Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Healing Crystals for Pole Dancers

"The Mind is a powerful force. It can enslave us or empower us. It can plunge us into the depths of misery or take us to the heights of ecstasy. Learn to use the power wisely." - David Cuschieri.

When it comes to crystals, they can be a powerful tool that amplifies specific energy from your mind.  The brain is the command center for the body.  It's an amazingly complex organ that is capable of holding all of life's mysteries.  Crystals and gemstones are simply naturally made minerals that possess beautiful characteristics and are identified by their chemical composition.  Crystals and gemstones have been considered sacred gifts from the Earth by ancient and modern cultures.  There is a huge industry in alternative and holistic healing that utilizes the metaphysical properties of crystals and gemstones to magnify and focus specific energies of the mind. 

I have been studying the use of crystals when it comes to relaxation techniques and yoga.  I'm a firm believer in the manifestation of good energy and how it affects your overall mood and success.  I look at the use of crystals and gemstones as in the same manner of the popular law of attraction concept depicted in The Secret, a self help book written by Rhonda Byrne (2006).  In Rhonda Byrne's The Secret, the use of positive thinking is discussed as a means to create attractive life changing results.  I'm sure you could manifest the same results without the use of crystals, however there is an overall feeling of fulfillment by having a tangible item to draw inspiration from when focusing on specific energy.  Not to mention how aesthetically pleasing crystals and gemstones can be to your environment. 

Through all my research, I have come across many lists of crystals and gemstones recommended for different types of wellness uses ranging from weight loss to anxiety relief.  Of all the current lists out there circulating the internet, I have yet to come across a list that depicts the types of crystals and gemstones that would benefit athletes such as pole dancers. After sorting through all my notes and knowledge base thus far, I have developed my own list of crystals and gemstones I feel would be perfect for pole dancing.


How to Use Your Crystals and Cleanse Your Crystals

 Obviously, you can't wear your crystals while pole dancing.  You can place them in a pouch and keep them inside your pole bag while at the studio or place them decoratively within your pole space to enhance your energy during your practice.  You can create gem elixirs using water as I have done in the image below.  Due to water being corrosive to some crystals, I don't like to submerge my crystals in water or for sanitary reasons place them inside water that I will be drinking. For a gem elixir, you can allow the crystals to charge the water for as long as you feel beneficial. 



You can also create a crystal grid and leave it displayed in your pole area.  Read more here on how to grid using crystals. Another technique that could be beneficial to your pole practice is by placing your crystals in a dish on your bedside or in a pouch under your pillow.  Rest can be extremely powerful and as we all know, some of our best pole moves have been accomplished in our dreams.  Again, the mind is such a powerful part of our existence.

To get the full use of your crystals, you'll want to make sure you take care of them by cleansing them.  Cleansing crystals is a way to hit the reset button on them.  You're ridding them of unwanted energy so you can get all the good energy flowing.  I cleanse mine by smudging them in sage incense or over night in the light of the full moon.   I prefer sage incense to using a sage smudge stick.  The smudge sticks smell awful to me so I rarely use them. 

Have you found the use of implementing crystals into your daily routine or environment beneficial?  What other types of tools do you use to change your mindset for your workouts?  I'd love to hear about your techniques. 

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Playground Work Out Routine

Last month was our annual beach vacation.  Typically during the beach vacation I will sign up for pole classes at the local pole studio.  This year I wasn't feeling up to taking some pole classes so I opted for some beach yoga and I made use of the island's playground equipment.  Upon returning back home to the city, I decided to explore our local park and experiment with the playground equipment for a fun summery work out.  Below is an easy routine that can be done in a circuit format- perform each exercise for 10 reps and repeat in 3 rotations.  Be sure to bring adequate hydration when doing any type of fitness activities outside.

1. Slide Push Ups: Start by planking the body while gripping the sides of the slide.  Keeping elbows close to torso when flexing arms into down position. 



















2. Stair Stepping: I used the steps as a step box to engage the glutes and quads by stepping in a rhythm with my feet.  If you're listening to music you can easily step to the beat to incorporate some cardio into this exercise.



















3. Shoulder Shrugs: Great exercise for aerialists by working on the shoulder girdle musculature that is important in both pole and aerial work.  Starting from a hang with biceps close to ears, engage the upper back muscles by pulling the scapula down which will pull the biceps away from the ears. 



















4. Knee Tucks: A staple in pole conditioning.  Inside arm grips the pole low and outside arm placed above for a double bent arm grip.  Engage the core and arms by pulling the elbows into the torso.  You also want to engage the back muscles by pulling the scapula down.  I place my hip in front of the pole to support my weight during the lift.  Bending knees to chest in the lift then extend legs to hover over the ground.  Repeat without touching the ground.  Exhale during the working part of the exercise.  You will use your breath to pace yourself so you don't rush.  You'll also want to repeat the same movement on the opposite side by reversing the side of the pole and arm placement.



















5. V-Ups: Using the slide, start by balancing into a V. As you straighten your body, bring your arms overhead. Engage your core to resume the starting position.  Make full use of your breath by using the exhalation during the movement of the exercise.



















Of course no good work out can't go without a little play!






















I'd love to see your playground fitness posts.  If you've been working out on the playground or drew inspiration from this post, feel free to tag @poleharmony.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Pole Harmony: A Pole Fitness, Aerial Fitness, and Lifestyle Blog

I've been getting a lot of emails and private Facebook messages lately on my Pole Harmony accounts from individuals inquiring about pole fitness classes or bachelorette party events at Pole Harmony.  The emails generally ask where my class schedule and pricing information is located on my website (www.poleharmony.com).  I'd like to clarify that Pole Harmony no longer offers pole or aerial fitness services.  Pole Harmony's current existence online is to serve as a personal blog where I write about pole fitness, aerial fitness, and lifestyle topics.  Pole Harmony was once a studio located in Indianapolis and as of October 2015, the equipment was sold and the location was leased to a new tenant that now operates a fitness studio on the premises.  I have all this explained on the "About" page of this blog which is why I find it strange that I keep getting multiple service inquiries.

So for every inquiry that I receive, I will now be forwarding the link to this blog post.  Below are the local Indianapolis studios that currently provide pole fitness services- starting with the studio that operates in Pole Harmony's former location.

1. Be You Fitness
Address: 5135 S Emerson Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46237
Phone: 317-279-6320
Website: http://www.beyou.fit

2. Indy Pole Dance and Fitness West & South Studios
Address: 6450 W 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46214
324 West Main Street, Greenwood, IN 46142
Phone: 317-439-4945
Website: https://www.indypolewest.com

3. Mystique Flow Fitness Indy Pole
Address: 4340 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46268
Phone: 317-908-5941
Website: http://www.mystiqueflowfitness.com

4. Pole Fitness by Candy Girlz
Address: 6218 La Pas Trail, Indianapolis, IN 46268
Phone: 317-727-9423
Website: http://candygirlzxoxo.com

I hope this was informative and if you've been sent the link of this blog piece in response to an email or social media inquiry, I hope you find a studio from this list that meets your needs and some place you can feel comfortable exploring the art of pole and expressive dance movement.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

July Pole Challenges

It's a new month full of new challenges! I found four pole challenges on Instagram that I wanted to share with my readers.  Feel free to tag @poleharmony so I can follow your progress if you choose to participate.



Lotus Fitness Studio July Pole/Aerial Move of the Day Social Media Challenge starts today! RULES: ๐Ÿ’œ1- Follow Lotus Fitness Studio on Instagram or Like us on Facebook ๐Ÿ’œ2-Like the picture/video of the day ๐Ÿ’œ3- Post picture/video of move of the day to FaceBook and/or Instagram and tag or mention Lotus Fitness Studio (using @lotusfitnessstudio #lotusfitnessstudio and #lotusjulychallenge) We will be tracking posts and tags daily and at the end of the month randomly select 3 winners. Multiple entries allowed, the more times you enter the higher your chances of winning. Winners will be notified through social media Winners picture/videos will be reposted on Lotus Fitness Studio Social Media Pages. 3 WINNERS/PRIZES: ๐Ÿ’œ1- Local Non-Member will win a Day Pass to the Studio ๐Ÿ’œ1- Local Member will win one pole or aerial private lesson ๐Ÿ’œ1- Non-Local winner will win a pole outfit (tank top, booty shorts, leg warmers) We will be posting pics/video examples each day of the listed moves. Have fun and good luck!
A photo posted by Allison Sipes (@alliegatoruf) on

For those of you playing at home! You can do the videos every day or even combine them and just do it once a week. Remember to do the moves 3-5 times minimum, try to be as clean and controlled as possible and switch sides after every attempt forcing yourself to stay even. Most videos have a variation of the skill included as well that you can try or you can make up your own! Film your attempts, tag @carliehunter and hashtag #pdback2basics. The most dedicated player will get a prize from @badkittyusa. We are starting off super easy so there is no excuse not to participate... If you find a move you can't or don't want to do you can switch it out for something you prefer or wish to work on. There are some harder ones at the end I'll provide a second choice to. Stay tuned for video number 1 and let's get back to basics! #pdback2basics #thepoleboutique #badkittypride #xpoleaustralia #carliehunter #poledancing #pledancer #letsdothis #fixingoutbodies #fixingourminds #beautyinsimplicity #polelife
A photo posted by Carlie Hunter ☀️ (@carliehunter) on

Hi, IG Pole friends! This a local contest from my Studio because sponsors are local, but If you'd like to participate and share with us, feel free to do it and use the hashtag #SummerPoleAholic and follow @aerialfit. It would be super nice and we'd be glad to feel inspired by your ideas! ❤️๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ‘ซ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ❤️ . . Repost @aerialfit with @repostapp ・・・ ¿Quieres hacer mucho pole este verano, retarte a probar nuevos movimientos y ganar premios por parte de Aerial Fit y nuestros sponsors? Entonces sรฉ un Pole-Aholic y participa en nuestro RETO. El dรญa 31 de Julio, quien tenga mรกs participaciones se llevarรก un regalo de cada uno de nuestros sponsors. ¿Quรฉ hay que hacer? 1. Sigue a @aerialfit , @tiempodete y @serigrafex y @nulabb 2. Sube una foto tuya que corresponda a lo indicado para cada dรญa de Julio (Por ejemplo: El 4 de Julio te toca hacer un Pole Sit). 3. En cada una de tus fotos taggeanos y tambiรฉn a nuestros sponsors y utiliza el hashtag #SummerPoleAholic. 4. Participa las veces que quieras y no olvides seguir todas las instrucciones, recuerda que tรบ IG no debe estar privado para poder ver tus participaciones. Ahora sรญ... ¡a practicar Pole todo el verano! #polechallenge #summerchallenge #poledance #polefitness #polefit #poledancemx #poledancersofig #poledancer
A photo posted by Silvia Kruczynski (@slvgrz) on