come back WAY faster the second time around. Find some music that you really like, and that you can just "let go" to. Start walking around the pole, let yourself get into the music. Just do transitions, floorwork, maybe some basic spins. Rediscover why you loved pole the first time around. 🙂
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That's so exciting! I don't have any great song ideas, just wanted to wish you luck! Entering an amateur competition is a future pole goal of my own too. 🙂
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I think it depends on the move, the music, where in the learning process I am, and what I am trying to accomplish with that practice. If say, I am freestyling to music, I just go with the flow of the music. If there is a note/lyric that is held for a bar of music, I will hold a pose for that time as well. But in a faster sequence I might just go from one into another into another, without holding. If it is a move I am just starting to learn, I just hold it as long as I can. Even if it is only a split second, lol. 🙂
It also depends what I am trying to accomplish. Sometimes I focus on combos for a practice, so I will try to do as many moves as I can think of before coming down, or will focus on specific planned combos. If I am focusing on a new move, I will just do it over and over, holding it for as long as I can each time, without worrying about transitions or combos until it is more consistant.
I have heard people say to hold a move for a slow count of 3 seconds, it's long enough for a photographer to take your picture. Longer will help build strength and stamina though.
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Totally agree with LoneStar, if you schedule your "pig out" days then you can enjoy them guilt free and get back on track the next day without worry. You may even find that by "allowing" yourself to have them, you may not even need/want them as often since you may only have wanted it because it was "forbidden".
I also do meal planning, it only takes about 10-15 min/wk and it helps save time, money, my sanity, and keeps me on track as far as eating healthy. The day before grocery day, I sit down and spend 10-15 min planning what I'll eat for my meals for the next week. I always include at least a couple really quick/easy ones for lazy/busy days. Write it all down, then from that meal list I make my grocery list to ensure I'll have everything I need to cook all week. Because I have a plan and I know that there is good, healthy food in the house, I am less tempted to go out to eat, or to just pig out on chips or whatever. Maybe this could work for you too. Some people like to plan out meals for each specific day of the week. I usually just figure out how many days I have to cook dinner, usually 5 (I work over dinner time one day a week at a restaurant, and we eat at my in-laws one day a week), and then come up with 5+1=6 ideas. Each day I look at the list and decide what I feel like cooking/eating. Because I add one extra, even the last day of the week there is still a choice. You're never "stuck" eating something you don't really feel like. 🙂
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Mine is not professionally a photographer, but he takes very good pictures. 🙂
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My philosophy is, if it hurts, you're either not doing it right or it's not right for you. I can't think of too many ways to not be doing this stretch right (if I'm thinking of the same one), so just concentrate on keeping your feet together and pressing your knees down. It will still help open your hips. 🙂
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Haha, you made me think about the first time a tried the full pole hold spin (same move but all the way around instead of just half)… 🙂 Talk about feeling tangled up! I couldn't figure out how to get the momentum and grip strength both right at the same time. LOL
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Beautiful poem Chemgoddess! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif Thankyou.
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I love hearing about everyones experience with this…
What I've decided is that I'm just odd because I like split grip. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif That's okay, I've always been a little odd. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_safesex.gif I'm also going to try the elbow grip soon I think because so many people do prefer that to both forearm and split. Maybe I'll just scratch the forearm grip for now…I would assume that any move you can do in it you can do with either elbow or split anyway, if not, someone please correct me.
So for now I'm going to keep working on split grip and since "mostly" everyone else finds it more difficult, I can be a little show off. hehe https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
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Do you have Veena's lessons, it might be like her falling star. It starts out in a shooting star (aka jasmine) and you end up in a gemini on the opposite side. Otherwise, I have no idea. 🙂
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Everyone struggles with this to some extent, even your friend whom you see as being a natural and picking up on everything so quickly. I don't know either of you, but I guarantee that there is SOMETHING that you do better than her, and at some point in time she has felt the same way either towards you or someone else.
Maybe it's math, writing, fashion sense, art, acting, flexibility, or the ability to think "outside the box", it could be anything. My point is no one is the best at everything, and when it comes to physical activity everyone's body is different and will respond differently. For example, I think I'm pretty strong (especially since I've been poling) and have been doing yoga for a long time but like you I get winded very quickly. It's because I have no STAMINA, it's not because I'm not or will never be a good poler. For me it's a health condition that I have no control over, and never will. I am not only asthmatic but I also have a minor heart murmur (essentially it means that one of the valves in my heart doesn't seal properly and leaks). This is just something I have to accept and make the most out of, if I let myself believe that I couldn't do this and had never tried, I would have missed out on the greatest 21 months of my life. I also plan on poling for the rest of my healthy adult years whether or not I ever learn another trick, or gain more stamina. I do it for me, because I love it, and I love the way it makes me feel. You should do it just for you too.
Please don't let it stop you from poling, but more importantly don't let it stop you from doing anything you want to do in life. Make it your own personal journey, celebrate YOUR successes no matter how small they may seem, take photos or video. Like others have said, you can really see the improvements you've made even when you don't always feel them.
Just keep thinking "Hooray for invert" https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif and visualize!
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Have you tried looking up at your feet Chemgoddess?
I generally focus my gaze on my bottom hand or the floor for moves like butterfly and extended butterfly, and I was doing that when I first tried to take my legs off, but like you said I was having balance issues. Then I remembered hearing Poledancefan getting the suggestion to look UP towards your feet instead of down for split grip Aysha, and I found it much easier. 🙂
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You should be fine. The main reason you need the pole under a joist is because ceiling material (plaster or drywall) will crack under the pressure without something strong and stable behind it. But floors are made out of plywood with the finished floor (ie. tile, laminate, carpet) on top of that. The plywood is structurally much stronger than drywall or plaster, so it doesn't matter nearly as much.
The reason floors creak is because the plywood warps slightly over time becoming looser in some places. It can be fixed most of the time simply by adding a few more nails into the floor, but of course you'd have to rip up the finished top part. If you ever decide to replace or redo the finished part of your floor, you can add nails then. I don't think my pole has made floor creaking any worse though.
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Well, warm ups are a must if you're going to have these people try your pole. Also, do you have just one pole? Keep in mind how long it is going to take everyone to take their turn trying all these moves, I would keep it simple.
I suggest maybe doing a couple different moves with guys than girls, because we each have our own natural strengths. Guys LOVE to try the flag, they seem to think it's the coolest thing to do, but they think bodyrolls are really "gay". 😛 Girls, at least in my experience, love to spin, but most don't have the upper body strength to do it right on their first try. Do you have Veena's lessons? Maybe you could have them try the "extended leg spin" as it leaves one foot on the ground, or even just the half-spin.
If you have them try a pole sit, you should take pictures of the looks of pain and terror as they realize how much it hurts at first. lol
Then towards the end if you want you could do a short demo to show off just how much you can do.
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I don't think it has a name, or if it does I don't know what it is. It just came in an unmarked box, with the x-pole instructions and a copy of the x-pole dvd. Stupid dvd didn't even work right, haha. I bought it on ebay. They were using x-pole's advertising pics and descriptions, but they never once actualy called it an x-pole. I know that doesn't help much, sorry.
