Trust your instructors. I cannot say that enough. There are so many aspects of Aerial in which trusting your instructors is needed and comes naturally. We often trust them to show us the correct moves or ways to get into moves that are the safest. We also often trust them with some of the most important tidbits of information in our life. (Thank you instructors for regularly being a support system to the students.)
One of the things I am guilty of being skeptical of and repeatedly hear other women voicing is when they tell us we are strong enough or ready for something new. When I was told I should sign up for intermediate instead of beginner after my first term I thought they were joking. I couldn’t have possibly been ready. But, I listened, and I could do it. Not all of it. Maybe not even half of it the first day, but I could do some of it. Because I was ready. I was strong enough. And then, after a few terms in intermediate they told me I could move up to advanced. I believed I may have audibly scoffed. How was I possibly strong enough to do all the groovy things I saw other amazing women doing? And how exactly do you think I am strong enough to go upside down?
Well, guess what? Once again, the instructors were correct. I was able to go upside down. I was able to do it. I couldn’t do it all, but I did some pretty amazing stuff. I still remember my first invert. And then I had a baby, and I came back. I started going to intermediate classes to regain my strength and conditioning. I hung out in intermediate for a good long time. And then I was told I should start inverting because all of the prep in the world wouldn’t help me the same as actually doing it. While that made sense, I was confident I was not as strong as pre-baby and would not be ready to start doing advanced again. But surprise, the instructors were once again right. Not only am I able to invert but guess what? My strength and skills in relation to inverting are getting better the more I do them.
And really, the more I think about it, of course they are correct. Of course they can tell when our form is looking good and we are engaging the correct muscles. And of course, the instructors would not tell us we were ready for something if they didn’t believe in us. They don’t want to see us potentially injure ourselves. And they most definitely do not want us to feel anything other than the amazingly strong humans we are.
Speaking from experience. Listen to your instructors. You are ready. You are strong. You can do the cool stuff.