Day 12 - Asking A Question In A Group Class

Day 12 brought me face to face with a curious pattern—the way I silence my own technical questions in certain spaces, even though speaking up is generally natural for me.

The setting was a hot functional movement class. Near the end, I had a question about heel placement that would fundamentally change how the posture felt in my body. Here's where it gets interesting: I almost didn't ask.

I've noticed this pattern before. During a continuing education class for my psychology license, I held back my questions, telling myself they were too elementary, that my unfamiliarity with the modality meant I should just listen quietly. "We'll run out of time," I convinced myself, "and my question isn't important enough."

But this challenge is teaching me to notice these moments where I make myself small. So in that hot room, with the instructor moving from one leg to the second foot, I made a choice that sent anxiety rushing through my system. I interrupted and asked about the heel placement.

The answer? It mattered completely. The heel position changed everything—muscle engagement, stability, stretch quality. My body needed that information.

Could I have just "gone with it"? Absolutely. But this challenge isn't about taking the easy path—it's about taking risks that serve my growth, about nurturing myself in unfamiliar ways.

What strikes me is how context-dependent our courage can be. Put me in a learning environment where I feel like a beginner, and suddenly that inner critic gets loud: "Don't take up space. Don't reveal what you don't know."

The rush of anxiety when raising my hand was my nervous system responding to vulnerability. But on the other side was exactly what I needed—clarity, proper form, and the knowledge that my body deserved accurate information.

By the end of class, my body felt different. Not just from the movement, but from advocating for what I needed to know. Sometimes the questions we're afraid to ask are exactly the ones the room needs to hear.

So what about you? Are you doing anything new? What patterns do you notice in the spaces where you speak up versus stay quiet? I'd love to hear what risks you're taking, what questions you're finding the courage to ask - drkimber@drkimber.net.