I’ve been thinking about our community and our aerial bodies a lot recently. Now that things are opening up, it seems like we all need a bit of help. Maybe its just reminders of base wraps without judgement, guidance on how to progress strength building and direction on how EXACTLY to get from your couch to the air.
Book a class or open gym
Set a time you are going to dip your toe back into the water. Even if you’re not feeling it YET or you have some apprehension, commit to one class or open gym instead of just thinking about it. If you’ve paid for it and it’s on your schedule there’s a higher chance that you’ll get there and break the seal on your aerial practice. Check with your local studio on their COVID policies so that you feel comfortable, dust off your firm grip and get used to the idea of starting again.
Lower your expectations
First thing’s first, take the pressure off the process by lowering your expectations of yourself You’re not as strong and flexible as you used to be. If you find that you’e starting at ground zero, then so be it. Nothing is guaranteed but there’s a good chance that even if you’re starting from the beginning, the rate at which you progress will be faster than the first time around. Your muscle memory will work to help you along.
Commiserrate
The best part of a pity party is the party part. In this case, there’s a really good chance that your old aerial buddies are fighting the same fight as you. Go to class with a buddy, grab some food and drink and pull each other up! You can always commiserate and get support on one of the many aerial community Facebook groups. You don’t need to go through this potentially frustrating and tough process back to the air by yourself.
Start with your established practice
Beginning again is not the time to learn a bunch of new tricks. Start by practicing skills that you knew very well in the past. Do them one by one and you’ll find out pretty quickly the elements that you’ve forgotten completely or partially. This will help you figure out what you need to spend time working on.
Video study
The Circus Doc, Dr. Emily Scherb says that studying videos actually helps the neuromuscular system resuscitate the brain-body connections that are essential to performing movement. In simpler terms, watching aerial videos will help you do aerial. If you’ve stopped following your favorite aerialists on Instagram, consider re-following and open up to the wide world of aerial again.
Let me be the first to welcome you back to aerial! It might not feel great being weaker than you have been in the past, but it does feel great to just have it back. I feel fortunate every single day to have access to my art form and I think you may feel the same way. Even if you didn’t go cold turkey during the pandemic, you may need a jumpstart to get going. If you need a nudge, email me and I’ll try to give you one.