Selfcare 101: I Did Trapeze, And I Erased My Work and Life Woes
If you have a full-time job, me-time is super important (re: the only way to stay sane). But, what if down time, was actually up? I took a trapeze class on the Santa Monica pier after what felt like an extra long week of work, and watched as all that negative ju-ju fell out of my pockets as I did my first backflip in the air.
To set the stage, it was a beautiful sunny Saturday. And for the first half of it, I was baking under horrible fluorescent lighting, answering cries for help as a customer service agent for a larger than life fashion company. In a few hours though, I would be swinging in the air like Jane being chased by Tarzan ( a personal, young Brendan Frazier style fantasy).
Trapeze at Santa Monica Pier, via HG2
Upon making it to my car and driving towards the coast line, I still felt the pressure and the annoyance of my earlier shift. I was besmirched with stains from people spitting on me (figuratively speaking) and I couldn't shake it. But I tried to stay present, realizing how beautiful the day was, and leave work at the office. I got to the Trapeze School New York on the santa monica pier. I met with my friends and the mask of meloncholy transitioned into a face of relief. We meet the Trapeze trainer “ Brad” — a great time I might add — who made safety procedures easy to understand as we did a couple of ground demos; and then we were up.
The birthday girl goes first, she comes back down and reports to us it's super nerve wracking but fun. I'm up next. While climbing the ladder I go over Brad’s words of wisdom. One of the things he said is don't think about it. If you're thinking about it then you’re not Trapezing. I could've made up that trapezing part, but it's what I heard and Brad was now my life guru, so I forcefully cleared my mind of my earlier day. I reach the top of the ladder where the most beautiful view of the beach and the pier met me. Marybeth, another swinging good time gets me ready for take off. She walked me through the steps of grabbing the bar and tells me to wait for Brad’s queue; the “go” phrase was more of a go sound effect than an actual word. When you heard “hup!” It was time to fly. I heard my que and I was gone with the wind.
Brad instructed me to lift my feet and put it on the bar, then let my hands go and hang by my legs. And walked me through how to get back to my original position. Then he said let go and fall in the net. Honestly, that was the scariest part. Letting go. Subsequently, I was free of all anxiety, anger, and angst. The art of trapeze was my immediate cure. The level of accomplishment I felt mixed in with pure adrenaline made my earlier problems melt away. If you are feeling the cinder blocks around your feet because of work, before chiseling it away with a cocktail and a shot at happy hour (another, seemingly, instant cure) try something new and Trapeze it away; I guarantee a 100% breakthrough, or at the very least a change of thought, it will keep your head up. Literally.
cover image via Pixels
