Body Positivity
In today’s world we are seeing more and more about being happy in your body. TikTok has allowed many women to see that being plus size is not a bad thing. So many women on there have been challenging themselves to wear things out of their comfort zones and wearing things plus size women previously would not normally wear. It’s empowering and gives those who are self conscious about their body a sense of confidence. It’s helping women to love their body no matter what size you are. This was not always the case, in the past you were made to think that you had to be skinny to be happy and that if your body did not portray one of the “typical beauty” that it was bad. Personally I grew up thinking that I was ugly because I was plus size and I couldn’t wear things thinner people could. I discovered later in life that it is not so bad being plus size and you can wear what you want. Pole exercise, and any type of dancing for that matter, can really help you to feel confident in your body and that it doesn’t matter if you have curves or a few extra pounds. Pole exercise makes you feel like you belong and you can do anything, no matter what shape your body is. Thanks to my family, friends, and pole exercise I am starting to love my body the way it is and wear things out of my comfort zone. A lot of people associate pole dancing as having to be fit and thin, but that is not the case. When I first started attending classes due to receiving the classes as a gift for Christmas, I was so nervous. I thought “I’m plus size. I’m not sure if I can do this”, but boy was I wrong. It definitely was challenging to get my feet off the ground at first, but I did it. I found out that conditioning and practice is key. The more I continue to attend classes, the more I’m loving it and loving myself inside and out. As I stated before, watching other plus size women express themselves and wear what they want has helped me to feel more confident too. It is so nice to see that our world is becoming more of a body positive place and I am helping others to see that too. Pole is for all bodies!Come see for yourself by trying Intro to Pole or sign up for a full term and start your journey!
Mentally Strong
I have battled with my mental health for years, there have been some pretty low moments in that time but within these past two years I have been really diligent about staying on top of it all and making sure that I see any signs of my mental health slipping again. In the past year I also found the love of my life, and while he has a lot to do with my continued happiness there have also been days where nothing he says or does makes me want to do anything but lay in bed. People always want to give you advice, like “oh just get up and take a shower and you will feel better”. Or telling me that if I just exercise and eat healthy, I will be fine. Well, I’m the type of person that will hear that and instantly rebel against what they say. They don’t know what I have been through or how my body feels. It’s not easy to get out of a mental funk like that. I know that I should get out of bed and I may want to but I just simply can’t get myself to do it. After finding an activity that I love to do I have had far less bad days than I have in previous years. Going to my various classes at the studio always puts me in a good mood. There have been times where I had a really rough day and didn’t really want to go to a class, but I drove my butt there and was always glad that I went through with it. All of the classes are the right balance of fun and challenging that I need to stay motivated. I don’t perfect or even achieve every move each class presents, but I try my best and am always encouraged and supported by the instructors and other students in the class. I have never left the studio in a bad mental place, and for someone like me that means a huge deal. There have been other activities that I tried and when I finished, I just wished that I had canceled the class and stayed home instead. They may have been a good workout, but they didn’t do anything to help me be in a better mood. Going to the classes offered at Aerial Dance are more like going to a specialized playground than going to a gym. I genuinely enjoy every class and all of the relationships that I am forming with the other women there. Come play at Aerial Dance! Try Intro to Pole or Intro to Aerial to get started!
