Working Out With A Guru

The Dailey Method is a regular part of my workout routine – when I am being good about it   A challenging one-hour class, The Dailey Method combines exercises with lightweights, Pilates, ballet barre work and stretching. It works every muscle group in the body with an emphasis on your abs and stretching.

Yesterday I had an opportunity to take a class with Dailey Method creator, Jill Dailey. Since she is based on the West Coast slots in her few Chicago area classes were in demand and offered to teachers and The Dailey Method’s most devoted attendees first.  Despite my recently renewed emphasis on exercising, I’m not exactly the most loyal regular.

I secured this opportunity because I had won a drawing last summer to participate in a small workshop with Jill during her next visit to the Chicago area. I had practically forgotten about it when I received an email alerting me to her visit.  I was ultimately unable to attend due to a prior commitment, so Tami Conway the owner of the Bucktown studio offered me a reservation to a class as a consolation. As the date approached for this session, I upped my attendance at classes in order to prepare and not look like a fool!

The class was filled with teachers who are usually my instructors and incredibly fit Dailey Method followers. If that was not intimidating enough, several teachers observed and took notes during the session.  Everyone was keyed up to meet their personal exercise guru.

The good news is that I survived! There was only one truly humiliating moment: we were in “seated chair" position and Jill told me in a voice the whole class could hear that she’d slide off my lap if she was sitting on it.  Nonetheless, she was very approachable and provided incredibly clear direction that improved my technique. I didn’t even notice that class went over by fifteen minutes. I am usually counting the minutes until class is over. 

Despite my humiliation, I left incredibly motivated to continue my fitness routine. I will be ready for shorts weather if it ever warms up here in Chicago.