I love seeing new faces in my classes at the studio: another person has found Pilates and is learning what it can do for them! But I also sometimes want to take them by the hand and reassure them that they’re doing great and that they are amazing, even if the carriage parks loudly or they lose control of the pedal and it slams shut. “This is normal!” I want to shout, “Perfect even! Do it again!”
“Mistakes” in the studio are signs that you’re going outside of your comfort zone and pushing into the growth zone. Doing a movement “perfectly,” like the person next to us is not actually the goal (and I can guarantee they do not share your view of their flawlessness ). Because EVERY BODY BELONGS at Pilates in Holland, we expect, and want to see, a variety of embodiments of the movements that are being taught. Modifications and variations are at the core of what we do. They are scaffolding to allow you to dip a toe out of your comfort zone and into the growth zone.
The comfort zone is a state where we have minimal anxiety and a low perception of risk. We tend to repeat the same patterns over and over because they’re…comfortable. From Psychology Today: As creatures of habit, we become reliant on these routines that we know we can complete well to feel secure (Van Gelderen, 2023). However, by stepping outside of our comfort zone, we learn about our ability to handle new situations and control risks, leading to greater self-efficacy, and lower levels of anxiety (Kiknadze & Leary, 2021).
The idea of a comfort zone is rooted in research conducted by psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson in 1908. They developed the Yerkes–Dodson Law, which states that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal (stress) but only up to a point. When the level of stress becomes too high, performance decreases. According to the Yerkes-Dodson Law, an optimal level of pressure or anxiety is needed for performance increases (a fight response) without too much pressure, which can cause someone to panic (a flight or freeze response).
This interplay between comfort and growth is illustrated in the learning theory proposed by educational psychologist Lev Vygotsky called the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Vygotsky’s theory emphasized the role of social interaction and his belief that children learn through guidance and encouragement from More Knowledgeable Others (MKO), like teachers, coaches, or peers.
This optimal learning zone is the sweet spot where the most thoughtful instruction or guidance should occur, enabling learners to develop skills they will use independently. The ZPD is not a static space but constantly shifts as we learn and develop new skills. As our competence grows, our zone of proximal development also expands to encompass new challenges. Practicing in the growth zone is where new life lessons and skills are best learned.
This doesn’t mean we push so hard that we put ourselves in danger. While leaving one’s comfort zone leads to learning, going too far too early can put you into the frustration or danger zone, where we feel overwhelmed and fearful and are not able to learn or adapt. Luckily, we have some fantastic MKOs in our teachers at Pilates in Holland. They are not going to ask us to do anything unsafe, but they do want us to grow. In addition, part of being a student of Pilates is to develop a mastery mindset where we have great body awareness and know what we’re capable of and where the edge is.
I know it’s not easy to do. As humans, we’re wired for survival, and naturally shy away from those perceived threats as much as we can. I wrote a couple of years ago about striving to get straight Cs in my PIH classes. It’s a hard thing for me to do as a rule follower/people pleaser/perfectionist. As Brene Brown says, I’m a recovering perfectionist. Here’s how Brown defines it:
Perfectionism is a self-destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of blame, judgment, and shame.
Moving into that learning or growth zone requires stress and facing some anxiety, uncertainty, and a little bit of fear. We need to break out of this pattern of avoiding “bad” feelings like discomfort. We need to get comfortable with being awkward! This means:
- Letting others hear you breathe when using your breath to support your movements
- Letting yourself say a “naughty” word like “butt” when playing brainspeed ball
- Cheering ourselves and each other when the carriage or the pedal slams shut
- Leaning in to perhaps looking or feeling a little silly or undignified
So here’s my reminder to myself and everyone else to get out there and try new things and not worry about perfection. Every time we do, strange, wonderful things start happening in our brains and our lives.
