Posing Class

Armed with courage and an empty cup, I did something new over the weekend. I grabbed my Shoe Fairy shoes and took myself to my first ever posing class! I had no idea what to expect, but what was the worst that could happen?

I don’t have a practice suit, and definitely not a competition bikini, so I wore some comfy underpants, superhero style, and a sports bra. My shoes were so brand spankin’ new, they still had stickers on the bottoms. But, no matter, I was intent on showing up and starting.

As I have mentioned, this element of the sport is the most foreign to me. It will require the most attention to master. Plus, I have a few things working against me, particularly a major foot injury that makes wearing heels nearly impossible.

Going in, I wondered:

• Will I be able to make it through an hour in the heels?
• Will I be able to even walk? As in, stay upright, forget about style.
• How will the pubic joint and hips feel with the poses? They push into limits that I have not been able to do.

I wasn’t worried about being green. I’m happy to raise my hand and say so and ask for help. Of all the sports I’ve done, I’ve already found bodybuilding to me THE MOST supportive and welcoming. In fact, I haven’t met a single person that has made me feel unwelcome in any way. For a sport that relies on judgment at competitions this is curious and awesome.

Y’all, posing is harder than it looks! I’m SURE this is largely in part because I have never done anything like it. Ever. I have never done dance or gymnastics or anything with fluid, choreographed movement. My sports are linear and efficient, based purely on performance outcome rather than esthetics. Sure, running can be poetry in motion, beautiful to watch, but it isn’t the point, and nobody aims to add flair for attention. Can you imagine? I mean, Prefontaine did have a little flick of the wrist…

But that wasn’t the point. In any case, this is entirely different.

Adding to that, I’m not naturally curvy. I’m pretty much a streamlined lollipop stick, so moving into positions that highlight shape require extra push from me.

Breaking the mold

A lot of people share before and after photos/videos of things like this – weight loss journeys, bodybuilding journeys, etc. – but they often wait until they have arrived at some level of “after” before sharing. It is tough to share from the start. It feels vulnerable – What if I’m judged? What if I don’t progress and have nothing, or very little, to show as an “after”? I’m taking that risk and sharing from the start. Why not? It is honest and I’m excited to share where I’m starting from. If nothing else through this hip and pelvis journey, I’ve learned to own my courage and that I can do hard things.

The class was full, at least a dozen of us. Thankfully I had a pro to mirror and an awesome coach leading the class. While I could really use some one on one attention to master the basics, I’m happy with what I was able to figure out and learn at a first group posing class. Here are some peeks for you! Press PLAY to see video.

In an effort to be careful, I took a seat when I wasn’t actively posing. I didn’t want to risk hurting my foot or pushing too much on the pelvis. And, guess what? Coming away my feet felt perfectly fine and all that pushing didn’t hurt the pubic joint or pelvis one tiny bit! The only thing I felt (and still do two days later) is muscle soreness in the left erectors and QL (quadratis lumborum) from pushing so hard into that front pose to get my booty to pop. I can work with that! I will take it!!

I’m going to practice every day and keep on showing up. Just because this sort of thing doesn’t feel natural to me doesn’t mean I can’t master it. It just means that I get to lean in and work harder, something I am a master at. Sometimes giant leaps of progress and courage come in the form of tiny tiptoes in tiny shoes.

Posing, we will become great friends! You’re a huge piece of working through Big Tab Three.

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