Gratitude

I cannot say poling has changed my life but I can say recent life changes have led me to poling and I am grateful for what I have discovered.

I still consider myself to be a clearly defined noob when it comes to poling. I only joined up in July this year and started my beginner lessons in August. From the very beginning it has been my intention to blog my experiences, expectations, successes and failings. This has purely been for my self-indulgent benefit. I wanted to create a record of all that I experienced within poling that I could revisit as time goes on, and then be able to look back on it to clearly see where I've come from.

I started poling and continue to pole by myself. I didn't ask anyone to join me, I didn't want to share this experience with anyone I already knew. I don't know the why and wherefores of that decision but I'm grateful now that I made that initial choice to go it alone. Doing it alone I've opened myself fully to embrace this experience for all it's worth without having to consider someone else's want's, needs, timeframes or expectations. It truly has been wonderful.

There is one thing in poling that took me completely by surprise, it makes me breathe shallower when I think on it deeply, and makes my eyes sting with tears at times. I am overcome with a deep sense of gratitude that I know I'll struggle trying to explain, but I want to find the words. It has taken me all of one whole second to decide to jump in wholeheartedly and explore this unexpected find, because it feels incredibly real. I will embrace it for all I can and be grateful for experiencing it for as long as it will let me.

My great discovery is that poling is far more than a community, it's connections and it's ties go deeper than that.

Poling is a sisterhood: an all-embracing, all accepting, and understanding, sisterhood. I am incredibly grateful to have stumbled across that and to have now become a part of it. The most descriptive phrase I can manage about belonging to this sisterhood is "It's awesome!”

I am grateful to be able to feel so completely accepted, flaws and all.

I am grateful there are no judgements, no expectations, and no limitations other than what you put on yourself.

The poling sisterhood will support you in your choices. It's all about poling and pole dancing. If you want to do this for fitness, we'll help. You want to compete, we'll cheer you on. If you need a break, take as long as you need, we'll be here. You want to work harder, go for it. You're struggling at work or at home, we're here.

Once you enter the building and cross that threshold you become part of the sisterhood. No one judges what you look like, what you wear, how you speak, what your income or occupation is. Sure, there is curiosity but only in the most positive of ways. And I'm not forgetting the men. Men too can belong to this sisterhood, and do. I heard a great phrase recently, men can be Mister Sister's, so I will steal that one for now.

The freedom and confidence gained when you are accepted so completely and so non-judgementally by a group of supportive, encouraging people is a gift to cherish, and one I am very grateful for.

My poling sister's and mister sister's now and in the future, I hold a place in my heart just for you and I am ever grateful you came into my life.

My first ever Pole Dancing Bloggers Association (PDBA) Article. How I managed to coincide it with such an intense theme, well that just takes cosmic intervention beyond anything I'm capable of explaining, or it could just be coincidence.