Phil texted me to come at 6 instead of 5. I got to Barwis at about 5:15. Eric helped me out of my car again. I see Phil and he asks me, “Are you late enough?!” I told him that he told me to come at 6. He responded with an, “Oh yeah” and went back to working with whomever he was working with. When 6 o’clock came, Phil stretched me at the chairs. My legs were REALLY tight but they progressively began loosening up. After he stretched me at the chairs, he pushed me over to the plyo boxes. He pushed me over to the “Baby Bear” box. He broke it down even further so it was shorter (about the height of my wheelchair) and put me on it. It took a minute for my legs to relax and for my feet to touch the floor. I wondered what we were going to do with me sitting on this short box. Phil told me to put my arms straight out to my sides. He said that we were working on proprioception. Then he told me to not lose my balance and to recover. I had no idea what he meant by that because it was fairly easy to sit with my arms outstretched to my sides.
Then it started. He pushed different parts of my shoulders from the front and the back. He pushed either side of my rib cage as well and told me to “recover” and to NOT fall over. He had me sit with my arms outstretched for one minute while I became the human bop bag. We did this 8 times and each time it got progressively harder. He was pushing me faster and faster and it was becoming more difficult to recover and it would take longer but I managed. I told him kind of accusatory that he was TRYING to knock me over to which he responded, “kind of.” I didn’t fall completely over AT ALL! I could feel my core muscles tightening and they kind of hurt today.
Now, each time he told me to put my arms out, I was reminded of auditions for the high school musical my Junior year. A girl named Sandra was auditioning as well for more of a dance role. I was auditioning for a singing role (once upon a time, I used to have some pretty good pipes) and before the director arrived we were talking and somehow got on the subject of ballet. She used to take ballet when she was younger and proceeded to show me the first three positions. We were just goofing around but she said that I always have to start in first position. YEARS later, a colleague and I were talking and somehow the subject of ballet came up. She also took lessons when she was younger. I told her about auditions and Sandra and proceeded to demonstrate the three positions I knew. She gasped and began to laugh and told me that I was correct. So, as I sat on the “Baby Bear” plyo box yesterday, I HAD to begin with first position and Phil made fun of me EVERY time! Whatev. I HAVE to have good form! I got in to my car mostly by myself with a little bit of Phil’s help. I drove home feeling productive even though I didn’t walk. I am still making progress – slowly but surely!