31 Days of Pole

The challenge if I choose to accept it, is to do one pole related thing every day in March. My pole room didn’t see me in February, more on that later. I need to get back into it and regain some normalcy. I love pole and don’t want to push it away. Challenge accepted.

My pole room is full of belongings that shouldn’t be there. It was discouraging and exhausting to walk into a reminder of prolonged disarray. Relying on two days a week at the studio wasn’t enough. I had to start practicing at home again and threw myself back in with a ridiculous type of consistency. The NCAA tourney inspired me to have my own March Madness and my personal challenge was born. If I can make it through this, poling at home will be second nature and not a chore.

I had no idea what I was going to do each day, I simply needed to do something. It didn’t have to be perfect, impressive, aesthetically pleasing, or lengthy. Anything is better than nothing. Daily poling became my priority. Whenever possible I marched to my pole room in the morning and when there was no other option, after work. I’m beholden to me and me alone so there was no excuse.

Poling every day is more than a notion. The soreness and bruises weren’t a problem, they’re inevitable. It was difficult thinking of something different for each day, pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and sharing daily. I reminded myself that this was about accountability not comparison more than once. On day three I told myself I had to take it easy some days. I wanted to keep my promise to myself and not burn out. My goal was to be stronger, more fluid, and more confident by the end of the month. 

I worked on moves I love to do. Inverts, butterfly, airwalk, ballerina. Skills that are hard for me. Jade split, brass kick up, aerial claw grip invert. Those that scare me. Tornado and freestyling. Returned to what I used to execute. Cross ankle layback, superman, sneaky v. I built muscle memory and began to understand where I was erring. My body kept up with me, despite unexpected protest.

Around day 5, my sacrum area decided it had something to say. One day I could touch my toes, the next, good luck hinging forward. Unless I was warm or in constant motion, my body wasn’t going. Sitting or standing locked my lower back and hips, depending on the day. Dry needling at physical therapy made it bearable, I definitely need more. Stiffness didn’t stop me. Every warmup started rough, but I always loosened up. This was a surprise struggle; others were waiting at the door.

Freestyle, my sworn enemy. Clunky, awkward, and insecure in your presence. I avoid you at all costs. Avoidance is disadvantageous. The desire to perform when a song taps my shoulder, requires confronting you. Get comfortable with movement or fumble around the stage. I need to take Sky Luna’s advice and make a favorite moves list. Moves become combos and combos build routines. Despite my aversion, I got four freestyles out of March. Freestyle days came when I needed a rest day of sorts. The last one felt the best, Tryant did it for me! I felt freer than I ever have, thank you kindly Mrs. Knowles-Carter. I can handle working on this regularly. It’s for my own good.

The greatest growth area was mental. Comfort with my body and how it looks is a constant struggle. 31 straight days required more clothing options. Finally bought bikini bottoms to test how I feel. I looked cute! Ended up ordering more. I wanted to keep up with my challenge to build confidence. Progress, no matter how small motivated me. My leg lowering in the flight attendant, a full reiko mount after two years, scooting up the pole in a caterpillar climb. I confronted fears every day, a step in sharpening my nerve.

There was no magic, just determination. I really wanted to meet my goal. Sketch-a-day fizzled out, I refused let this meet the same fate. My mental health needed a shift, something to dedicate myself to. I finished and it feels really good. I set a goal and stuck to it, refused to let myself down. Posting on Instagram kept me accountable and I love to maintain a streak. This past Tuesday, I could feel the difference in class. Sharper, dialed in, I’m better because of challenging myself. A strong foundation for continued growth.