A Full Class Next, Maybe?

Made it to my co-teaching slot for POP Pilates. I was so nervous before the class. This was a class scheduled in the night at a late 8.20pm, and I was completely out of my bio-rhythm. Also, it's an unfamiliar studio since I've only stepped in like...once.

At the practice run a day before, I flubbed. 🤦🏻‍♀️ It was so frustrating. While I have the choreography down pat, the cues don't come naturally. When I messed up those verbal cues, I screwed up the steps. ARRRGH. The awesome instructor whom all of us would be co-teaching with had advised, "Listen to the music." So I did. She was absolutely right.

I had forgotten how much music could guide dance. POP Pilates, with music, is essentially dance. It's not just about me being good at it. It's about me telling people how and when to follow along to my movements. Needed to stop being fixated on getting the movement perfect. Cleared my mind of all doubts. So I listened to the music over and over and over, and allowed the body and its muscles to lead while I concentrated on learning the cues. It was just two tracks in a 45-minute class. No big deal. I got this. Gotta to stop thinking about proving myself or anything at all. I had nothing to lose.

Had to learn to open a class too. Yeah, in my paid work, I facilitate meetings, workshops and conferences all the time, but man, this is a totally different learning environment from what I've understood all my life. I have been to enough gym classes to know how it works. Closed my eyes and recalled my favorite gym instructors' cues, and adapted from there. I've never stood in front of a group to lead any sort of fitness exercises; certainly not at a gym that has members with fairly high expectations of instructors. I was so happy V was in class too. It helped to have a familiar face in the crowd, but I had to remind myself not to just smile in V's direction. Heh.

I suppose the best description for my co-teaching session is 'uneventful'. This same instructor saw me flail at practice (and probably regretted allowing me this co-teaching slot), was definitely relieved that I did much much better in the 'real world'. I hoped I didn't disappoint her. Well, the least I could do was to not embarrass her in a proper class! Let's see if I feel confident enough to lead a full 45-minute class soon.