The Hooping.org 30/30 Hooping Challenge
January 5, 2011 in Community, Features, Health and Spirit
[Hooping.org columnist Rayna McInturf delivers a challenge for the new year and a new you.]
I have never actually had what you’d call a hooping “practice.” It never became something that took place customarily in my daily life, for myself and my own well being. When I started hooping in 2000 I knew only a handful of other hoopers and the holistic benefits of hooping were as yet unknown. For us, hoopdance was our performance art and we “practiced” three times a week together, in addition to the hoopjams and performances, only our focus was on honing our skills for performing. Of course we still enjoyed hooping immensely, and in those early years we started to discover there were overall health benefits as a result of hooping, not only for ourselves, but consequently in our students as we started to teach regular classes.
By the time hoopers like Baxter distilled the mind-body-spirit benefits of having a regular hooping practice, much like a yoga practice, I was up to my ears in hooping as a “business”. Developing my own practice fell by the wayside, and taking care of myself in general was pretty much last on the list. I was hooping a lot because I was teaching a lot, but teaching hoopdance is not the same as having your own practice – and I have always yearned to have a hooping practice for my own personal enrichment. Now that I have reorganized my life and realigned my intentions toward taking better care of myself, I’m ready to commit to me. I’m ready to create my very own hooping practice! What better time to begin this journey than the New Year – and I invite you to join me in doing so. Join me in saying yes to ourselves, our health and well being. Join me in developing, or reinvigorating, a hoop practice for 2011. I invite you to join me for The Hooping.org 30/30 Hooping Challenge.
Here’s how it works: starting on January 8th and completing on February 6th, for 30 minutes EVERY day, I am going to hoop – and if you commit to this challenge with me, so are you!
It takes the human brain almost exactly 21 days to develop a new habit and after about a month it should feel harder not to do the activity. While it helps to do a new activity for at least 15 minutes, we’re going for 30 minutes to take full advantage of the fitness aspects of hooping. It can also be helpful to do the activity at the same time each day, but I say get it in where you can! Even if you have to break it up into 5 or 10 minute increments, find a way to make it work in your schedule.
I will be posting my progress every day here in the main Hoop Community Forum. I will also be posting regularly with support, tips, exercises, music, etc. So if you are up for this challenge, please post your commitment at the above location so that we can help hold each other accountable. In posting your daily progress I’ll be happy to answer any questions or requests for support along the way.
In addition to my desire to establish a regular hooping practice for myself, I’ve also got some more practical desires. I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent the holidays with family eating, drinking and being merry – and not getting a whole lot of hooping in! Needless to say I’ve got a few extra pounds I’d like to shed, and in general I’d like to increase my energy and vitality. So here are my personal goals for the 30/30 Challenge:
- Lose fat & gain muscle tone. I say this instead of the general “lose weight” because losing weight does not necessarily mean getting your body into better physical condition. I will be gauging my progress visually and by how my clothes fit, in addition to monitoring my weight.
- Increase my energy level
- Improve my mood
- Improve my current skills and learn new moves
- Deepen my connection to Source
- Connect with my community
- Shoot some new hooping videos!
If you’d like to share your goals, go ahead and post them when you commit to the challenge.
To ensure my own personal success with this challenge, I will be taking classes and hooping with my community as much as possible. I’ve registered for the HoopPath Deep Water workshop series in San Francisco, then I’m off to Kauai for the Hoop Revolution Mentor Training Retreat with Hoopalicious! I’m diving into my new practice with both hands and feet! I encourage you to find or create some classes, workshops, jams or events as well that you can immerse yourself in to make the most out of the next 30 days.
To motivate you even more, we’ve got a contest for you too!!
At the end of the challenge we will be doing a drawing where three lucky hoopers will win a 6 MONTH MEMBERSHIP to Hooping University!! You’ll get to enjoy 6 months of online classes from some of the world’s top hooping instructors to take your hoop practice even further. Awesome!! To be eligible for the drawing, you must:
- Register by posting your intention to complete the challenge here in the main Hoop Community Forum.
- Hoop for a total of 30 minutes during each day of the challenge.
- Post about your practice for the day in the forum, checking in for each day of the challenge. It can be very brief, or more detailed if you feel like sharing
At the end all who completed the challenge will be entered into a random drawing and the winners will be announced. Good luck everyone!
Of course all who participate in The Hooping.org 30/30 Hooping Challenge will already be winners just for joining. Thirty days from now we’ll have developed our very own hoop practice, we’ll look and feel better and we will have improved our overall health and well being, gaining more connection with our selves – and with each other. We can do this!! We are the masters of our own realities and we are a powerful community, so let’s go! Join me in the challenge today!
To your wellness,
Rayna
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Miss something recently? Check out Rayna’s recent column: The Hoop Dance Uncovers Hula Hoop History and the Hooping.org interview – Rayna McInturf: Life After Hoopnotica.
Rayna McInturf began hooping in 2000 and co-moderates Hooping.org’s Hooping Instructors and California Hoopers groups and online forums. She was voted Female Hooper of the Year in 2008 by Hooping.org readers and you can visit her website at www.ihooponline.com.
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Paul -V- said on January 5, 2011
An excellent challenge. This is going to be fun.
- pvh
cybersass said on January 5, 2011
i’d already decided that this is to be the year of renewing my (for the last few years, non-existent) yoga and hoop practice, so this could not come at a better time. before i even responded to this, i went and hooped for almost an hour! and i’ve been back at yoga since sunday, so thanks rayna! i’m going to stop lamenting the fact that i don’t have a hoop community where i live, and slot in with my fabulous online hooping family. maybe this will even be the year where, by hooping, i inspire more people around me to hoop!
Leah of Loopdihoops.com said on January 5, 2011
I am so grateful for you Rayna! I’m in and thank you for the suggestion. There is always room for (my) improvement and having others involved is so motivating.
Melissa said on January 5, 2011
Yay! SO excited for this. I’ve missed my hoop and this is perfect. Thank you for doing this!
HoopNymph said on January 5, 2011
I am in also!
boomtown hoops said on January 5, 2011
that’s what I’m talking about. I’m in!!! I have been up to my ears in business too and have put my own wellbeing on the back burner and am feeling the negative effects. I am all about the support we can bring each other. Great idea!
Kamala said on January 5, 2011
Thanks so much for this initiative!!! I’m a long time practitioner of yoga and dance, but a very very new hooper. This challenge comes at a perfect time and it is great to know others of many experience levels will be out there in the flow!
Kit said on January 5, 2011
HA! Remember that year when I kept saying, “You should have a Hoop practice Rayna” and put aside Hoopnotica for 30 minutes? YAY Go WOMAN!! I’ll be joining you
Infact, I will be starting today 
Hoopalicious said on January 5, 2011
YAY!! I will be with you as well! so looking forward to sharing with you all as we enter into this powerful new year.
hoopiness, sweat and giggles~ Anah
PyrateGyrl Megan said on January 5, 2011
I’ll give it a whirl….
Trixie Vandersloot said on January 5, 2011
I love it! Thanks so much for the inspiration. My practice always falls off in the winter when I am not as inclined to grab my hoop and run outside but the cold winter is exactly when I (we all) need the endorphins from hooping!
JessicaLea said on January 5, 2011
I need a Hoop challenge and some direction! I work on sunday and that is when the bay area hoopers meet, so that has been my excuse. But no more! 30 minutes a day! I love hooping and I know it will make me feel happy
Shannon said on January 5, 2011
love this and i am excited to take part!
Cookie said on January 5, 2011
I’m there! and thanks for the motivation. This will be fun and it’s interesting how us in the hoop biz aren’t finding enough time to hoop for ourselves? Nuff said! Here we go…
bethlavinder said on January 5, 2011
I like the spirit of the challenge. Thanks for planting the seed, Rayna.
Lbottom33 said on January 5, 2011
I’m going to do this. This is exactly what I need to get my act together for the new year. I’m tired of blaming lack of space, crazy dogs, and cold weather for my laziness. My overall goal is to have enough skill and confidence to get out and hoop during a local musical festival in April, and staring at my hoops all day won’t get me there! Thanks Rayna…
Bettina said on January 5, 2011
Thanks for the challenge and inspiration! Hoop!
Ariana said on January 5, 2011
Thanks Rayna! As usual right on track. I made it through the last three months (intense) culminating with Laura’s wedding on the first and I started hooping for myself again this past Monday! Nice to be part of a collective community doing this together:)
Kinetic Kristen said on January 5, 2011
I’m in! Since I transferred to a new position in a new call center, I have an indoor space @ the center’s gym to use on lunch or after work. I’ve been using it 3-4 days during the week; this is the kick to use it every day I’m at work & elsewhere on the days off! Thank you, Rayna!
bridget said on January 5, 2011
i’m so excited about this. i honestly have fallen out of practice lately and this is a great incentive.
Aimee said on January 5, 2011
I love this idea! I have been slacking, and want to get into the fun again, thanks for the extra push.
Jamie said on January 5, 2011
Brilliant. I’m so glad someone put this into words because I was thinking along the same lines. Great plan! I’m in.
Whatsername said on January 5, 2011
I am absolutely in! I already try to get in at least that much daily, but the knowledge that I’m part of a bigger hooping… circle is exciting!
Kaia said on January 5, 2011
It’s funny as healers and teachers how much it helps to have someone make a CHALLENGE to our own centered wellness. I’m a new-ish hooper, and am totally stoked to now have several hoops to practice with. Starting on 1/8/11 is also a winning idea.
So I think it’s kind of cute that my hooping practice is going to be about hoops and fruits. 30 minutes of hooping, 30 days in a row, and at least one piece of fruit every day. Mmmmmm…
Thanks from Austin!
bethlavinder said on January 5, 2011
I like that, Kaia!