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PECKING ORDER

ONLINE PILATES MAT CLASSES BY THE LIFT GIRL www.liftgirlpilates.com

So, the other day I went mountain biking. It was going to be one of those EPIC rides, so I made sure I ate enough, drank enough, and got plenty of sleep the night before. There were seven of us meeting at the trail head and, once again, I was the only girl. One by one everyone came pulling into the lot, making small talk, and then eventually we all got on our bikes…and THAT’S when I noticed something strange. (More on that in a bit!)

We began discussing the ride. We decided on where to meet if anybody fell back or got lost. One gentleman pointed out the general direction we were heading, and we discussed the subject of mile markers.

And then off we went…

I knew exactly where I belonged in the pecking order. I was alllllllllways the last one because most of these guys have been riding for years. Me?  Only about ten.  (Which is still pretty darned long!)  If it were a one-hour climb up a single track, things would be different. I can climb like a deer and keep going for a long time. How? PILATES!  But back to that pecking order…

I was quite happy to let everyone feed into some sort of order, and then I continued down the trail with them.  Keep in mind, I had a good view of the nervous energy and spring-loaded tension that was unfolding before my eyes.

The cyclists were all about the same age, body type, experience level, and ability, so no one really knew where he fit in. The order hadn’t yet been established, so all that nervous energy kept building up.  Chains were skipping, gears were switching, adjustments were being made, and our breathing picked up.

Who rides the fastest? Who rides the slowest? Who is more technical? Who’s feeling good? Who’s not? Thoughts swirled around our heads as the moment of truth approached…our first hill. (Which was not single track…it was a fire-road climb, my least favorite.)

It took about 45 minutes for everyone to settle down and get into some sort of groove. I knew where I stood in this pecking order, so I didn’t feel all that much nervous energy. It was apparent to me that the energy expended by the other cyclists was beginning to wear on them. They were working way too hard, riding inefficiently, and not really gaining anything (except, perhaps, a strained or aching muscle or two).

As we continued the ride, the order changed a few times until it was officially set in stone. Once that happened, it was a totally different ride. Once we figured out where we needed to be, our placement in the group, we were able to relax and enjoy the trip. I was still in the back, so I witnessed the shifting energy right in front of me. It was pretty amazing to see.

(You know what I’m going to say next…)

In Pilates this happens too. My clients often ask me before they join another class if I think they’ll fit in, or if they’ll hold the rest of the class back.  They want to know what their LEVEL is (beginner, intermediate, or advanced). They couldn’t have cared less before, but once I talk to them, I can see their tension levels drop about 10 notches. Whenever I teach a new class of advanced students, I sense nervous tension in the room. It’s as if the class had never taken Pilates before. I can tell that their thoughts are elsewhere because they’re wondering where they belong in the order. Once they settle down and sense where they fit into the group, the lesson becomes much more enjoyable. They start to breathe deeper, their movement changes, their BRAINS wake up, and the class serves them well.

I have to admit I do this too whenever I enter a new class. I think it’s natural, although I believe it’s a waste of energy. I try to pay attention to this beforehand so I don’t spend so much class time worrying about things I can’t control.

So why do we do this to ourselves? Worry about where we fit in? Maybe the unknown is too much for us to handle. I think it’s human nature to want to belong, though, to be heard and to fit in. PECKING ORDER?…a good thing or a bad thing? I’m not sure.  I’ll have to give that one a little more thought…

Bye for now!