Elyse Hauke
Forum Replies Created
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EXACTLY!!!!! Thank you for being you V, for following your dreams while helping us all to achieve ours whatever they may be! Much love, much love!
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V, btw, thank you for sharing your rant. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have always loved to see how important your family is to you and how involved and supportive your kids and Webmaster have been in your aspirations. It truly is a blessing. I think family is one of the most important aspects of life. I think you are a perfect example of what I am talking about. You definitely have not forgotten to take time for you and still identify as a person other than just being a mom. In a way, I almost feel bad for these women because military life definitely creates a loss of self to begin with because it dictates and controls so much of our lives. Many of these women are very happy being moms and living in that mindset and that is fantastic. I just realized that instead of trying to break through and make friends there, that I would be better suited to try and find another group of people with similar interests elsewhere. I guess I can chock a lot of my feelings about the issue based on my expectations. Back when I first started poling we had so many military wives on SV and I was really excited when I moved thinking that there would be plenty of polers here. Boy was I wrong! lol!
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Well said V, well said! I think women absolutely should speak about their stories, joys and pains of motherhood. Especially with other women who have shared similar experiences. I guess where I am coming from is that I saw such a distinct focus on it that when anyone like myself tried to join a conversation or change a topic after several hours or several occasions of the same thing, I learned that it was best for me to stop attending. I ended up sitting in silence listening because I had nothing to add to the conversation and all it did was solidify my feelings about not having kids. If it were only a once in a while thing it wouldn’t have been such a big deal. Its not like I showed up to the local playground at lunch time. These were military wife functions with women of varying ages and are set up to keep people connected an to help transition into miliarty life. It was like I not only shunned, but that I didn’t even exist.
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This is so odd that I just happened to see this on FB the same day I posted on the subject but I thought I would share.
Love upworthy!!!
http://www.upworthy.com/why-your-choice-not-to-have-kids-is-awesome?c=ufb1
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Athena,
I am at a point in my life where having children is still an option for me so I can’t speak to issue of having regrets for not having them but I sincerely doubt I ever will. As of right now, I think not having kids is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have absolutely no desire or intention of having children and am often made to feel like something is wrong with me for my decision thus far.I am an Army wife and am surrounded by women who seemingly want nothing more in their lives than to have children and lots of them. I am often not accepted or included at functions and often feel alienate because I don’t have kids. I finally just stopped trying to make friends with other military wives because I found that in my experiences thus far, they weren’t interested in talking about or doing anything that didn’t involve kids.
Regardless of whether I had kids or not, I think it is ridiculous that these women are so focused on sharing birthing stories and talking about every minute detail of their children’s lives every time they convene. I completely understand that their kids are important and I don’t think that it’s bad that they do this, it just gets exhausting when every time I interact with these women the same topic is replayed ad nauseam. Don’t they have other interests, hobbies, personal goals?
Don’t get me wrong, I am great with kids but I am just one of those people who enjoys other people’s kids for short periods of time and enjoy giving them back at the end of my time with them. The fact that my mom ran a home daycare business for most of my life and the fact that I have worked with kids in the aquatics industry from 14 to about 30 years old may also explain my lack of interest. I have been surrounded by kids most of my life and sometimes couldn’t escape “screaming” kids and never got much of a break.
Yes, being a mother is a very important role/job that women carry out in their lives but it is not the “only” important role a woman can have. I don’t think child bearing should encompass every fiber of a woman’s being 100% of the time. Mothers are still people too and I believe that being a mother shouldn’t stop a woman from being a person with their own goals and interests apart from their children. I get so tired of women asking me why I don’t have kids. For all they know, I can’t have them and it may be a sensitive subject for me. While this is not my issue, I have toyed with the idea of just using it as a stock answer because it would spare me from feeling the need to explain myself and the onslaught that ensues.
I see women gush over babies and children all the time and I just don’t feel the way they feel. Conversely, I am that way with animals. My fur babies are my children, whether people can understand that or not really isn’t important to me. People will think what they will, I just don’t understand why I made to feel ostracized and alienated for my decision. I have a lot of personal reasons as well as worldly social concerns that have led to my decision.
There are plenty of women out there that feel the way you do. I don’t meet many due to my circumstances of being a military wife and my geographic location, but I know they are out there. Do what you feel is right for you! I am with grayeyes, if I ever have the urge, there are plenty of kids I can interact with either by spending time with friends’ kids or volunteering time. Plus, if it is ever too late to have my own and I change my mind, adoption is always something I can consider. Again, don’t think its in the cards for me, but I guess “never say never” applies.
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So glad to hear that you are experiencing some pain relief and that you are recovering. Back pain is one of the worst things I have ever had to deal with. Still working on my own issues, but thankfully, my back pain this time around on the pole is nowhere near where it was when I first started. All in all, pole has been the best thing for my back. Inversions have helped reduce pressure and even though the work is strenuous, the strength gains have done my back a great service. Keep us posted on your continued recovery!
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Judy,
I saw this at the best time possible. I am also in need of an flexy accountability buddy. PM me if you are still interested. -
This place sounds amazing!!!!! I would think that a waterproof spray on sunblock would be the best way to go. Anytime I have ever used a spray on I couldn’t tell I had anything on my skin; no slip, no grease, sweat proof and it dries pretty much on contact. While I can’t say that I have used it for outdoor aerial stuff, given my experience with it, its the only recommendation I have.
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Sending love and light in her memory.
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The band she is using is a ballet band. There are several different companies that offer them on Amazon. They have a multitude of uses as seen here but are meant to be used as a stretching aid. I ordered one to aid with resistance for my box split. I thought it added a little too much pressure on my back (previous injury) so I returned it. I have other stretching devices that will do the same thing for the other stretches so it wasn’t as useful to me. Ultimately, its an awesome flexibility tool and is very durable. They usually run about $20.
Here’s a few links: http://www.amazon.com/Ballet-Stretch-Band-Frank-Frog/dp/B01A3ACJ00/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462465235&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=ballet+band&psc=1
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Summerthyme,
I am so sorry to hear that you are having such struggles right now. While I am not yet at the point of menopause (35 years old) I can totally relate to the issues you are having in terms of energy level and depression.
I suffer from severe migraines and found out a few years ago that I have hypothyroidism. I started gaining weight like crazy and my energy level just drained down to nothing. My intense school schedule didn’t help matters either. While I still feel that my issues are still not being managed properly by my doctors, I have found some things that have been really helpful in increasing my energy levels and metabolism.
I echo what Runemist and several others have said about nutrition. Eating the right amounts of food at the right times is extremely important. When I decided to get my butt off the couch and start fighting, I started using myfitnesspal to track my intake and macros. At first I went with the suggestions the site offered based on my height, weight and fitness goals. Yes, I did want to lose weight, but my main goal was to start eating the right way so I could work toward feeling better and offset my physical conditions. While food/exercise trackers are helpful and I would recommend them to anybody no matter how old or where they are with their fitness journey, I will say that these are just guidelines and are not necessarily “one size fits all.” More research is needed to ensure that you are getting the right nutrition. Poledance is a mix of both aerobic and anaerobic exercises and requires a good balanced diet in order to increase strength and ability.
For several years now, I have been EXHAUSTED and feeling sick all the time!!!! Since I stopped poling I have had a lot of life issues and a great deal of anxiety and depression. When I started exercising and poling again again about 2 months ago, I still felt horrible no matter what I did. i just chocked up to my body needing time to readjust but that wasn’t the case.
I finally started looking at my carb and protein intake and found that I was getting enough carbs but wasn’t even eating half the amount of protein I should have been based on my activity level. While there isn’t much you can do about your long hours on your feet, you can control what you put in your body for fuel. So this would be my first suggestion to you as far as improving your energy level if you are not already meeting your body’s requirements in your daily intake.
As soon as I started eating more protein, I felt an increase in energy immediately. I have also seen vast improvement in muscle recovery. I have also limited my caffeine and alcohol intake. Not sure if that is a factor here, if so, it is something to consider.
My second piece of advice is to take the time to stretch and focus on breathing. I really notice a difference in how I feel overall when I take just 5 minutes to consciously breathe, stretch and center myself. I work full time, go to school and take care of everything around the house. That doesn’t leave much time for workouts much less, time to relax. That was another huge factor aside from the physical issues I was battling. The point here for me isn’t just for flexibility but my state of mind. No matter how busy I am, I have to remind myself to make time to take that 5 mins for myself. That laundry basket and dishes can wait!
Oh yes, and hydration. Staying hydrated and increasing my water intake has also helped a great deal. Again, don’t know if this is a factor but something to consider.
It is extremely important to speak to your doctor about the issues you are having. Many of the suggestions we have made here are a baseline for what you can control and what you can do for yourself to complement or support the advice of your doctor(s.)
Unfortunately, a lot of these symptoms may just be a part of the menopause and will have to be managed as best as you can until the symptoms subside. The depression you are feeling may be compounding these symptoms greatly. Try to take one thing at a time. Like I said I have battled with severe anxiety and depression for most of my life. Being on the couch for extended periods of time due to complete exhaustion has really taken a toll on my body. Slowly but surely, now that I am forcing myself to get up and move, even if it is for 5 minutes, I am seeing more and more progress, feeling less depressed and anxious, and actually have more energy to do the things that make me happy and feel good about myself.
Be patient and kind to yourself, while you work to figure out a solution. Don’t give up. If nothing else, I hope you can at least leave this message with some comfort in knowing you are not alone.
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So far…I have reached out to Dry Hands and Tite Grip. I asked if their products or ingredients at any point in the manufacturing process are tested on animals by the companies themselves or by their suppliers. Tite Grip responded “Not a chance.” Dry Hands simply responded “No.”
I plan to contact Cramer, Mighty Hands, Itac (they claim they are organic but that doesn’t necessarily mean cruelty-free,)and GRRIP. Please feel free to contact your favorite grip aid company and post their testing policies and share their responses.
If you are concerned about your favorite grip aid’s testing policy and don’t see it listed here, let me know. I will do my best to contact them and find out!
I am simply posting this information for those who are interested, but would like to take this opportunity to raise awareness for the welfare of the furry creatures in the world and invite everyone to start thinking about the products they use and consider increasing your support for cruelty-free companies.
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one of the best titles for a discussion I have ever seen!
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I would be interested in joining tiny chat for multi group meets if this is still going on. I know this thread is a bit old but thought I would chime in anyway.
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AH! Didn’t mean to delete my comment, at any rate, I just ran across Webmaster’s post. Sorry to hear this, but totally understand the reasoning behind it. I was an avid user in chat and truly would like to see it return to it’s former glory. Thanks for the response Veena.
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If not, I will be sure to contact several companies and make a list of those who are cruelty-free just in case anyone is interested.
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@legs4days- well a big welcome back to you too! Sorry to hear you were having some of the same struggles.
I have been feeling really good about my progress but then sometimes I think about how good I would be if things didn’t pan out the way they did or think man that move used to be so easy for me but know I don’t have the strength for it yet or it hurts to hold for longer than a few seconds. Ah, the joys of embracing prep work and practicing patience.
5 years is a long time and I sometimes I feel sick to my stomach about it. So I let myself grieve over it for about 5 mins and then focus on the positive and enjoy the fact that I am back and I am not truly starting over from ground zero. So happy to know that I still have a home with plenty of veeners to share my passion with.
I am sure that if I can manage to keep up the way I have been with my weight loss and training that I will be close to where I was in a just a few months. I am sure the same will hold true for you too! Congrats on finding your way back to SV. Can’t wait to follow you progress and cheer you on!
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Fantastic!!! I will be sure to post something there soon!!!
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So… I have compiled quite a few videos on these playlists but I make no claims as to the effectiveness or level of quality as I have not personally screened or attempted to follow along with all of these videos in their entirety. Many of them are full length routines while other may be 15 mins or less but offer varying information and stretches for varying skill levels. As always, begin any exercise or physical activity with care. Many of these videos are very high quality and conducted by professionals so peruse around and see if you find anything that is helpful. Now that I am back in full swing and working on flexibility again I will be trying more of these videos out. I will continue to add videos as I find them and delete the ones that aren’t
I couldn’t figure out how to move videos from playlist to playlist so here are two different links. I apologize if there are any duplicates. If anyone has any they have enjoyed or would like to add, perhaps we can curate an amazing master playlist? Links enclosed below.
I will also note that the Resistance Stretching With Dara Torres(olympic swimmer) or the series Stacy Nemour(martial arts background)has put out are also very good resources. Bob Cooley has a book called the Genius of Flexibility which is very good as well as other resources such as video archives and dvds @ thegeniusofflexibility.com
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLijAwcQ8hcQJxBn1G6958kZ8RcRVoqsA7
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLijAwcQ8hcQJxBn1G6958kZ8RcRVoqsA7
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vegaspole89- I will be happy to post a link. I just looked and realized my videos are spread out over 2 different accounts. I will organize it and post it in the next day or two.
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Good grief, please excuse the typos I typed this on my phone and autocorrect was not very kind to me.
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Well, for the longest time x-pole, platinum stages and Lil’ Minx made only made a 50mm poles. There are a lot more brands of poles now then there were then but these were three readily available in the U.S.
There are different schools of thought on smaller diameter poles but initially when the 45 mm became available, most polers agreed that working on a 50 mm pole to start with developed better strength before moving to a 45 but this was very subjective.
It is my understanding that research has shown that the use of smaller diameter poles results in far less injury over time to certain muscle groups. I will try and dig up the article I last read about it, its been a long time since I have seen it. Perhaps I have it saved somewhere?
At any rate, for leg intensive moves, 50 mm tends to be more comfortable, while smaller diameters such as 45’s and 38’s make hand grip and more advanced moves more stable. I learned on and owned 50’s then moved to 45’s. Overall I prefer the 45, but it really comes down to personal preference. There is nothing wrong with using a 50 mm.
I think most people will tend to agree that the industry standard changed due to hand sizing. People with small or more petite hands often had much more more difficulty on a 50mm than those with bigger hands and there were a lot of complaints about being able to grip the pole. As a whole, since studios and competitions have so many different sized users, it was considered more practical sense to use 45 as the standard.
As far as 38’s go, I don’t know much about the history of pole sizing in Australia. As far as I know that is just the size that was typically used over there. 50 to 45 isn’t a huge difference, but its still noticeable. I have had the pleasure of working on a 38 and all I say is WOW! for handgrip and owWW!!!! for leg moves! A 38 made me feel like an absolute beast!!!! I felt like I could hold on forever. So there are a lot benefits to learning on a 38. With each size there are benefits and cons but all in all it comes down to personal preference when choosing a pole for home use. Oh, and we haven’t even begun to discuss pole finishes! lol!
To answer your last question, Australia (at the time I entered pole world) was a forerunner in pole art in that it had become a lot more mainstream there before it did in the U.S. I came in late 2009 and although pole had gained a lot popularity it was still very taboo and not the mainstream so ultimately most of what came from the U.S came from dancers in clubs. In the U.S, the first organized competition as I understand it was held in 09′ i think? So ultimately I think that once Australia was definitely a leader of trends, but now that pole has become more mainstream worldwide, I don’t necessarily think that is the case. We have seen a large new wave of tricks and ability levels that have far surpassed what we thought was the “ultimate” back in 2010. So many moves and combos have been created and with the influx of formerly trained dancers, gymnasts etc, things have soared to new heights, excuse the pun.
Please note, Pole dance is still relatively new, its not like we have a history book or encyclopedia and I don’t claim to be an expert That being said, I have answered as correctly as I can based on my experience and what I have learned in pole world over the last few years. Hope this helps.
Just thinking out loud here, but if pole dance is still around in 100 years I wonder if we will have pole historians? Wouldn’t that be something?!
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Believe me, exhaustion is no stranger to me, especially as a person with thyroid issues and a hectic life. I recently lost about 23 lbs and still have a long way to go but every day gets a little easier. Some days are better than others, but overall, now that I am active again I feel so much better.
We all have days where we struggle and hit plateaus when we feel like our progress has come to a screeching halt. Part of my issue for a very long time has been managing work and school and a LOT of personal stuff over the last 5 years.
I finally made a decision, that even on the days where I am tired that I have to make time for myself and even 10 mins a day spent on pole or doing whatever other activity to improve my mind and body is better than nothing. Submitting to my exhaustion just created more exhaustion. So here I am gaining back what I have lost and at times am completely frustrated and want to cry. But when I push through it, I end up shrieking and screaming hysterically when I get a move back then cry out of sheer joy. Pole has always been a source of stress relief for me so I even if i am too tired to work on inverted moves or even spins, I dance it out and I dance slow if have to. Just remember not to be so hard on yourself and celebrate every bit of progress you achieve; not just on the pole but in all your endeavors.
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Welcome! Welcome! I am so excited for you! When I first started, this site was my lifeline for pole and unexpectedl, it quickly became my lifeline for everything else. lol! If you ever have questions, need help or just want to rant, we are here to listen. My best advice coming from a poler who started as out of shape and little to no experience in dance and gymnastics is record your practices when poling at home, be patient with yourself and celebrate every little bit of progress you can no matter how small. You will find that your strength will build more quickly than you think. I took a long (5 year hiatus)after having major successes in pole with gains in confidence and weight loss. My beginnings in pole were life changing. Now that I am back and losing weight after being heavier than I have ever been, I am regaining what I have already built. It’s amazing how quickly your body can change and how amazing it feels to get a new move, or in my case getting back what was lost. Congratulations on your decision to implement a healthier lifestyle and on finding one of the best places on earth to feel great and get in shape while having fun doing it! ps. get a pole at home as soon as possible, you’ll be glad you did!
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I will always recommend Veena’s lessons as she is a source for some of the best information around. I can also suggest the Valentino Brothers DVDS and have also very much enjoyed the Elastic steel series. While these videos lack high production values, they certainly deliver in quality flexibility training for the whole body. I also have a great playlist of some really good videos on youtube if finances don’t permit. I am more than happy to share it, if you are interested.
