Lyra Love

Ahhhhhhhh, best lesson ever!

Originally, my teacher and I were booked for 11am, then she emailed me last week if I could reschedule to noon...sure, no problem. But I didn't remember that noon is practice time. Two people showed up. It was quite crowded. I wish I had caught that before and rescheduled. But it still turned out lovely.

We worked on a harder transition to single hip hang. The transition I know is from seated, to inside mermaid, to hip hang, to leg block, to single hip hang. She taught me a harder transition, direct from inside mermaid into single hip hang. She spotted me a lot. But it felt amazing.

We moved over to the higher hoop with it, but I couldn't do my side mount. So I tried a straddle. And maybe I was imagining it, but it felt ever so slightly closer and controlled. I mean, I still had to cheat it (DIB). But there was like a mini-second where I just hovered there, not quite up in position, my butt was too low, but not falling back down either. And then my legs were able to sort of gently fall against the hoop to cheat. But it wasn't this like violent kick back, legs crash back against the hoop to cheat (I have knocked my ankle many times against the hoop, it hurts). And so we were about to move on, but then she got this look and said, I want to see that straddle again.

This transition is something I can work on with the low hoop until I feel comfortable by myself on the higher hoop. Without her spotting, it might just be mental, the higher hoop is too high for now.

We worked on Amazon. I've been trying to nail this and can do it but can't get back UP into the hoop. She taught me another way to get back up, using a bit of momentum (which she wants to focus on more overall, as it's key to lyra, using momentum to transition) to swing the outside leg up, right into front lion. Beautiful transition. Yay, I was able to do it! But what I was really proud of was every other time I've practiced amazon (locking one arm, dropping out), I drop out fast. But when I was doing it today, I was so slow and controlled down.

Then we worked on angel again, which is like outside mermaid that gave me those bruises, but with a lower grip, so it's harder, and you're sort of balancing on your shins rather than your quads. I haven't been able to do it from the transition she taught me (dragonfly into side "fetal" position into angel), hurts too much so far. She taught me as if I were simply doing outside mermaid, except my grip is lower to the side, and I settle my body lower. I was able to do it right away. It felt so pretty. And I felt so strong. Didn’t get any pics, tho.

Wow, the praise she was giving me. She said she's never seen someone first time be able to get into angel with straight legs. She said I'm very good at keeping my entire body engaged throughout my moves, straight legs, pointed toes, erect spine. I nearly teared up, she was praising me so much. I were verklempt.

Took a small break for some water, she was taking notes on her laptop. I came back and sat down with her and decided to mention how group classes have become an anxiety trigger for me. I said I was embarrassed to admit, that I was very sorry I cancelled her workshop, but that was why. My worry is there's that rule about practice time and attending class every week. I'm a rules follower. But she said that rule doesn't apply for private track. So, I'm golden! No more group classes. I'll just do my two private lessons every month and go to practice time and keep working on straddle and some of these new transitions I learned and just keep plugging away.

I also mentioned I went to silks, how I didn't love it. She asked if I was able to do lock offs and such, and I said yes, that climb was the only thing I couldn't do. I mentioned we did straddle on the knot. And she lit up. She said, we can absolutely do that together, and I'm free to do that too in my practice time if the silks are free. So at the end of our lesson, we went over and got into a knot, and she showed me some drills to do for straddle. She said she's convinced it's not lack of strength, it's not my core, it's not my lats, it's the right timing of engagement...they're just not firing when they should.

I also said, do you know what today is? Today is my 50th practice session with lyra. I track it like a nerd. Including that free beginner class back in February, it's been 50. Wheee!