Overcoming Challenges: The Power of Positivity

Yay! I did it. I FINALLY did it.

I started a Yoga for Seniors class in February; this week was my sixth class. Since the first lesson, the Yoga teacher has been trying to persuade me to get down on the floor. I baulked at the idea and repeatedly told her, “I’ve only been down on the floor once in nearly three years, and that’s only because I fell over.”

My thoughts returned to that grounded hippo experience when I tried to get up. No way. Mr Piglet, pulling and pushing until I finally heaved myself up onto the settee.

“We will do it. You see,” she said calmly, her animated smile radiating from somewhere deep within.

“Yes, but all my physios have all tried and failed,” I replied. I wasn’t optimistic that a five-foot lady with the physique of a bendy twig and half my body weight would succeed where they had failed.

“We do it. You see,” she repeated.

Don’t you just love an optimist? Their enthusiasm for the seemingly impossible is contagious, and wanting to please them, you agree. I looked around for props. “Well, okay,” I finally conceded. “Perhaps we can use these physio guide rails and a stool. And if I can’t get up, we can call the Bombeiros,” I laughed nervously.”And just like that, I finally agreed to step waaay…waaay outside my comfort zone.

***

Today, armed with my thick pilates mat and foam pilate pillows, I entered the studio with some degree of trepidation. The negative and positive voices were already battling within, each trying to wear down the other. With a smile that lit up the room, the teacher eyed my mat, moved the parallel bars into place and positioned my mat on the floor between the parallel bars before I could change my mind. The other woman in the class looked intrigued (there were only two of us this week). She didn’t speak English, so she probably missed previous conversations regarding my predicament.

The class started with breathing, gentle stretches and calming exercises, which was probably just as well because Mr Negative within was beginning to win the battle. The teacher finally looked at me and smiled. Gave me a hug of encouragement. The moment of truth had arrived.

I took a deep breath. Grabbed the rail. Positioned by myself on the ladder steps and, after a few unladylike grunts, slid my butt onto the ground. Plop! I arrived floorside with about as much grace as a grounded hippo. The world looked different from floor level.

Terrified, my body took on the form of postmortem rigidity. The teacher hugged me close, spoke quietly, encouraged me, and held my hands until she’d restored calm and my body relaxed. The class continued. I heaved my body, grunting and groaning as it attempted to perform long-forgotten Yoga contortions. The memory of a younger and uninhibited pre-knee op me, made me feel sad. I pushed away the thought. You can’t turn back the clock, I chided.

We got there—sort of. My attempts made her happy.

The final meditation complete, I breathed a sigh of relief hoping the other lady would take the hint the lesson was over and leave. Given the drama of descent, she was probably curious to witness my accent. She stayed. Oh joy.

My ascent to standing took twenty-two minutes, during which my teacher tried various techniques.

“I know you can do this,” she encouraged as she laid out mats to cover the floor so I could body roll towards the far wall. I did as asked and resisted the urge to giggle. I wanted to tell her that I had more chance of flying to the moon than me sliding up the wall from sitting to standing. A feat she demonstrated with ease. Or using a rocking momentum to propel myself upright, again, which she demonstrated with ease. She’d obviously given various techniques a lot of thought but not my body mass.

“Are you sure you don’t want to call the Bomerios?” I asked in desperation as she once again tried to heave me to upright.

“No, you can do this. My next class is not until two thirty.”

I did the math. I was not going to be still sitting here in three hours when her next class arrived. Made a decision and body rolled back across the room to the parallel bars. I asked her to lower the rails. I grabbed the rail and pulled while she pushed. Finally, both sweating like we’d just ran the the marathon I was upright!

We were both ecstatic.

Her parting words: “Next week will be easier.”

Yep, I am easily pleased, and have found a soulmate. Just goes to prove it is only ‘mind over matter’ and ‘where’s there the will you will find a way.’

Related post from March 2012

Pilates on the Beach