[rebeccafemm]

Normally I am zero-tolerance for cruelty when it comes to buying cosmetics, toiletries, cleaning products, etc., so I can’t believe I didn’t think of it with this stuff. I’m using Liquid Grip at the moment pretty successfully, so I’ve just emailed them…
Cheers for the heads-up!

[rebeccafemm]

Ever since I started pole; my feet get cold easily, and I can’t bear heels unless chunky and under a couple of inches, and ballet shoes allow you to pivot nicely. Good reminder to always point, too!

[rebeccafemm]

http://www.dailybandha.com/

A similar website I’ve been using for info for yoga for ages, a little more gruesome with the faceless gent…
The books are absolutely amazing quality, both for info and illustrations.

[rebeccafemm]

I am about the same weight as you, having put it on when suffering from depression, but not quite as busty, and am having many of the same “issues”. I was up to a few months ago teaching and practicing Yoga and Pilates, so relatively flexible, but am now not able to do certain postures, or I find them uncomfortable or hard to breathe, or am unable to go deeply enough into the stretch because my flesh is getting in the way!

When it comes to training myself I have been using some of the same modifications I would have given to pregnant clients! I do forward bends with the legs wider apart so my “spare” does not interfere with getting a hamstring stretch, or I stretch sitting, one leg at a time with the other out to the side, or do it standing with one leg on a barre or back of the settee or whatever height I need, keeping my pelvis level as if it were a full bowl of water that I didn’t want to spill. Props (yoga belt, blocks…) always good to have on hand, too.

If stomach or boobs or butt flesh get in the way of a stretch, don’t be shy and just move it out of the way with your hands! Standard yoga practice, many yoga practitioners do it automatically be they large or small.

I think there’s almost always a way to stretch muscles that you want to stretch even if the muscular emphasis is slightly different from the “textbook” versions.

Hope this helps!

[rebeccafemm]

Apologies for not replying sooner; I’ve been unable to access my account for days and days!

After months of agonizing about it, I wrote a long, heartfelt letter, as free of recrimination as possible even though I had let go loads of frustration in the months with him…and got the most general response back possible! ARRRRGH! I hope it was just a front and that he’ll be more sensitive toward his future clients a bit more. One can dream, eh?

I feel liberated now, and am more able to put things into perspective, in that I only have 3 months or so to go in this place, where I’ll be after that I am spoiled for choices for classes to go to, most within walking distance or within 20 minutes drive. I know that once started in a routine I get obsessed with it, so if my fitness is not what I hoped it would be by then, what the hey.

Thank you everyone for your input!

[rebeccafemm]

Hello all. A bit of an update on the situation. I was hoping to find a more suitable PT but the replacement upon whom I had my hopes was a no-go. I was loath to sack my trainer because PT’s are incredibly thin on the ground around here. It’s been a constant mental battle between needing the structure he was providing, and thoroughly dreading the sessions! The last session was the last straw for more than one reason, and the letter is nearly ready…

Amazingly, through someone I met at Zumba I think I’ve managed to find someone to come to my house to do 1-2-1 pole lessons! So with 1 hour pole, 2 Zumba, 1 PiYo and 1 1/2 yoga, plus Veena’s classes I should be back on the road I’ve been trying to find again for months.

Thank you for the book recommendation, catmoves2718, as although I have masses of veggie/vegan cookbooks, I actually have nothing on nutrition at all, and a very disordered diet to boot. So I previewed Vegan for Life and bought it.

And thank you again everyone for your help and kind words :).

[rebeccafemm]

First of all, many thanks to you all for your perspectives on my current situation and your words of support! It was so helpful to read; when you’re totally isolated, as I have been, you’re so at the mercy of the vagaries of your moods.

SueBaron, it’s a shame you’re not ’round my neck of the woods!

As you say about “finding leads”, Casi, I’ve begun work on an “exit strategy”. I just found out that the Zumba teacher is also a PT, so we’re going to arrange a chat to find out if we would be a fit. She has a gymnastics not a dance background, but at least that’s going in the right direction! I’ve also begun to compose a letter for the PT, because I’m utterly useless at getting things across face-to-face.

One other issue which I didn’t mention was that I was teaching Pilates for about 10 years(and Yoga for about 1), the last 2 of them with the depression, and because I was so embarrassed about the weight gain and loss of fitness (Runemist34, how spot on you were that I was beating myself up about it) I didn’t let him know. In hindsight maybe I should have, but on the other hand I shouldn’t have to to get him to respect my goals and preferences.

Runemist34, I’m completely in agreement about strength training. The yoga sessions which only started about a month ago totally opened my eyes up about what I was still capable of when allowed to work with the breath (as opposed to totally out of breath and on the edge of an asthma attack!) to my rhythm. I love love love bodyweight exercises and using Therabands. Weights, not so much. I’m just happy a lot of the muscle memory has kicked in. I’ve also found an online physician-endorsed vegan kickstart programme…:)

[rebeccafemm]

Just my 2p, as I’m pretty much a newbie with pole in the scheme of things. I’ve never felt comfortable or functional wearing heels. Even when I was doing ballroom/Latin pretty intensively I only wore teachers practice shoes that were lower than 3 inches and relatively thick. I find that when poling I’m most comfortable in ballet shoes. They still allow good toe and ball of foot spread for balance, and make pivoting a piece of cake as well. I think they do encourage pointing as well, just as a visual cue.

[rebeccafemm]

I use a mix of 70:30 pea protein/rice protein. It has a pretty neutral flavour and apparently a good balance of amino acids. I just prefer to buy my proteins without anything added so I can sweeten and flavour according to my whim of the day.
Hemp is a good one protein powder too, but very, um, hempy! It needs strong flavours with it or it can be overpowering.

[rebeccafemm]

At the moment I am in a very remote area for the next half a year. I have a pole at home but had not been motivated to get started again, just recovering from health problems and a massive weight gain which killed my motivation and confidence. I happened upon this site and joined within days. Having the 30-day programmes to work with, plus the database of lessons allowing you to work with any weaknesses you might have, just allows me to make a commitment to myself in a systematic and progressive way. Before the health issues I was a pretty fit Pilates instructor, and I find myself very “at home” with the detailed way that Veena teaches.
When I move I know I will have a handful of studios close to me, one of which I will probably join if I can find one that suits me, but until then I am feeling more enthusiastic than I have in a long time about getting back into shape.

[rebeccafemm]

I just wanted to thank mgpoledance for posting this. I just found this site via YouTube and started in on the lessons pretty much straight away. I don’t think I would have ever posted anything though (or would have “waited in the wings” for a very long time) had it not been for this.
I’ve really enjoyed hearing about everyone’s (very similar) experiences with both their training and their introversion and how everybody functions in this bizarre society of ours where introversion is so little understood and valued.

[rebeccafemm]

Hello! I also identify as an introvert, and then some. After reading “The Introvert’s Way” and other information about the subject, I shed a very stressful life of pretending I was an extrovert and rejected that version of “normalcy”, and began to fly that introvert flag proudly!
I started learning pole at a studio which was very dimly lit, with soft (but appropriate) music, and about 6 poles. The instructor was very low-key and soft-spoken, and I really loved it there. I felt I could really turn my attention inwards and learn and explore. I tried other studios, mainly in noisy gyms with harsh lighting and I never stuck around.
I’ve had a long hiatus where my health went down the tubes, and am just now beginning to get back to some semblance of fitness. I really want to start on the pole again. I’m in the middle of nowhere for the next 6 months so have not got the option of going to a class.