Crisis in Zvezda Practisinga chapter from the book by Maria Guseva
Now I would like to speak about such thing as quitting Zvezda practice. According to the statistics, such crises happen in 2 weeks and in 2-4 months after the start. I think, and I would be glad to get some feedback from you with additional information, that those who have practised Zvezda exercises for half a year, continue doing it quitting and resuming the practice in accordance with their own feeling but without stopping it completely. However, those who have just started can face reluctance to do it at the initial stage.
I want you to know that such throwbacks are possible. They are not surprising and about 70% of women go through it. Some of them (the minority) overcome this reluctance and continue Zvezda practising, the others (the majority) quit it completely. This is also normal and quite comprehensible.
Here are the most common reasons for women to quit the practice:
1. Zvezda Gymnastics is not effective. “I don't have any results. I don't feel anything. These are some stupid exercises. What's the point of doing them?”;
2. Laziness. Inability to do the same practice for a long time. "On Saturday they organize a belly dancing group in the community center. I'd better go there! And my neighbour Helen says that pilates helped her a lot. I should also try it!";
3. No clear inner motivation and need for group workouts. I mean that for such women it is important to go somewhere. They'd better spend two hours on fitness/yoga (an hour for getting to the sports club and an hour for exercises) than practice alone at home;
4. And the most clear and really considerable reason is throwbacks.
So, what can be done about these reasons?
I have nothing to say about the first three ones and no need for that. However, if you fall into the third category and you feel the need for group practising I can recommend you something. You can arrange a group with your friends and practise Zvezda Gymnastics altogether. You can find an instructor in your city who organizes regular group classes. However, this option is difficult because we don't have a lot of instructors yet. And finally, you can join our skype chat and do the exercises with someone from the chat. It's not the best alternative but still it will motivate a bit those women who need a company for doing something.
Now I want to speak about throwbacks in detail. What is a throwback? As a rule, Zvezda Gymnastics gives some energy advance at the initial stage: it improves the mood and general state; gives smoothness and relaxation as well as vivacity etc. Then, it is almost inevitable to have a decline in the form of depression, aggression, heightened resentments. Every woman has her own negative reaction. Throwbacks can be divided into the following categories:
1. Emotional (for example, mood swings);
2. Physical (acute conditions of diseases);
3. Crisis in life circumstances (dismissal, a breakup with the partner etc.).
In general, Zvezda practice fluctuates the first two years, i.e. it doesn't mean that after aggravation in the form of a running nose everything will be ok. There will be ups and downs again. Still they will be larger and deeper with time. At first, it might be calmness as well as tears and sniffles, then, possibly, dismissal and search for your true purpose in life, and later that might be a change of the place of living etc. You will be purged until you start living in exact accordance with your heart. Without betraying yourself. It doesn't mean that since you start Zvezda Gymnastics, your life will turn into a complete assault course. You'll get stronger with every trial and you will face each new one with more serenity. You are sure not to recognise yourself in a year of Zvezda practising. You will be very surprised recalling your own behaviour in a year. I've gone through it myself and I see it in many other women who go through it. It is a journey and I believe it's worth going through. However, it might be easier for someone to refuse it at the initial stage. And I can understand that. I think the most important thing is to clearly understand what you refuse and why. Yes, the first euphoria from the practice will subside and turn into calm and balanced energy. I mean that, probably, you won't move mountains but you'll know that you can do it. Something that seemed impossible before will become clear and achievable. And at the same time purging and cleansing will continue.
To sum it up, I want to provide some recommendations to those who face a throwback at the beginning and still are willing to go on:
1. Don't quit the practice completely;
2. Decrease the amount of exercises. Do one repetition of exercises, instead of three, and do 7 exercises every other day. If you still feel that it's too much, do only the basic positions and a used-up energy release. But continue practising because Zvezda Gymnastics will give you resources to go through the obstacles instead of burying them somewhere deep inside as it is usually done;
3. Try to understand what's going on. If you get angry with everyone around you, look for the REAL root cause of this aggression. It's clear that the reason is not in the kid's crying and screaming and the husband's coming home late. There's some story, some situation that provokes this internal discomfort, that makes you get angry and in this way it attracts your attention. So, you have to work with this situation;
4. You can and should use other methods to work with your subconscious. It can be some books about loving yourself, mental training, praying, meditations etc. Find the methods suitable for you, do not neglect these problems;
5. That would happen anyway, even without Zvezda practice. The Gymnastics only brings to the surface all the things that are sure to appear in this or that way later, but, probably, in a more aggravated form. I hope, understanding this fact will help you to take easier the things happening to you and, despite the circumstances, to continue practising.
And if you've been doing Zvezda exercises for a long time, you probably have your own secrets how to cope with a crisis.
Zvezda Instructor Nadezhda Mikhalina (practising since 2011) has written a good article about crises in Zvezda Gymnastics:
"I noticed several times that when I ask a woman by chance whether she continues practising, she lowers her eyes and says that no, she hasn't been doing it for 2 days/weeks/months. And in such case I have the feeling that I'm expected to get angry with her or at least to reprimand her for not being a good girl because good girls don't act like that. As if we were at school and she's been absent from classes.... I think that we are all adults and only we, ourselves, are responsible for our OWN life. At least, I want it to be this way. You have to understand that doing or not doing Zvezda exercises is your own decision.
Still I want to say that making breaks is also normal. At least, I know very few women who practice in accordance with a strict schedule and without any breaks for a long period of time. When you just start feeling your body and your true self and understanding what you really need, there are natural pauses. For some reason in this period you cannot do Zvezda Gymnastics. The other thing is to be able to tell common laziness and negligence from the condition when you really need a break in practising. As for me, not to forget about the practice I make the note "Z" in my organizer, and then if the situation allows, I do it. I have to avoid the situation: "I forgot about it for a month!". I expect my body to ask for it. Still, in the beginning you have to develop this habit.
Very often there are false recollections. Sometimes you feel that you practice a lot and every day. But if you count, it appears to be not that much.
And if you have a crisis or cannot do the Gymnastics for some reason, then you shouldn't completely stop it, just decrease the load. Do a bit of it often in homoeopathic doses. If you have some "negative" effects (I put the quotes because I don't see anything bad in the fact that the body gets rid of some unnecessary and outdated things), don't forget about the used up energy release. And still if you don't want to do it, don't do it. Honestly say to yourself that you don't want to, don't have time to or can't do Zvezda Gymnastics now, and continue your ordinary life. Don't blame yourself and don't feel guilty.
Maybe, in some time you'll want to resume it. Maybe, your body will ask for it recalling how good it felt doing this practice. And, maybe, you will never remember it again. This is also a common thing.
Sometimes there are periods when your practice is full of joy and pleasure. Everything is fine in your life and you want to live and practice in this joy. I'm sorry to upset you saying that it won't last forever. We change and our life also changes... Zvezda Gymnastics changes too. Even if your body is fit enough to do all the exercises in the right way and you enjoy practising, it doesn't mean anything. It's quite possible that some old block or problem will come to the surface, and the body will get wooden again. It's not bad. It doesn't mean that you shall stop the practice. You have to overcome it and go on. Maybe, it is time to use some other methods for the Body and Mind. Don't expect joy and pleasure from Zvezda Gymnastics. They might happen as a bonus and might not. And in this case Zvezda practice can be of help to you. Probably, it is these moments when it is even more useful and necessary.
Very often women don't want to do it because they don't see any results. In this case, take a pen and some paper and try to find results. Remember yourself before the start and look at yourself now. Analyze your physical and emotional conditions, whether there are any changes in your state. Look at your life in detail and listen to yourself.
We do it very rarely. We are not used to paying attention to our beloved selves. And if you don't have any results (which is quite improbable) I would highly recommend you to correct your exercises with a Zvezda instructor. Believe me, there is always something to be corrected. It can also be useful to study the most common mistakes. Ask somebody to look at you or better take a photo or a video. You will be able to see many things yourself! And you can show your photo/video to an instructor over the Internet. We are sure to help, correct and assist you."