In my last blog, I talked about the importance of Play: a word used to define anything that we do, simply because it’s fun and enjoyable; something without purpose.
For me, for the last 5 or 6 years, my main source of fun has been Brazillian Jiu Jitsu. Wrestling, rolling, tapping and laughing. Oh – and a pretty great dose of feel-good endorphins to boot.
I bloody love it.
Yet…. somehow, I’ve found myself agreeing to skip 6 weeks of my favourite class, in favour of a beginners Pole Dancing workshop.
Say whaaaaattttt???!!!
Let me just say – I don’t come from a dance background. I’m not particularly graceful. And though I have been known to bust out ‘the Robot’ after a cocktail or two, I have zero aspirations to pole dance in public.
So of course, all of these thoughts were going through my head, as I waited for that first session to begin, watching the advanced class finish up.
Somewhere in between the absolute awe at what these girls could do, my inner-prude was cringing and uncomfortable. These girls were in their underwear for goodness sake! I felt as though I was intruding.
What am I doing here? How am I going to do this if I can’t even watch other people do it?! Why am I such a prude? Besides, I can’t do that! Just look at them! I’ll fall and break my head!
But then… that class was over and ours began.
And guess what? I loved it!
I LOVED IT.
Writing today, I’m three classes in and though I wouldn’t say I’m a natural by any means, I’m not nearly as bad at it as I thought I might be.
As I turned and spun and pirouetted around the pole, my inner-prude quietened down.
Because in fact, it wasn’t dirty or sleazy.
It was graceful and beautiful and liberating. For a few moments, mid-spin, I was flying.
Furthermore, it was nothing like Jiu Jitsu – aside from being flippin’ hard work at least.
If you find something you love – awesome! But don’t let that stop you from branching out now and then. You might find some fun, even in the unlikeliest of places.
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