Empowering Self through Others
I have started to teach a #boot #camp that is all about #empowering others in their fitness in order to empower self. At the first day of boot camp there were three womyn in attendance. They ranged from various ages and all three were starting up their journey on getting fit. As they were doing push ups, one of the womyn blurted out "but I am old" as she was struggling to do a push up.
I replied "I didn't hear that; being old has nothing to do with your push up!" and then all the womyn in the class yelled "BOO YA!" and when one participant was finished before the womyn who thought she was too old, she got up and encouraged the womyn to keep going. It was an awesome moment!
A rule in the boot camp class is that when one person finishes her/his reps before another, she/he is to go over to the one who is still doing hers/his and provide support until their reps are done. This empowers the individual who may be struggling to push through their own inner misgivings and it allows for the one who has finished ahead of the others to take over the role of Instructor. We are all on the same level and that is the way it should be.
At the end of the boot camp one womyn struggled to not throw up and I was worried that I had pushed maybe to far for the first boot camp. However, she notified me that she had eaten just before boot camp and really pushed herself through the exercises despite me saying to everyone to go at a pace that worked for them and not to go at my pace; form being important over speed.
The womyn were sweating hard and as they left boot camp I was unsure that one or two might not come back despite my encouragement at their ability to do the moves and push themselves.
The second boot camp class was last night and through the door I the three womyn came. And as per the previous class, we encouraged and supported each other. It was a great class and I could see the change in them already;they were supporting each others progress and encouraging each other to come back.
And there it was, an epiphany for me as I realized for the first time in all the years I have been instructing that I had been going at it all wrong; that I wasn't really empowering my participants towards a healthier way of life. I was just showing them the tools. And even though that awareness made me sad, it made me happy as I can use the awareness to make me a better instructor and a better being within the world. And as I was thinking about empowering, my mind and heart went back to a time and place where I wasn't about empowering and was a bully.
As womyn we are taught from an early age that another womyn is a threat, that another womyn is our competition in the world for jobs, men, friends, etc. In order to rise above another we have to push the other down without others knowing we are doing this; colonial and oppressive for sure but is also in another form known as #relational #aggression. Relational aggression (covert bullying) is taught to all in Society (men tend to be more physical (overt bullying) rather than engage in covert bullying), but womyn are the best at it. It knows no race, no age, no gender. And in order to move ourselves through and
away from it we need to have a good hard look at ourselves, what we were taught about others, our actions, insecurities and desires.
I am not that bully I was when I was a teen. I went back and made amends to those I was a bully too. I grew and I changed for a better me. I am so grateful that I was taught by my boot camp instructor the difference between instructing and empowering one towards fitness. I don't want to perpetuate relational aggression in any form through the work I do; I want to empower others to be who they are meant to be. In doing so, I empower myself. And we all need a boost in this crazee world that hides colonial, oppressive thought in almost everything we do.
In good thoughts, always. Miigwech
Carrianne Agawa
I replied "I didn't hear that; being old has nothing to do with your push up!" and then all the womyn in the class yelled "BOO YA!" and when one participant was finished before the womyn who thought she was too old, she got up and encouraged the womyn to keep going. It was an awesome moment!
A rule in the boot camp class is that when one person finishes her/his reps before another, she/he is to go over to the one who is still doing hers/his and provide support until their reps are done. This empowers the individual who may be struggling to push through their own inner misgivings and it allows for the one who has finished ahead of the others to take over the role of Instructor. We are all on the same level and that is the way it should be.
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| us - womyn - playing |
The womyn were sweating hard and as they left boot camp I was unsure that one or two might not come back despite my encouragement at their ability to do the moves and push themselves.
The second boot camp class was last night and through the door I the three womyn came. And as per the previous class, we encouraged and supported each other. It was a great class and I could see the change in them already;they were supporting each others progress and encouraging each other to come back.
And there it was, an epiphany for me as I realized for the first time in all the years I have been instructing that I had been going at it all wrong; that I wasn't really empowering my participants towards a healthier way of life. I was just showing them the tools. And even though that awareness made me sad, it made me happy as I can use the awareness to make me a better instructor and a better being within the world. And as I was thinking about empowering, my mind and heart went back to a time and place where I wasn't about empowering and was a bully.
As womyn we are taught from an early age that another womyn is a threat, that another womyn is our competition in the world for jobs, men, friends, etc. In order to rise above another we have to push the other down without others knowing we are doing this; colonial and oppressive for sure but is also in another form known as #relational #aggression. Relational aggression (covert bullying) is taught to all in Society (men tend to be more physical (overt bullying) rather than engage in covert bullying), but womyn are the best at it. It knows no race, no age, no gender. And in order to move ourselves through and
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| finding my zen outside |
I am not that bully I was when I was a teen. I went back and made amends to those I was a bully too. I grew and I changed for a better me. I am so grateful that I was taught by my boot camp instructor the difference between instructing and empowering one towards fitness. I don't want to perpetuate relational aggression in any form through the work I do; I want to empower others to be who they are meant to be. In doing so, I empower myself. And we all need a boost in this crazee world that hides colonial, oppressive thought in almost everything we do.
In good thoughts, always. Miigwech
Carrianne Agawa
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