Gone but Not Forgotten

Monday was a stressful day for me. Not because of work, not because of something at home but because we were going to practice a lion dance (the we being Sifu Tymchuck and myself). I kept telling myself that you have done a lot of lion dances over the years so why be nervous. I think the reason I was nervous was because I was afraid of failure. It had been 2 years since my last lion dance and I wasn't sure if I would remember how to even do it. This seemed silly and irrational to myself but I couldn't shake the nerves and the closer it got to practice time the worse it got. Monday evening at 8:15, we jump in the lion after a 15 second discussion between Sifu Brinker, Sifu Tymchuck and myself and we go for it. I take a few seconds in the lion to focus my mind and then close the lions eyes, put the head down and get ready to go. The first beat of the drum changes the mindset and I start going through the motions like I had done many times in the past. It all came back to me like I had just done a lion dance yesterday. It felt natural to be in a lion again and especially with a familiar partner. Sifu Tymchuck and I were partners for over two years at one point and it felt natural to be back in a lion with him again. Anxiety and self doubt can be a hard thing to overcome but with the help of your teammates and training partners it is possible.