Comfort Zone

About a month after moving to Arizona, I decided to check out a country bar in Buckeye - Waddell’s Long Horn Corral. I had heard they had live bands and country dance lessons. According to the website the dance lesson started at 6:30 pm on Saturday night. I intentionally showed up at 6:40 pm … not thinking I was ready for the lesson but I would like to watch. A nice couple saw me sitting alone at the bar and asked if I was there for the lesson and then proceeded to insist that I take the lesson. Little did I know the lesson never really starts on time! They would not accept no for an answer! This was so far out of my comfort zone!

I was definitely not a natural! I fumbled through the dances but I also had fun. I was self conscious but everyone was so nice and supportive. After that first time I kept going back determined to get better and I also became friends with the couple I had first met and so many other people, too.

This weekend I went dancing on Friday and Saturday night and had two different gentlemen dance partners comment to me that I had come a long way! One fellow told me, I’ve seen you here for some time and I could tell you were stepping out of your comfort zone but now you have become so much more natural! To me that was a huge complement! I realized if I had never stepped out of my comfort zone - I’d be missing out on something I truly enjoy and all the friendships that came with it!

It’s really a very similar story with Pilates for me! I had a friend drag me to a class at the gym and soon realized I couldn’t do half of it! Once again - determined to get better I kept coming back and fell in love with Pilates. Pilates also really helped my body! If I had stayed in my comfort zone - Shine Pilates would certainly not exist today!

We don’t know the opportunity that waits for us when we branch out and step out of our comfort zone. When we try new things and put aside the insecurity of not looking good or being coordinated or measuring up - we often find we aren’t as ‘bad’ as we thought! There is also a good chance we discover something new that will enrich our lives.

I know first hand Pilates is intimidating and out of the comfort zone for many. This is one of the reasons we encourage an initial private session. It’s a safe place to learn, ask, and try without feeling like the class is waiting. If you have considered Pilates and held off because it’s a stretch for you - I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try. We’ve have had several new clients recently and it’s so exciting to see them realize how good Pilates makes them feel after just that first session!