Embracing the Uncomfortable

The intention I’m offering for my students during the end of May into June is to encourage them to embrace the challenge of being uncomfortable, and feeling like you have no idea what the F you're doing. This intention pairs with a sequence that is challenging mentally but flipping to face the back during Sun B, core, and in standing. My goal was to challenge my students enough so that they get out of their heads and into their bodies.

This intention was inspired by my experience going to an advanced adult ballet class with a friend who I actually met through teaching yoga. Going into the class, I thought my previous 10+ years of competitive dance and classical ballet training would come right back to me and I would shine as an adult ballerina. I was wrong. The eight year gap between my last year dancing and now affected my form, balance, and dance brain way more than I thought. I could do it yes, but I struggled my way through the class while the hilarious teacher went through each combo way too fast for me to absorb and every other student seemed to glide right through. The experience was humbling and I took it as a great lesson of the positive impacts stepping outside of my comfort zone can bring. I had an appreciation for the teacher, the other talented students, and for my younger self who would’ve excelled in that class. There were moments where I felt embarrassed, hoped no one was looking at me, and wanted to just leave. But then I took a deep breath and reminded myself no one cares, I’m there and I’m trying and that’s good enough for me. So I chose to smile through and enjoy it.

This was also a great reminder that this is exactly how some of my students may feel. I took this experience back into my classes by reminding my students that just showing up is good enough — and that you can grow beyond your imagination from feeling uncomfortbale.