Reframing What Beginner Means

Hi. My name is Misty Lynn, and I'd like to talk to you about one of my favorite concepts that I feel like doesn't get enough attention out there. And it is about being a beginner. I love talking about embracing the beauty of being a beginner because there's something magical about the first time that we do something, anything, whether it's good or bad even. We we experience things from a fresh perspective in a way that is hard to recreate as we go through life. And I wanna talk about how that is something that we should be leaning into in movement, whether it's Pilates or yoga or anything else that you're doing, because I feel like we rush.

We are always in such a hurry to go beyond those words that no one wants to hear. Right? No one wants to be called basic. Nobody wants to have to take the beginner class after their 3rd lesson because there's a stigma to being new. When we rush to move ahead, when we rush and we don't give ourselves the time to explore to challenge ourselves within that new or fresh or basic structure. We're not allowing ourselves the opportunity to really learn the lessons that we need to get ahead to those advanced or more challenging levels.

But I have to tell you personally, I always make it a point, especially when I travel, to take beginner classes. And the reason why is because that gives me the opportunity to experience that teacher who I may not have worked with ever before in life. From that fresh perspective in a framework that's going to allow me to tap in, to dig deeper, to explore my own movement, see how I relate to that teacher, see how that teacher relates to me in a way that's going to allow both of us to have a better experience in the class. And one of the other challenges, you know, when we're in this rush to get away from being a fresh noob, as my son would say, is that we go in with this expert mindset But perhaps we don't have the stability or the the comfort with the work that's being thrown at us. We developed this imposter syndrome that's really, really hard to overcome.

So then this class that you were taking for yourself, for your personal development, for your personal joy, becomes a negative because you didn't perform the way you would have expected yourself to perform. And is that fair to you? Probably not. You know, in this race to get beyond beginnerhood, what we end up doing is putting false Let me phrase that. Someone in a movie said your body's writing checks that your mind can't cash.

Or something like that. That's what we do when we're in a hurry to get ahead. It's much more important to allow ourselves that space to explore with curiosity and to find comfort in our new position in this new class. Learning these new skills. And to look at the challenges that come with them, not as negatives that are meant to be overcome, but as blocks, building blocks that are going to allow us to succeed as we move forward.

Being a beginner also gives us the opportunity to problem solve, in our practice, what's happening in my body may not be what's happening in the person next to me's body, And I have to figure out how to make those experiences gel with what the teacher is presenting. But I can't do that if I've already decided that I'm an expert and I need to be jumping ahead. So sitting back and enjoying that beginner mindset is going to allow me the freedom that I need to engage and joy and perfect air quotes because perfect is different in each person. To perfect my movement and my connection to my own body in a way that's going to when I'm ready to move ahead serve me best. Because it's what my body needs, not what I'm told it should be needing.

So just to wrap it up, I encourage you. I invite you. I challenge you too rather than plowing ahead in toward being the biggest expert you could be, I challenge you to step back, settle into your body, settle into this framework of beginnerness, and find a new way. To take a look at your movement, to take a look at your relationship with your body and your mind, and enjoy the ride.