[byrdgrrl]

Being alive and heathy.  Dancing.  Aerial Silk.  Yoga.  Being outside.  Ice cream.  

[byrdgrrl]

I've kind of moved away from pole (mostly because of no place to put it) to stay with silk.  I started at a school in Tucson a couple of years ago, and have been working at it off and on ever since.  I've been slacking some lately, but I'm working back into it.   

[byrdgrrl]

@emotioncatcher:  I don't know if it is still available but X-Pole used to have a kit to convert the top-loading poles to bottom-loading.  It's a new section that replaces the B pole of a top-loading pole.  I have one and it works great and made it so much easier to put my pole up by myself.  You should get on to X-Pole and see if you can still get one.

[byrdgrrl]

I'm a wildlife biologist, and I work with several endangered species on the Colorado Plateau.  

[byrdgrrl]

I'm not if anyone else has mentioned this yet, but I find doing handstand practice facing the wall has been more comfortable for me.  I can get closer to the "real" handstand positon this way and get the feel for getting away from the wall.  Also, there is no kick up into it.  The entry is a controlled walk up the wall.  It does require you to already have some pretty good upper body strength though.  

[byrdgrrl]

As much as it feels wierd and as much as you may not be satisfied by your work, recording yourself and watching it really helps you advance.  You can see what you are doing (or not doing), and it gives you a place to start working from.  You don't have to post them if you don't want, but watching yourself really helps.

[byrdgrrl]

I put my pole up in a garage with a cement floor and had no trouble with it slipping.  

[byrdgrrl]

Aw, nuts.  Someone beat me to Jessica Alba in the movie Sin City.  No aerial tricks, but if I could ever bodywave half as well as she does. . . .  Is it hot in here, or is it just me? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

[byrdgrrl]

I like P!ink's So What from her album Funhouse.  Not so much sultry, more kind of in-your-face. 

The Beatles' (George Harrison) song Something is a nice sulty one and rather appropriate for dancing. 

The traditional folk song That Old Black Magic is another song that to me at least seems more flirty than sultry, but depending on the artist could probably do either.  

[byrdgrrl]

I hope life is treating her well.  She was my inspiration to get on the pole too.  

[byrdgrrl]

Second the yoga sun salutations.  Also sometimes I'll run in place for a few minutes or I'll do step-ups on my porch.  Basically, I just step up on to the step like I'm going to go in, but instead of continuing to the door, I just put my foot back on the ground and repeat alternating legs.  Depending on how cold your room is and how cold you get, having a space heater in the place where you stretch will help you stay warm while you stretch.  

[byrdgrrl]

I do silks too (pretty much only, lately).  It is so amazing.  When I climb up and wrap up, I feel like I'm flying.  Defying gravity is so much fun!  That said, though, it is a lot like pole in that you have to work on conditioning your body.  I have some yoga sequences and stretching sequences and well as strength training excercises that I do on a pretty regular basis to keep in shape.  Some times when I do a silk work-out, I just work on strengthening excercises. Several people on the thread have mentioned forearm and hand issues.  I have found that using a grip strengthener really helps.  The kind that I use is a red spongy ball that I squeeze and release.  It also has this built-in rubber band thing with finger loops so I can work on the reverse of squeezing too.  There are a couple of other kinds that are available at climbing shops and sporting goods places.  I try to use the ball on a regular basis as part of my usual work-out even when I can't get on my silks. I keep it right by my bed and use it right before I go to sleep.  Also, I have found that  stretching out my hands and forearms during and after silk work-outs helps me with the cramping and fatigue. I think Veena has some good stretches in her lessons.  Remember, like pole, the more you do it, the better you get!  

[byrdgrrl]

I don’t have a pole right now, so can I do silks instead??

[byrdgrrl]

@ sensualscimitar

Yep.  Using your legs while climbing will help you a lot.  You should be able to hold your weight with your feet so you can advance your arms.  Also trying to reach up above you head and pulling from there is easier on your arms.

[byrdgrrl]

Silks rock!  Sometimes when I'm having trouble with one way of climbing, I just switch to a different way.  I have discovered though that when doing the French or Basic climb, if I think about flexing my toes on my base foot back toward my leg, and actively engaging my foot, it makes it easier to hold.