Hey Beyonce'~ I'm a Thriver!
Since I stepped into semi-retirement mode, I have been enjoying participating as a student in yoga and group fitness classes. In fact, one of my favorite pastimes on vacation is checking out new studios and classes. I love to do this for 2 reasons.
Number one, I truly believe that we are either in growth mode or in settling mode. I never have considered myself the best teacher, but I promise you if I don't know the answers to your fitness questions, I will find them. I believe we can learn something from every teacher and experience, even the fact that the teacher or experience may not be our thing.
Second, I love taking new classes because it's nice to just step back and be guided. I am more than equipped to give myself a great workout. I have been a personal trainer and group fitness instructor for more than 30 years, and recently became a corrective exercise specialist (see above- always learning!). Regardless of my expertise, it's nice to step out of my head and into a space where I can just be led. It allows me to step away from the "doing" and just be part of something engaging and positive. I love group fitness classes not only for the communal energy they provide, but for the opportunity to just check out and check in with myself.
A few weeks ago, I took a class and from the very beginning I knew it was going to be no joke. The instructor set the tone and within minutes my heart rate was at its max and my muscles were screaming. As we pounded it out, the instructor said, "I know you feel like you just can't do anymore, but when you leave this room I want you to ask yourself, 'But did I survive?' and I want you to say 'Heck yes I did!" When those words hit my central processing unit (i.e., heart and mind, in that order) something came over me. The little monkey that lives in the back corner of my mind started parsing through those words- But. Did. I. Survive. My heart rate rose higher, not from physical intensity but from that little monkey knocking around in my brain saying, "Something is not right here friend." I closed my eyes and backed off a little so I could go deep. And here's what came up. I decided in that moment exactly what I want to convey in my classes, and what I want our instructors to convey in their classes.
We are not here to kill you. We are not here to hand your asses to you. We are here to inspire you, to help you feel connected and to be in your service while you are in our presence.
Of course, we want to challenge you and take to a place where you can see what we see. We want to help you tap into your inner fire and find your true potential. We are here to help you find balance, and ultimately to keep you on that path of continued growth. Yes, that workout was FREAKING HARD, but my heart and mind kept hooking into this idea of just surviving. I allowed myself some slack to give my WHOLE self what it needed. As I pushed and grunted my way through the paces, I closed my eyes and said, "Katrina, are you here to just survive? F$%# NO! That's what I do in my day-to-day life with my deadline-approaching, cell-phone-buzzing, bill-paying, clutter-cleaning, problem-fixing existence." I'm just surviving the mess that we call life. Do you feel me?
When I step into a class, I want to be THRIVING. That's what hit me in the middle of what I thought might take me to my last breath. I flipped that narrative from "But am I surviving?" to "But am I thriving?" and I switched my perspective. I turned the theme of the class into one of thriving instead of just surviving. And you know what? I once again walked away having learned, having grown and ready to survive yet another day.
