Hooping.org

Yep. Same here. I’m hooping daily now. Yesterday I did 40 and today I plan on getting in another 30.
Hooping often makes me feel more comfortable ‘in my skin’ the rest of the time.

Great column Philo. I am now inspired to try to hoop everyday for 30 minutes, or at least some amount of time. I too enjoy the flexibility of just waist hooping in front of the television sometimes without the pressure of learning new tricks etc. Loved the Casual Hooper column. Did 35 mins today working on the Basement Jaxx choreography, but maybe tomorrow, it’s back to the waist

It made me realizes I’m allergic to mold from hooping in my basement… thanks hoop! I always wondered why I was getting sick. I mastered chest hooping and shimmying up from the knees, and one-legged hooping, but not the jump back in. It also helped me lose 5 lbs. I’m skinny already but that winter layer had started to make a thermoprotective barrier against the cold and hooping helped it stay away this year. I can’t imagine a day without hooping now, it makes me forget about the realities of life when I’m spinning in that circle.

I’ve been thinking about this ever since the topic was posted but didn’t want to just dash off some response in a hurry. I got so much out of the challenge. First, it felt like an anniversary to me – I feel like I really committed to a daily practice after the January 2011 challenge, which I joined just days after hooping for the very first time. I’ve almost always had some sort of daily practice in my life. At times it has been physical, at times mental, at times spiritual or emotional – and at times all combined. I’ve practiced yoga, meditation, dance, fitness, creative visualization, journalling, etc. Hooping feels like another yoga to me, providing me with a space to take refuge, a barometer for feelings & thoughts, and a physical discipline that makes me feel more healthy. During this challenge, I really felt connected to all the people posting, and this was very meaningful to me. The group was smaller than in past challenges, so I really had time to read everyone’s posts fully. It was supportive to read about peoples’ triumphs and challenges, and to see others cheering them on & giving words of support when things were tough. In terms of my own hooping, I made some big shifts in my off body work & really became intrigued with the physics of how to move the hoop in arcs, shapes and spirals in the space near & farther from my body. I was using mostly my polypro, so I didn’t do quite as much fitness hooping. Maybe three weeks ago I went to a retreat, a Mother Tara Empowerment (Tibetan Buddhist practice). It was profound & shifted my relationship with many things, including my hoop. I’ve begun to relate more consciously to my hoop as something within which to take refuge. Toward the end of the challenge – last weekend in fact, the hoop showed me a deeper level of how hard I can be on myself and get in my own way when I refuse to accept imperfection. This is nothing new to me, but the timing and the juxtaposition with the retreat & the challenge shed new light on this issue. I got so frustrated after 2 days of skills just not working that I became angry. Hello! I finally felt that I just had to let go, that it had to not matter if I never could do any skill at all, that being with my hoop, my space of refuge, was all that mattered. As in all things, once i let go, my relationship with my circular partner improved drastically. Finally, I feel that my work with lighter hoops and twins brought about some healing of my left shoulder, which has been cranky for several months. In late December I had 2 sessions with my teacher/bodyworker & part of my goal was to discover what was limiting my movement in that shoulder. I showed him the movement that was painful, and this led to a deep unwinding on all levels. He made a statement “let the movement come from a deeper place” that has become my mantra any time I am having difficulty with ANY kind of movement. I’ve had three LaStone (hot stone) therapy sessions with my other body worker in the last three months & that has been a factor as well. In my hooping practice, I have applied the wisdom from all of these sessions and found some profound releases and deeper places of movement initiation. I’ve noticed less pain and greater range of movement in that shoulder.
So all this sharing is to say that yes, I certainly got a lot out of the challenge! It was so wonderful for me, and I’m grateful that people have continued to practice and post here! Wishing all a happy hoopy weekend!

I’ve now done three 30/30′s in a row, and inevitably I feel many of the same things each time: initially frustrated with the having to hoop pressure each day, that resistance and clock watching the first 3 or 4 minutes into my hoop session, then joy, exploration, a deepening relationship with my hoop, and a great sense of community when posting and reading everyone else’s posts each day.
I was a wee bit envious of all the ” I lost weight” posts, as that did not noticeably happen for me…kudos to everyone who did, I applaud you, but sigh for me. On the other hand, I do tend to hoop most days, at least 5 days of the week, and often for an hour, or more, because it’s so hard to stop, so I’m not changing anything drastically that would merit sudden noticeable weight loss. I do feel stronger after the 30/30, and still so in love with hooping. I often say if there was a fire in my home and I had to leave suddenly, I would grab my cat, my favourite pair of shoes (because they are sooo comfortable), and my hoop, or a couple of my hoops. I am only hoping I’m already dressed in this scenario, because that would be a tough choice. Modesty, or hoop joy? lol… I really feel I have grown with the daily practice, not necessarily increasing my repertoire drastically, but in continued exploration of my personal hooping direction, style, joy, flow. I have also been so lucky to be able to define some of these processes and share them through teaching this month, so exciting and fun. It’s been a really good hoop month. I always look forward to the 30/30, and I really liked the wild card option. I never used it, but knowing it was an option helped me keep going despite being sick.

I have been hooping daily since the last challenge ..love it

Ive found that I really do have more time to hoop than I thought!