portableninja
Forum Replies Created
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The dairy farm across the street from my in-laws house (in rural NJ) is certified organic. They paid the fees that were necessary to be certified so they could truck their products into New York City and other urban areas and sell them at farmers' markets, co-ops, etc. that demanded a certification for retail space. You know what they had to change about their farm before they could qualify for the certification? Nothing. Not a thing. They were already using responsible farming practices and just paid for the process so they could get the sticker and charge higher prices.
As chem said, if you care about your meats and animal products, do your research and try to shop locally whenever possible. You can always tour the farm or ask questions to the people who can actually answer them. Don't automatically assume that all farms operate like big factory operations – most have a long history of caring for their land and animals responsibly. If they didn't how would the farms survive for more than a generation?
A rather interesting guy I knew would have animal roasts at his house (cow, pig, lamb, ostrich, pheasant, etc) and would always choose a local farm and go pick the animal out personally. It was a pretty neat idea.
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I’ve never used any DVDs, but I second the recommendation for Veena’s lessons. I used to attend a studio and sadly had to give it up. This website is really the best of both worlds. You can pause, rewind, and replay lessons to your heart’s content, but you still have the opportunity to ask questions to the instructor. I have never had to wait longer than a day for Veena to respond to a lesson-related question. Try getting that kind of service from a pole celeb. I’m sure they are awesome teachers in person, but Veena is a great long distance teacher!
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I found that once I got my crash mat, I got really lazy about this. Not about safety, mind you… But it was so nice to just slide down and go splat on my comfy mat after practicing a tough or painful move. Then I go to freestyle and think oh wait… I’d better do something a little prettier than splat…
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I used grip aids a lot on my chrome pole, and used them occasionally while working on steel. I would only ever use them on my hands, not my body. It gave me the extra confidence to try something for the first time without having to worry about my hands getting sweaty from nervousness. Once I got the hang of the move, I stopped using the grip aid.
Ever since I got my TG 45 I have not been using any grip aids. That doesn't mean I don't slip… it just means when I do, usually all I have to do is get off the pole, clean it, dry myself off and I'm back in business. I am glad I have the grip aids though, because I bring them to studio classes when I take them.
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Yeah… looking at your video, I would agree with SensualRain. Kind of an odd combo to try in a first class. But your form doesn't look bad, and you look reasonably fit. I might give it one more class, especially if you can take one with more people in it. Maybe the instructor felt weird teaching a "full" class with only one student and did it more like a private.
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That sounds about right actually. If the instructor made you feel uncomfortable at any point, then of course you can try another studio. But that sounds like what I would expect to be taught in a first class. The finer points of mechanics come with time.
An instructor can also see if you're getting something or not and adjust accordingly. Some people pick things up quickly and others do not. So the pace really depends on the students. With SV lessons, a person may be performing exercises without supervision, so of course there is lots of extra safety information included.
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Physical:
1. I love my eyes! I have been asked before if they are "real." Yes, the contacts are just for nearsightedness. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif
2. I love the definition in my shoulders, and that is all thanks to pole!
3. I love my overall hourglass shape.
Pole:
1. I can hold certain tricks for a long time.
2. I have a lot of freedom in my hips, which makes it easy to move my booty!
3. I have pretty good flow when I freestyle.
And to go along with PoleFitMom… I think my butt looks better in yoga pants than naked! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif
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The prevailing wisdom that I've heard is to do a gentle, easy version of your activity as a warm up. So like… walk as a warm up for running. Swim a few slow laps before going for distance. Start with light weights before lifting heavy ones. For pole I can see it going two ways – some light dancing for a dance focused class, or some easy pole moves before working on more advanced moves. I don't have any exercise background, this is just what I've heard from friends and using my own common sense.
I can see how it might worry a student if they hear a big list of warnings or "don'ts" before the class even starts. Safety is obviously very important, but maybe the instructor just wants to get people moving to start.
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I think there’s something to be said about smiling during a performance, or at least having some emotional connection to the story being told (whether it’s happy, sad, passionate, etc.) But that’s stage presence for a performance versus your natural expressions during a practice session. I look pretty stone faced during practice videos, but if I was prepping a performance, I would work on my facial expressions the same way I practiced the rest of the choreography. Many videos you see online are of performances, not practices. Hope this helps. 🙂
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I innocently used a similar term (grammar Nazi) while I was studying abroad in Japan. I had no idea there was a German student at the table. Everyone tried to explain to him that it was just a common American figure of speech, but he was already offended. I felt terrible, especially since
I studied German all through school.Since this is an international community, I can imagine many people may not be familiar with the slang use of “Nazi” in America and may also be upset by it.
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You could always use vinyl fingerless gloves. In some ways I think they look even sexier.
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Doesn't Veena call it the booty scoot? It's a pretty adorable name for an otherwise dirty move!
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There is also excellent pole in New York City, and a nearly endless supply of things to do there whenever you need a rest day. Summers in NYC can be rough if it's really hot, but there's also plenty of outdoor events going on and it's prime season for the beaches. It's also not terribly far from Toronto… only a 90 minute flight to JFK or an 8 hour drive.
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I think Veena's basic warmup is pretty easy to follow, even for a total beginner. I think many people have done lunges, squats, etc. in gym class so the moves are familiar, or at least those moves are easy to explain in real world terms and adapt around personal limitations. You might try using her warmup as a jumping off point and add some additional moves as you see fit.
I personally like doing some basic yoga as a warmup (cat/cow, sun salutations) and some beginner pilates moves, as that warms my body up nicely and gets my core active. But that requires some knowledge of yoga or pilates. Depending on where you teach, your students might already know some aspects of those disciplines!
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Yup, Veena uses a 45 TG in many lesson videos and I thought that was a good enough endorsement. 🙂 In another thread Veena recommended the steam cleaning method for TG as well. I clean mine with either glass cleaner or alcohol.
The top is the Lynn from Mika Yoga Wear. I got it on their website. I'm 32DD/E and it works for me, but only just barely. It's cute, but I feel a bit stuffed into it, and sometimes I am afraid of falling out when I'm upside down. I only wear it for low impact exercise like pole and once to a yoga class. If I was going to perform in front of people while wearing it, I would probably add a bit of sticky tape. I wish there were more choices for higher neckline pole fitness wear (and fitness clothing in general). I know some girls want to show off some sexy cleavage but I have more than enough as it is!
