Make Good Choices! How Not to Break Yourself or Drive Your Teacher Insane

I can’t tell you how many times a day I tell my poor son to “make good choices”. About to smack a miror with a stick? “Make good choices!” About to eat that questionable petrified cracker he found in a corner? “Make good choices.” About to set fire to the curtains? “Make good choices!” And on and on and on.

Know who else might need to make good choices? You don’t even have to guess, because imma tell you: IT’S YOU. In aerial class. All the time.

Make Good Choices When You’re Fatiguing

Question for you. You’ve inverted on silks, and you were planning on sweeping the fabric behind your back. BUT. Your knee has slipped down, and your hand is in a weird place, and you’re not sure of your grip. Should you keep going or carefully come down?

If you don’t know the answer to this question, you are the reason we now have to be warned that hot coffee is hot and not to eat those little silica packets in snack foods.

If you’re not sure of your grip, for the love of God don’t try to heave yourself upside down, don’t take a hand off, don’t keep going – hell, don’t even pass go. Come down, or get to a resting place until you can safely continue. I don’t care if your mom is watching, I don’t care if you’re THIS CLOSE to the end of your piece, I don’t care if you’re performing for the Queen. If your grip fails, so do you. Bigly.

This doesn’t just go for grip! It goes for lots of things – the questionable foot knot, sudden dizziness or disorientation, the drop wrap that’s not feeling quite right. STOP. Do not proceed. Step awaaaaaaaay from the danger zone, and come back to a place of safety. You won’t care that you almost made it all the way through your act when you’re en route to the hospital because you knew you were in a crappy position and went for a move anyway. No. Make good choices.

Make Good Choices When You’re Injured

Feeling barfy? Delightful grinding sensation in your shoulder? So hungover that you’ll never, ever, ever drink tequila again (you swear)? Maybe today’s not your day in circus class. There’s this perverse idea in American culture that pushing through all pain is admirable, and making smart choices to rest and heal equals slacking. Since I’ve written it out, do you see how counter-productive that is? Instead of doing more damage, or possibly losing your lunch in front of your classmates, do yourself a favor and:

  • stay home
  • significantly modify (training around a long-term ouchie, for example). Work with your coach and health care pros to find a way to modify your training while you heal.
  • or audit the class – you can learn A LOT by watching!

Make Good Choices and Save Your Teacher’s Sanity

“Ms Laura, isn’t my teacher responsible for my safety?”

…. Yes and no. Your coach can give you excellent coaching and safety parameters, but you are a grown up. Part of being a grown up is trying hard not to be a dumbass. While we ALL make questionable choices here and there, the goal is to live to see another day! This includes taking calculated risks, thinking through our actions, paying attention, complying with instruction, and remembering that your coaches are not omniscient. If your teacher tells you not to do xyz, and you proceed to do xyz, then enjoy your predicament. Is this a brand new move that you have no idea how to complete… that you decided to try IN THE RAFTERS? Come on now. Do you want to have to wear full body padding and a helmet for aerial training? No? Then take responsibility for your safety by (all together now) MAKING GOOD CHOICES.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go put the curtains out. Love and pull-ups, Laura

Have you signed up for a class yet? What are you waiting for?

Seriously - these classes are not going to take themselves! Jump right in. Whether you "have zero upper body strength" or have been around the aerial block a few times, I'd love to see you in sessions!