You've Come a Long Way, Baby

Forgive me for a little reminiscing this morning.... or afternoon. It's probably already after noon.



I was a rebel and skipped my weekly Pilates class this morning. I wasn't totally deliquent as I decided to attend a ballet class instead. It's not one of my usual classes, but I have taken this class one other time when there was no Pilates class on a sunny Thursday morning. I walked out of that class knowing that I had used all sorts of tiny little muscles in my back that I had forgotten existed.



Today, I was starting to wonder if I had made the right decision only about 5 minutes into class. Wow. I'll say that again. Wow. We started the class with a version of a floor barre that she (I'll name drop here for the ballet fans only... "she"is Susan Jaffe) learned in Europe at some point. One would think that doing barre exercises on the floor would actually be easier. You don't have to deal with gravity or balance in the same way. Right? Wrong. As I said, within the first exercise I knew I was moving into foreign ground. My muscles were feeling it before we even finished the first exercises, which were all done sitting up. I can't even begin to explain how difficult it is to sit upright during these deceptively simple exercises. And then it gets worse. You do them lying on your back. Finally, she tells you do lay on your belly and we do the same exercises. Just plies, pointe and flex and some passes. Nothing technically difficult, until she gets you to do every single one perfectly. Ouch. Her whole class was simple yet demanding. She gets you to use your muscles correctly constantly.



2 hours later, as I left the class, feeling sore (a good sore) and wondering how bad it will be later (I still have a jazz class to get through tonight, after parent-teacher conferences), it occurred to me that I could have not done any of this 2 years ago. 2 years ago, my exercise was going to physical therapy. Putting my arms into 5th position, above my head? That would have been impossible. It's all so foreign now. I feel so physically removed from that time.... and I love that! I really have come a very, very long way. I don't see that distance often. I don't give myself enough credit. But I will today. :) And, after Pilates ends in a few weeks, I'll be doing this floor barre routine on at least a weekly basis.



This week was also a return to Cancerville in so many ways. I had my 6 month breast surgeon visit. All was well. Had a full physical this week as well. Good news all around, though I am waiting on blood work. Good news for me. Good news for my sister who has just one more chemo session to go. Not so good news for a friend who learned that her disease has not responded to the treatment she has endured this fall. Plus there are several others I've spoken to or corresponded with this week who are still in the early stages of dealing with cancer. It's too much.



And now for my ads:



Only 10 days left to get the advance ticket sale pricing for the Nutcracker. :)

http://www.dancevisionnj.org/buy_nutcracker_tickets



and



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