The room was packed with women. I did hear that men also participate in the class. But today, girlfriends of all shapes, sizes, ages and backgrounds gathered together to celebrate the beauty of movement. When I arrived, there were no chairs left but I did manage to snag a black boa. The instructor walked in wearing a pair of hip-high white boots that I would have killed to be wearing. As I eyed those boots, I thought, “How sexy can one really feel wearing sweat pants and tennis shoes? I wonder if those come in a size 12.”

A DJ was spinning tunes for us. The instructor encouraged us to partner up so that we would all have the experience of using the chair. Sharing a smile that was half encouragement and half excitement, I met my new striptease partner, Ms. Sophia from Atlanta, Georgia. She was gorgeous! She was in her 60s and looked absolutely fabulous with the black boa framing her silver locks. And, yes, I did say striptease partner – and we are still talking about Canyon Ranch on this blog.

The Fit Strip class offered at Canyon Ranch in Tucson is all the rage. The room is packed and what happens inside the room is only half the fun. The other half is performing for the audience that inevitably assembles outside of the glass gym doors. A point of clarification – no clothing is actually removed during the class, except maybe the flinging of a boa or two. The removal of clothing happens later at night, as our “day at Canyon Ranch” is reviewed for partners and spouses vacationing with us. I can hear it now: “Hey honey, I learned this fabulous dance routine in class today. Let me show and tell for you … Now, imagine your hearing Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake.”

The truth is the class is not about stripping at all. It is about self-esteem. Feeling comfortable in our skin and expressing movement for our own enjoyment. For some, that is an exploration of sexuality or sensuality as they watch themselves in the mirrors around the room. For others, it is the courage to just walk into a class called “Fit Strip” and give it a try. Regardless of all the chatter going on in their minds as to what they must look like moving this way, they show up to see what would happen. I would even bet that a small portion of those that take this class aren’t seeking the self-esteem as much as they are looking for a fun, alternative workout.

Returning now to Ms. Sophia and the escapades we shared on that little chair wearing our black boas. We did not stop encouraging each other or laughing together the entire class. Both of us created stories in our minds in order to set the stage for our performance. Those stories may have been as different as our ages, backgrounds and body shapes, but we shared a common experience. We took a chance to try something new and walked away having created great memories and feeling good about ourselves.

Ms. Sophia and I ended up spending the next hour in the Spa lobby sharing stories and thoughts about our Fit Strip experience and life. We both agreed: You can feel really sexy in sweat pants and tennis shoe, but we’re keeping our eyes out for a pair of those boots!