Leaning on The 8 Limb Path of Yoga Through Pole

I started pole dancing in 2009 when a friend of mine said, "I'm taking a 4 week series of pole dance classes. Come with me!"

I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I loved dancing, so I said yes, and that was the start of my pole dancing journey!

(Funnily enough, the friend who asked me to take the series with her didn't end up taking it!)

After my 1st class, I was obsessed.

Pole dancing offered me everything I was looking for in a movement based practice - strength training, fluid movement, grace, acrobatics, a creative outlet, and it was more forgiving of different abilities than classic dance styles (which I love, and am also not great at).

I could advance in pole quickly, and it felt good.

I trained almost everyday, and when I was introduced to The Inverted Crucifix (example pic here), I practiced it for 30 mins every single day for about a week until I was able to stick it perfectly.

Unfortunately, because I was training so much, typing a lot because I was in grad school, and also knitting a lot, I ended up with tendinitis in my wrists.

The doctor told me to stop dancing, at least for a little while, but I was young and didn't listen. I kept doing all 3 of those things, and, surprise, surprise, 14 years later, I now have tendinosis.

(The tendinosis started way earlier than now, but it's stuck around.)

After a few years of consistent pole dancing, the studio I attended closed and there weren't any other studios in the area.

I also went through many life changes, so pole dancing became a distant memory with me taking classes on and off when I could find them and/or had the time.

After moving to Los Angeles, I found a great studio down the street from my house, and started dancing consistently again in 2016.

Unfortunately, because my joints are hyperflexible without the stabilizer muscle strength to support them and I was teaching and taking yoga asana classes (the physical part of yoga) full time, along with other movement based activities, I ended up with a labral tear in my right hip and had to stop dancing again.

I also have issues in my shoulders and I think I'm starting to get arthritis.

(My dad - RIP - always joked, "Don't get old!" Maybe he was on to something. 😂 I kid, but I turned 40 last year, and I definitely feel like it takes longer to recover than it did even when I was 39.)

Fast forward to 2023, and one of my goals for this year is to consistently pole dance again.

I took my first class back this week!

I haven't been on a pole consistently since 2018, and I now have many more joint injuries, and summer 2022 I had a broken foot and I'm just now back to 100%.

This first class back was rooouuuughhhhhhhh.

I used to be able to do lots of tricks, my favorite part about pole dancing, and now I can't even invert.

Some of it is harder because I am working on strengthening my stabilizers muscles (which I've never used intentionally before!) instead of hanging out in my joints, and obviously since I haven't really been moving in the last 6 months, I have to rebuild my strength.

Pole dancing brings me SO. MUCH. JOY!

And I wanted to cry after this first class back.

I had to stop a lot because my wrists hurt, I need to build back my skin resilience (if you don't know, the way you stick to the pole is through your skin, which is why dancers wear booty shorts and bras), and I am just generally less fit than I have been in the past.

It was really hard for me because I'm used to being really strong and now I'm back in the seat of the beginner.

My ego is CRUSHED.

And that's ok.

Thankfully, through many years of life experience and yoga studies, I have much more wisdom than I did back when I first started dancing.

Although I am sad that I can't do all the tricks I love now, I know I will get back there through time and intentional practice.

Along this journey, I will employ the 8 limb path of yoga to keep me mentally well, keep my ego in check, and maybe I'll finally learn patience this time.

(Patience is one of the lessons I come back to again and again in this lifetime.)

I am determined to come back to pole and take care of my body this time, and I have the tools and wisdom to do both of those things.

I invite you to follow along with my pole journey, as well as the other content I post here, by subscribing at the bottom of the page. 👇🏽

If you want to learn more about incorporating the 8 limb path of yoga into your life, feel free to shoot me an email at antisoulmatelove@gmail.com and we can discuss working together.

I work with people on love, relationships, sex, and yoga mentorship (because yoga is in everything).