Inspiration: Expression through Pole & Bikram Yoga
Photo taken by: Andrew Wilz
We are happy to share an inspirational woman, Holly Miely! Holly, a Mika Yoga Wear-er, has rediscovered what beauty and power for women really means. Having noticed that every day roles can tend to bind and constrain women, Holly discovered the importance and necessity for women to feel feminine, and beautiful. While maintaining busy schedules and obligations, she believes we can and should all feel sexy, strong and confident. All it takes is some self expression through the power of the pole and deep stretching with Bikram Yoga.
Holly's Inspiration
Holly or “Honey” as she has come to go by in the Pole world, believes pole dancing can provide amazing confidence into ones daily life. Honey feels pole dancing is one of the most beautiful expressions of the female form through strength, flexibility and grace. She is continually inspired by her students.
“I love to watch my students start to come out of their everyday personas and really free themselves in class. It is such an amazing transformation.”
“I’ll admit, what first drew me to pole dancing was the sexy aspect mixed with athletics and I discovered what an amazing confidence booster it was. Women (and men!) of all ages, sizes and backgrounds attend classes and all report a feeling of sexiness and confidence they carry into their daily lives.”
Passion turned to Action
In 2008 Holly founded Honey’s PoleCate Revue, a mixed dance performance group. She is the choreographer, artistic director and lead pole dancer of the group who incorporates five different types of dance for various shows. “It is Cirque De Soleil meets Pussycat Dolls while putting together themes and costumes to create exciting, sexy shows.” Holly feels founding PoleCat Revue was a logical, intended route for her life as she has been performing in dance, ballet and ice skating since she was four. “I absolutely LOVE performing, so discovering Pole and taking it into the public seemed very natural. It has been a struggle to have pole accepted in the mainstream. A part of my job as a pole dance performer is to educate people on what pole dancing is.”
Competitive Achievements: 2012 – National Aerial Pole Art – Competitor Pole Dancing Universe 2011, Denver, CO – Competitor 2011 American Pole Fitness Association – Elite Division Finalist Rock The Pole, Tri-Pole Challenge 2010, Hollywood, CA – Showcase solo performer
Philosophy
For Holly, Pole Dancing is about freeing women from the constraints of life and discovering the true raw beauty and strength within themselves.
“I was raised in a generation with changing roles for women. We are about female empowerment, equality, liberation, equal rights. We moved away from traditional family values and roles and started making our own money, buying our own houses, and cars, raising our children alone; doing a lot for ourselves. Somewhere along the way, we lost some of our femininity and beauty. We got so caught up in being equal we forgot that we really aren’t. We are more beautiful, graceful, and sexy than men. We stopped looking at OURSELVES as sexual beings as that meant we were objectifying ourselves. In reality, we were taking away our own power. We ARE sexy beautiful creatures that hold the ability to have power within ourselves and over others by using what we have been given by birth. We are not men nor would I want to ever change what I am. In my form I am strong, sensual and sexy, erotic, powerful and enchanting. If I feel and own these qualities, others see them. Confidence is by far the sexiest trait a woman can own.”
Combining Bikram Yoga & Pole
With such an athletic background, Holly had also been practicing different types of yoga. She decided to finally give Bikram a try. Hating her first class and describing it as “terrible,” she committed herself to a month, after which she would decide to continue or not. “I saw a change in my upper back and shoulder flexibility in less than two weeks of class and I quickly learned to love and even crave the heat and sweat.” Holly began going nearly every day for three months and even joining advanced classes after a month. She is thankful for Bel and Emily Carpenter who own Roaring Fork Bikram studios and have acted as her flexibility coaches and helped her mentally focus as well. She is thankful for the support she found in the Bikram studios and still continues to practice five times a week.
Thank you Holly for sharing with Mika Yoga Wear your discovery and work to strengthen and empower women worldwide!
To Contact Holly or learn about classes:
Email: poledance@comcast.net Website: www.honeyspolefitness.com
These AMAZING photos were taken by: Andrew Wilz www.wilzphoto.com