One for the Mind: what gets you spining?

16 Sep 2010 1 Comment

by kristinclapper in Uncategorized

After reading a blog written by Superhooper.org’s Lara Eastburn, I wanted to find out what “sparks” my hooping. When reading her blog post, I thought to myself, thats a silly question, “what sparks your hooping?” I already know why I hoop- but it wasnt until I finished her exercise (listed  below) that I truly understood my addiction to it.

I encourage everyone to give it a try- Find out what sparks your hooping…

• Close your eyes and for a few moments think about the last several times you hooped, the most
  memorable hooping sessions you’ve had, or both. Give some thought to what prompted you to get up and
  grab a hoop – was it a sunny day, a great song, a terrible mood? Try to recall how you felt at the time and
  any other circumstances surrounding those moments.

Last night was a memorable night. It had been a while since I was able to get in my hoop- but last night I hooped to some live music, the music was right, the moment was right, everything hit me at once. This was one of those flight times where I was unfocused on my sourindings. It was me, the hoop, and the tunes from the band. We all connected on a higher level. Everything was perfect.

The past few times before that I got in my hoop because I had a longing for it. I could feel it calling my name as it patiently sat in the back of my car waiting for me to pick it up. Coming home from work feeling stressed out, I finally grabbed it and into the movement we went.  The evenings were beautiful, starting to cool off and the breeze was enlighing. The ipod did the trick with a few of my favorite playlists. I started by warming up in the hoop just to get my smile, then spent some time working with the “cardio” aspect of it. (from not being able to hoop for so long, I was feeling lathergic, needed to get my heart rate beating) From there I moved into some leg tricks Ive been wanting to finesse, and then onto some poi hoops. Since it had been so long since I had last hooped, I was feeling rusty. There are time I feel I don’t really get that deep connection until I’m finished with my practice.

• Formulate a title or question that best suits your inquiry – I chose, simply, “When I hoop” – and write it at
  the top of a piece of paper.
  
• Now number each line of the page, 1-25. Fill each line with the first things that come to your mind, taking
  care not to censor your thoughts. Repetition is OK! Just keep going — try not to stop until you come to the
  last numbered line.
  
• The more lines there are, the more likely you are to push past your more surface and conscious feelings
  to arrive at something about which you were not aware before. If you have the time and the inclination,
  number your page to any amount, up to 100. It is common to get annoyed, frustrated, and even bored
  with this exercise, but push through – there are gems to be found.
  
• When you have completed filling each line, you may have already arrived at some revelation about what
  sparks your hooping. If not, or you just want clarification, group each of the lines by similar content using
  a symbol or initial. You should quickly see themes appear – and a clearer picture emerging of what
  funnels and fuels your hoop-joy.

WHEN I HOOP…

1. I smile
2. I laugh
3. I play
4. I feel whole
5. I connect with my inner spirit
6. I forget the world around me
7. I feel radiant
8. I can dance
9. I spin
10. I twirl
11. I move freely
12. My bones do not exist
13. My muscles are rubber bands
14. I jump
15. I am beautiful
16. I can laugh at myself
17. I get frustrated
18. then I laugh some more
19. I have self confidence
20. I make other smile
21. I am myself
22. I am somebody
23. I can express my brainwaves
24. My weight does not matter
25. I can express my happiness
26. I amaze myself
27. I love to teach
28. I look for inspiration around me
29. I find the correlation to everything in the world
30. Everything makes sense

People meditate to talk to god, and reach their inner self- I found this is what happens when I hoop. I find myself, I am one, I am who I have always wanted to be, even in my flaws, I am perfect. This is my form of meditation, when negative thoughts enter my brain, I acknowledge them, then with each rotation of the hoop I send them spinning out from with-in me. For me, hooping is a path to the divine. It is where I find peace in this unforgiving world. It is where I find happiness in all that surrounds me. When I am finished with my hoop practice, I come away with the most intense feeling of joy and inspiration. I want to transfer that into everything I do, and everyone I talk to.

That is why I hoop.