One Step at a time

So often, while I am coaching ice skating, I help people confront fear. One of the first things I address is falling. I talk about how to direct a fall and how to get back up. After that, I help the skaters slide down to the ice and get back up. This deals with multiple issues: embarrassment, fear, and doubt. We have named the struggle, taken control, and then shown ourselves that we are capable of recovery.

The next thing I handle is movement. Some students step on the ice with a sense of balance, but others are stiff with fear. Providing mental safety is usually my focus. The first movement is a step; it is literally part of the curriculum. It is called marching, and a skater literally needs to take one step at a time. Breathe in, tell yourself it is safe to move, then send a signal to your feet to start. It takes courage to try something new, and sometimes, life doesn't give us a choice. We may be required to do something new, and it will take all the bravery we can conjure up, but what we need is to just take one step forward.

The next motion I teach is called a swizzle. It helps the skater use the edges of the blade and also starts more fluid actions. Skating is all about smooth movements and solid changes, and it requires a good mental defense system. We all fall prey to comparison and feel like we should already be accomplished before we have even taken our first lesson. Finding enough mental and emotional strength to silence the negative voices is hard, and a large part of that is knowing our own worth. I have fought this battle my whole life, and I have learned to start lifting up the strengths I see and pushing down the weaknesses. This method eventually balances out perspectives to get a good sense of reality. Realism accepts the limitations that cannot be changed but inspires us to try for as much as we can. Acceptance understands where we want to do better, without judgment, even when we don't.

For more skating skills, check out the figure skating page.