I apologize...
First of all, I sincerely apologize for not having had the time yet to write more blog posts. Although I set it as my goal, life has been pretty chaotic and busy, with moving to Mallorca for the season, the German nationals for my studio girls, and everything else.
But I think I'm back now, and I plan to write more often. Feel free to let me know in the comments what you would like to read about. Today, I'm going to tell you how I managed to juggle my contortion and pole dance practice.
pole dance and contortion seem to fit so perfectly together....
Let me start by telling you that at one point in my life, about a year after I started contortion, I came to a point where I didn't see how both of my passions could work together, even though they seemed to fit so perfectly. Every time I contorted, I was so exhausted and tired, my body was aching after a long session, and I felt so stiff that I couldn't even force myself into a ballerina position.
I started reaching out to different artists, hoping there was a way for me, maybe a quick trick or tip, to manage both, because at that time it seemed impossible. Yes, I got super flexible off the pole, but somehow I couldn't seem to translate it onto my pole tricks. I felt like I was getting even less strong and inflexible at the pole.
Did I really had to decide between the two?
My body seemed to dislike that mix and match that I was putting it through. So, most days, it was either contortion or pole for me. Even the day after contortion, I really struggled on the pole. My back felt so wobbly that I couldn't even dare to try a deadlift, not even an easier one from the shoulder mount.
I was devastated because the initial reason I started contortion was that I wanted to be super flexible for my pole tricks. This, by the way, changed pretty quickly as my passion and flame for contortion started growing.
There are simply no shortcuts, tips or tricks... you have to put the work in!
So, how did I manage to juggle both and combine them? It's basically as simple as that: I didn't give up on either. I kept going. The more flexible I got, the less time I had to spend warming up and doing all my pre-work. The more energy I had left at the end of the contortion training.
I kept doing all my cool-down exercises, and I kept doing all my active work. What used to take me over an hour to warm up for contortion, on good days, I only need maybe 15 minutes max to warm up for a chest stand. I realized that my body needed time to adapt, that my body needed to get stronger in my flexibility, and the more I learned to use my strength to move into my contortion shapes, the more this transformed almost magically onto my pole tricks.
So, what can you learn from this?
Put in the work, and don't give up!
If you really want something, put in the work, be patient with yourself, work actively, and, most importantly, don't give up. Most of the time, there are no shortcuts, no tips and tricks; it's about committing and pulling through, especially through the hard times. THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY IF YOU WANT IT!