As summer comes to an end I am left reflecting on how amazing the last several months have been for me and for my hooping. I have made so many new hooping friends and connections this year, but especially over the summer. Between starting up my classes and hoop jams, and having the opportunity to attend the InFlow Festival, I feel like my hoop circle has increased 200%. It's no longer just me anymore, I'm no longer just a lonely hooper.
For over a year I walked my hoop journey alone, with no community or friends to share it with. I felt like somewhere there must be people who were as passionate about plastic circles as I was, and yet I couldn't find any. I was envious of other cities or towns that seemed to have already established a hoop community.
When I started out this year I had no idea where my path would lead, how many people it would bring me to. All I knew is that I loved hooping, and that I wanted to share it with people.
Looking back I can't believe how much I have accomplished in such a short period of time. Starting Hoopla Hula Hoops, becoming a Hooplove Coach, attending workshops with Baxter and Hoopalicious, InFlow Festival..... There is so much to be thankful for.
I would say that I did all of this for others, to share my love of hooping with the world, to reach out and enrich other people's lives through hoopdance. The honest truth is, I did it for myself. I wanted others to benefit from hooping the way I had, but what I really wanted was a community. And since I couldn't find one near me to join, I started one.
There were times when no one was biting. There were times when I thought I wouldn't succeed, that I wondered what the heck I was doing, why I was bothering trying to spread a love of hoopdance at all. There were times when I thought I was crazy. But this little voice inside of me kept saying, "Keep going.... People are going to join you... Just be patient". So I kept putting myself out there, week after week, going to the same places, promoting my classes over and over again.
And then, it happened. People started to take an interest. People started to come out, to come to classes, and hoop jams. Then I realized it, this was really happening. I didn't have to twist people's arms to come hoop with me, they were coming because they wanted to hoop.
I had a wonderful moment yesterday when I pulled into the parking lot for the final hoop jam of the summer, and saw my friend and fellow hooper already hooping away. I didn't have to be there first. I wasn't the only one out there.
Now I am seeing in them what I saw in myself, a desire to continue on this path, to grow and get better, to move, to spin, to lose yourself in the hoop. I knew it! I knew there had to be other people out there like me, I just had to show them what hooping was all about.
I can't honestly say I've ever wanted to be a teacher of anything. Even teaching hoopdance wasn't always something I wanted to do. I would have been just as happy if someone in this town already taught it and I could have joined their classes. But since there was no one, I decided to be that person. I didn't want others to walk this hoop path alone in the beginning, like I did. I wanted for others what I felt I didn't have, this hoop community, people to learn from and to motivate and encourage. If I can be that person for other hoopers, then I will have done my job.
I would have never anticipated that teaching hoopdance would be as rewarding as it has been. I have always felt like I already had the most rewarding job in the world being a mom. Now I feel like I have two rewarding jobs. Seeing my friends and my students love hooping as much as I do, and be as passionate about it, and want to grow and get better, has been the most amazing feeling.
The days are getting shorter and it is getting dark at 8pm again. I already miss the warm summer evenings where I could just pop outside for a hoop after the kids are in bed. I'm getting ready to settle for having to hoop in my dining room once again at home, and I already can't wait for next year. Another summer full of hooping, and laughter, and friends.
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Monday, 25 August 2014
Day 246 - Teach Elemental Hoopdance ~ One Hoop One Love
Shakti Sunfire at One Hoop One Love asked the question, "Why Teach Hoopdance?". Hoopers were challenged to answer this question in one sentence from the heart for a chance to win a scholarship to Shakti's next Elemental Hoopdance Teacher Training session. Since I already know that if you don't try, you can't win (2014 Flowbot Winner here!), I thought I would give it my best shot to try and win the scholarship. Here is my entry, trying to keep it simple as usual.
The other entries were stunning, and I think any one of them would be deserving of the scholarship. Best of luck to all the entrants!
The other entries were stunning, and I think any one of them would be deserving of the scholarship. Best of luck to all the entrants!
Friday, 22 August 2014
Day 243 - Fall Classes
Fall hoop classes are a go!
10 Week sessions starting the week of September 15:
Hoop Foundations 2 - Mondays 7-8
Hoop Foundations 1 - Wednesdays 7:30-8:30
3 Payment options:
Early bird rate (before September 8) - $90 for 10 weeks
Regular session rate - $100 for 10 weeks
Drop in rate - $12/class
Classes are held at Head Over Heels Gymnastics in Collingwood. For the Monday group there is also the option to stay afterwards for their adult open gym. The cost for adult gym is $5 and you can use the time to practice your hoop skills, or use the gymnastics equipment to work on strength and flexibility.
Class descriptions:
Hoop Foundations 1 focuses on the basics of hoop dance like hooping on the waist, hips, and shoulders. We learn not only how to do these moves but also how to move and dance (or flow) while hooping. We will learn how to coil the hoops up and down our bodies, as well as different ways to bring the hoops on and off our bodies. In addition to on the body hooping, we will also learn many off body movements such as hand spins, passing the hoop around our bodies, weaves, isolations and more. Each week we will put together a short sequence to learn how to transition between moves and link them into flow sessions. There will also be lots of fun tricks in the mix as well. We will learn all this and more!
Hoop Foundations 2 builds on the movements learned in foundations 1. In this class we'll start to refine and smooth out our hoop dance movements and transitions. We will learn some more intermediate skills such as leg hooping and angle hooping, as well as some more interesting tricks and isolations. We will continue to put these moves together into sequences to help us dance with our hoops and unlock flow. By the time you are finished with this class you will truly feel like a hoop dancer!
Contact me for more information or to register.
martina_rae@rogers.com
Like Hoopla Hula Hoops on Facebook to stay up to date!
10 Week sessions starting the week of September 15:
Hoop Foundations 2 - Mondays 7-8
Hoop Foundations 1 - Wednesdays 7:30-8:30
3 Payment options:
Early bird rate (before September 8) - $90 for 10 weeks
Regular session rate - $100 for 10 weeks
Drop in rate - $12/class
Classes are held at Head Over Heels Gymnastics in Collingwood. For the Monday group there is also the option to stay afterwards for their adult open gym. The cost for adult gym is $5 and you can use the time to practice your hoop skills, or use the gymnastics equipment to work on strength and flexibility.
Class descriptions:
Hoop Foundations 1 focuses on the basics of hoop dance like hooping on the waist, hips, and shoulders. We learn not only how to do these moves but also how to move and dance (or flow) while hooping. We will learn how to coil the hoops up and down our bodies, as well as different ways to bring the hoops on and off our bodies. In addition to on the body hooping, we will also learn many off body movements such as hand spins, passing the hoop around our bodies, weaves, isolations and more. Each week we will put together a short sequence to learn how to transition between moves and link them into flow sessions. There will also be lots of fun tricks in the mix as well. We will learn all this and more!
Hoop Foundations 2 builds on the movements learned in foundations 1. In this class we'll start to refine and smooth out our hoop dance movements and transitions. We will learn some more intermediate skills such as leg hooping and angle hooping, as well as some more interesting tricks and isolations. We will continue to put these moves together into sequences to help us dance with our hoops and unlock flow. By the time you are finished with this class you will truly feel like a hoop dancer!
Contact me for more information or to register.
martina_rae@rogers.com
Like Hoopla Hula Hoops on Facebook to stay up to date!
Monday, 18 August 2014
Day 239 - Never Bored
Remember when I was bored? Well, I am happy to say that I am no longer bored!
I think I was in a bit of a hooping rut. Ruts happen, whether it is in hooping or in life. The trick is to remember that it is just a phase.
Every since returning from In Flow I have felt like I have so much new and exciting material to work on, so I never feel bored! If I get tired of working on one thing, I move to something else. Sometimes I'll start to feel myself getting bored, and then I'll remember something we learned in one of the workshops and go "Oh Yeah!", and will get lost in it all over again.
Obviously I have been completely loving all the twin flow I've discovered and I've been working on that a lot too, but there has been so much more. One thing in particular that I've really enjoyed practicing is the balance work I learned in Tessa's workshop. I have to admit that while I absolutely loved Baxter's workshop in February, I hadn't been particularly inspired to work on balance. I don't know what is different this time around, but I have really been enjoying it. I've been trying to incorporate a little bit of balance into my practice for even just a few minutes every day, and you know what? Tessa was right! I'm already seeing improvement in just a few weeks! It's starting to feel more natural to balance the hoop on the back of my hands now.
I can also see how this type of practice is going to help with other aspects of my hooping as well. I have been working on body rolls for awhile now, and while I have been getting them, I haven't felt like they've been as clean as they should be. Now I think I have approaching it in an incomplete manner, and have been using momentum to fling the hoop across my chest/shoulders instead of using balance to guide it across. Not that what I have been doing is completely wrong, I was just missing the balance portion of it. I'm hoping to have some cleaner, more fluid body rolls on the go soon.
There are so many things I learned from the workshops that I have been incorporating into my everyday flow and practice. I find that Tegan's style of moment jives so well with my own that I'm always using moves I learned from her in my dance. I've also loved many of Beth's moves and flow, especially this break and reverse type of move that involves changing the direction/flow of the hoop behind the back while spiralling up and down. It's hard to explain, but it's a really lovely movement that has been working really well for me.
I love that my hoop practice has been renewed, and that I'm feeling good about my dance again with all these refreshing new movements. It's a good feeling.
I think I was in a bit of a hooping rut. Ruts happen, whether it is in hooping or in life. The trick is to remember that it is just a phase.
Every since returning from In Flow I have felt like I have so much new and exciting material to work on, so I never feel bored! If I get tired of working on one thing, I move to something else. Sometimes I'll start to feel myself getting bored, and then I'll remember something we learned in one of the workshops and go "Oh Yeah!", and will get lost in it all over again.
Obviously I have been completely loving all the twin flow I've discovered and I've been working on that a lot too, but there has been so much more. One thing in particular that I've really enjoyed practicing is the balance work I learned in Tessa's workshop. I have to admit that while I absolutely loved Baxter's workshop in February, I hadn't been particularly inspired to work on balance. I don't know what is different this time around, but I have really been enjoying it. I've been trying to incorporate a little bit of balance into my practice for even just a few minutes every day, and you know what? Tessa was right! I'm already seeing improvement in just a few weeks! It's starting to feel more natural to balance the hoop on the back of my hands now.
I can also see how this type of practice is going to help with other aspects of my hooping as well. I have been working on body rolls for awhile now, and while I have been getting them, I haven't felt like they've been as clean as they should be. Now I think I have approaching it in an incomplete manner, and have been using momentum to fling the hoop across my chest/shoulders instead of using balance to guide it across. Not that what I have been doing is completely wrong, I was just missing the balance portion of it. I'm hoping to have some cleaner, more fluid body rolls on the go soon.
There are so many things I learned from the workshops that I have been incorporating into my everyday flow and practice. I find that Tegan's style of moment jives so well with my own that I'm always using moves I learned from her in my dance. I've also loved many of Beth's moves and flow, especially this break and reverse type of move that involves changing the direction/flow of the hoop behind the back while spiralling up and down. It's hard to explain, but it's a really lovely movement that has been working really well for me.
I love that my hoop practice has been renewed, and that I'm feeling good about my dance again with all these refreshing new movements. It's a good feeling.
Tuesday, 12 August 2014
Day 233 - Twin Love
Right after my reverse three beat weave success I decided to try and tackle the Fountain. It is another two hoop move that involves moving from a forwards double weave, to a backwards double weave, to a windmill overhead and back into a forwards one. Three beats are spent in each move to create a fluid motion where the hoops travel across the body and overhead in a circular motion, all the while spinning on the hands. I must admit this move looked easier than it actually was.
The first tutorial I watched to try and figure it out was by Caroleena, but I didn't find it helpful at all. In fact I found it really confusing. So I looked for another one and ended up finding one that was long, but that broke it down in a way that made a bit more sense. I can't remember who made the tutorial. The girl explained what each hand had to do individually and that really helped, but I was still really struggling with figuring it out just by watching the tutorial.
The following day I decided to just go outside and work it out for myself. I took it one step at a time, first teaching myself how to move from the forwards weave into the backwards one. I tried it one hand at a time, then with both. That section wasn't too difficult to figure out once I got the hand switches down. Figuring out how to move from the backwards weave into the windmill was trickier. The right hand was no problem as no surface switches were necessary, but my left hand kept getting tangled somewhere. I had to really think about where my hand needed to get to in order to start the windmill portion.
After keeping at it for awhile it finally clicked initially, and I was able to begin to put all the moves together, surface switches and all. It still took quite a bit more practice to get it right consistently though. My hands kept tangling up and my hooping kept knocking each other all over the place. Quite often I'd get the correct switch from one hand but not the other hand, which would cause me to knock my hoops and drop them. This move took a lot of concentration and coordination.
But finally, FINALLY, I got it! It started coming more consistently. It's a funny move though, because I would get on a roll and do it smoothly for a few minutes, then I'd stop and when I started again I wouldn't be able to do it. It was somewhat frustrating! Now after a few days of drilling it, I can do it quite fluidly. I do find one part still a bit tricky, it is the part I had a hard time figuring out where my left hand needs to move through the backwards weave and into the windmill. I'm working on my wrists but the hoop still goes a bit wonky. Still I am getting it which is awesome! This move does take a lot of concentration though to keep up with all the turning and the surfaces switches going on at the same time.
The Fountain is a really cool move. I have to say it looks just awesome. I love that I can incorporate it into my twin flow.
I am really addicted to my twin hoops right now. Now that I'm learning more of these types of moves, I am finding a lot more flow with the twins and am finally starting to feel like I can dance with them more.
Here are some double/twin videos I've taken recently. One is from a few weeks ago with my minis, and the other is from the other day after I learned the Fountain and started using it in my dance.
The first tutorial I watched to try and figure it out was by Caroleena, but I didn't find it helpful at all. In fact I found it really confusing. So I looked for another one and ended up finding one that was long, but that broke it down in a way that made a bit more sense. I can't remember who made the tutorial. The girl explained what each hand had to do individually and that really helped, but I was still really struggling with figuring it out just by watching the tutorial.
The following day I decided to just go outside and work it out for myself. I took it one step at a time, first teaching myself how to move from the forwards weave into the backwards one. I tried it one hand at a time, then with both. That section wasn't too difficult to figure out once I got the hand switches down. Figuring out how to move from the backwards weave into the windmill was trickier. The right hand was no problem as no surface switches were necessary, but my left hand kept getting tangled somewhere. I had to really think about where my hand needed to get to in order to start the windmill portion.
After keeping at it for awhile it finally clicked initially, and I was able to begin to put all the moves together, surface switches and all. It still took quite a bit more practice to get it right consistently though. My hands kept tangling up and my hooping kept knocking each other all over the place. Quite often I'd get the correct switch from one hand but not the other hand, which would cause me to knock my hoops and drop them. This move took a lot of concentration and coordination.
But finally, FINALLY, I got it! It started coming more consistently. It's a funny move though, because I would get on a roll and do it smoothly for a few minutes, then I'd stop and when I started again I wouldn't be able to do it. It was somewhat frustrating! Now after a few days of drilling it, I can do it quite fluidly. I do find one part still a bit tricky, it is the part I had a hard time figuring out where my left hand needs to move through the backwards weave and into the windmill. I'm working on my wrists but the hoop still goes a bit wonky. Still I am getting it which is awesome! This move does take a lot of concentration though to keep up with all the turning and the surfaces switches going on at the same time.
The Fountain is a really cool move. I have to say it looks just awesome. I love that I can incorporate it into my twin flow.
I am really addicted to my twin hoops right now. Now that I'm learning more of these types of moves, I am finding a lot more flow with the twins and am finally starting to feel like I can dance with them more.
Here are some double/twin videos I've taken recently. One is from a few weeks ago with my minis, and the other is from the other day after I learned the Fountain and started using it in my dance.
Saturday, 9 August 2014
Day 230 - In Flow Festival videos, and pictures by Kevin
Here are a few videos I took of me hooping at the In Flow Festival (including fire hooping!), and the pictures of me taken by Kevin Sue Chue Lam. I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to have a photo shoot with him, as I have wanted some good hooping pictures of myself for awhile now and there was no better place to do them than at In Flow!
Day 230 - Everything In Flow....
Inhale....
*sighhhhhhhhh*
This post. This post will be big. Usually when I write a blog post, I power through it spewing words onto the computer screen without thinking much. I hit spellcheck then give it a quick once over (sometimes I don't even re-read it at all), then click publish and walk away. That's how I roll. I know this post is going to need more than that. It will be rewritten, then probably left to sleep on, then revised, and then we'll see what happens. I really want to remember everything I can about my experience at the 2014 In Flow Festival
At first I thought about writing everything as it happened. Before I had even left and had been delayed by air mattress drama, thoughts were running through my brain about how I was going to explain said drama and how it all unfolded. Maybe even a whole post about how I discovered at the last minute that I couldn't blow up the air mattress I had bought with the pump I had borrowed, and the mad rush that followed trying to figure out what to do about it, right down the air mattress blow up race I had with my friend Monica right before leaving town. It was funny at the time, but was it really important? Or about how on the first night I ate the quinoa salad at dinner without thinking (because it looked so awesome), and then realized afterwards that I had consumed a sizeable portion of the only food that my stomach cannot tolerate, only to spend the rest of that evening feeling bloated and nauseous and not fully able to totally enjoy that night's events.
No, let's not remember those things entirely, though they are good for a laugh at this moment.
I want to remember the place, and the space, and the faces that mattered. The music, and the movement, and the feelings all of these things provoked. I'm not one for details, I'm not good at describing things, words are not my strength. But I really really don't want to forget how amazing I felt this past weekend.
I don't really need to go over what this weekend meant to me, I've been over that time and time again. It was my first weekend away in 6 years, that says enough. Leaving my children wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I thought I would feel more emotional about it, but when the time came they were all in good spirits, and I felt good knowing they were safe. My husband was showing that he was ready for the task of having them all weekend, and he seemed confident about it which was enough for me. When I left on Friday (2 hours later than I was hoping to leave), I felt good. I felt ready for an adventure.
The drive up was beautiful and peaceful, and I got to Wildenfree Farm in Gravenhurst in 1.5 hours exactly. I felt a sense of exhilaration as I drove in, not sure what to expect. It was absolutely beautiful, and welcoming. Our hosts had taken such care to make sure it was easy to find, with signs on the roads and also once we drove in, making it easy to know where to go and where to park.
I wish I could describe the setting, but like I said, I suck at descriptions. I also suck at taking pictures. But what pictures I did take, I will add.
I was nervous about this weekend for many reasons, but one of the biggest ones was that I didn't know anyone very well. I was familiar with many faces from the Toronto hoop community from the few workshops I had attended earlier this year, but I hadn't yet really talked to any of them yet, and I was feeling intimidated because I knew most of them already knew each other. I hadn't even been out of my van 2 minutes yet when the lady unpacking the car next to me introduced herself and made me feel included. I knew from that moment on that I would be fine.
I managed to sign in and meet a few more people, and find myself a site to set up my camp. I tried as hard as I could to look like I wasn't nervous, and that camping with strange people was something I did all the time. Let's be honest here, outdoorsy person I am not. I don't camp. It's not that I haven't camped (on the contrary I did a lot of camping as a kid), but I hadn't done it in a very long time. Oh and I am severely bug phobic. Yeah, that kind of makes I hard to love the outdoors. So I was worried that my being camping challenged would put a damper on the experience, but it turns out I fared just fine.
I introduced myself to everyone I passed, figuring it was better to just jump in and act like I already belonged than to linger around shyly like an outsider. There was not a single unfriendly face to be found.
I could give you a play by play of how the entire weekend unfolded, but like I said I'm not sure I want to write this post that way. I want to try and write about how it made me feel, and about how I made so many new friends and had so many breakthroughs both as a person and as a hooper.
I cannot imagine a more perfect weekend. If I had to pick one negative thing it would have been that I got eaten alive by bugs, but even then I don't consider it bad because it was a part of the experience, and the experience as a whole was amazing.
The place. Wildenfree Farm, home of Naoise and Greg, was the most beautiful setting for our weekend and we are so fortunate that they opened up their home and property to us. I have nothing to compare this year's In Flow to since I have never attended anything like it in the past, but I cannot imagine a better place to hold it. The house, the pond, the forests, the fields, it was all so stunning and they outdid themselves making sure it was comfortable for all of us.
The space. So many beautiful little areas to feel at home, and to interact with others or be alone, whatever our fancy. I felt included when I wanted to be and felt comfortable being alone when I wanted to be. There were hammocks for swinging, chairs for lounging, grass for lying or sitting on, or hooping on. I loved that I could just pick up my hoop and start hooping, and for once I wasn't the weird one. I felt totally normal.
The workshops. Fantastic. I learned so much, I grew so much as a hooper. Not just the hooping workshops either, the movement ones were just as amazing. Spandy Andy was so much fun, I only wish that I had felt a little better (damn quinoa) and could have enjoyed it more. He is such a bundle of energy ant it's hard not to feel happy when he is around and dancing. It's clear to see the guy loves to dance, and man can he dance! I managed to last through his workshop despite feeling awful because I didn't want to miss a thing (and really, lying in my tent in pain seemed like a worse idea than dancing through the pain), and then rocked out for a bit during the LED jam. My fiber optic hoop almost didn't make it to In Flow since I couldn't find the batteries for it, but luck smiled on me and I found them right before I walked out the door. It was the first time I really got to spin with it for a long period of time and it helped me temporarily forget that I had eaten quinoa for dinner.
I loved Sadie's Dancefloor Ecosystem workshop which was the first one on Saturday morning. The title describes it perfectly. It has been a long time since I spent time on a dancefloor, and it was fun to have it all come back to me for a bit. The interaction with others, what it was like to share that space. I had almost forgotten what it was like.
Elana's Grace in the Space workshop was fantastic as well. I felt really at home there, grace while dancing is something I feel I can do. I also loved the music Elana played, and I loved Elana herself. She was that first person who introduced herself, and I will always love her for that.
In the afternoon was Beth Lavinder's 3 hour intensive. What can I say about Beth other than she has become my single biggest inspiration in the hoop world. There's one thing I've said in previous posts, and that is that I often feel like the odd one out being a hooper and a mother. Beth made me feel so amazing about being both. Hearing that she also didn't start hooping until after she had her daughter, and seeing what a stunning hooper she is today, gives me so much hope that it's not too late for me to be not only the kind of hooper I want, but also the kind of mother I want to be and the kind of entrepreneur I want to be. She has shown me there is still time, still hope to be all I want. From now on whenever I get down about not being able to do as much as people without kids, I will think of her.
Her workshop was nothing short of fantastic as well, and I really enjoyed learning more about point hooping as well as some of the really cool breaks she taught us. Beth was such a joy to learn from and a joy to watch hoop. She was so graceful and stunning, and her style really resonated with me. She was also an absolutely lovely lady to talk to. I feel so fortunate to have gotten to spend time with her. I know that in the past when I took workshops with Baxter and Hoopalicious, I felt really intimidated by them and was afraid to talk them. It might have been the relaxed setting as well but I felt totally comfortable hooping with and chatting casually with Beth.
The evening's workshop was fire spinning with Tegan, and that was very exciting for me because I had never fire hooped before. We covered safety first which was very important, for obvious reasons, and then first I tried playing with one fire poi. I actually found that kind of weird since it was harder to control than a hoop, and one wrong swing could send it flying close to me. When my turn came to try the first hoop, I was nervous but I knew I had to do it. I would have been very disappointed with myself if I hadn't. It was actually not as scary as I thought, and I had a lot of fun. I feel like I was fairly cautious but I probably could have done a few more cool moves like isolations and other off body stuff, but I was trying to be safe. Mostly I kept the hoop on my body but even that was fun. Now I can say that I've done it, and I would also say that I'd do it again!
The first workshop on Sunday was also taught by Tegan, and it was called Freedom through Folding. I'll admit I 'cheated' a bit, and had already learned most of what she had taught. A few months ago Tegan had posted a video to Facebook of her hooping in the style she was going to teach, and I was so instantly in love with her style that I went ahead and taught myself the moves. I absolutely loved her style of flipping and folding, and I incorporate the moves she taught into my dance all the time.
I was really looked forward to Morgan's twin workshop because twin hooping is something I've really started to get into lately, and I was hoping to learn some new tricks and moves I could do with my twins. I was actually surprised to see there wasn't that much she taught that I hadn't already taught myself, but I was also really happy about that as well. The only thing that was new to me was turning with the twins. I already know how to turn with them, but I do it in a different way and I liked learning that there is more than one way I can do it. I will have to practice the way that she showed us because it was tricky. I'm really starting to feel more comfortable twin hooping and am finding myself picking up my twins more and more often.
In the afternoon we started with Maryeve's Circus Style workshop, and that was a lot of fun but really challenging! I enjoyed trying to hoop on my feet, and there were a lot of cool acrobatic type moves that she taught us. I was surprised that I could almost do a few of them, because I didn't think I'd ever be able to do that kind of style since I am not flexible at all. It is something I am working on though, and maybe now that I've learned a bit of it I will try some more of those moves more often. Maryeve was so amazing to watch and I was in awe of some of the tricks she could do.
The final workshop on Sunday was Tessa's Balance and Toss workshop, and was probably the one I found the most challenging. I had tried some balance work back in February in Baxter's workshop, but I will admit I have never quite had the patience for it and so I haven't been practicing it. After seeing what Tessa can do I really want to practice more balance work. I would also like to work on my body rolls, and I think the balancing will help with that. On the In Flow website Tessa was described as an old soul, and I really saw that in her. She was quiet and sweet, and there was just something so amazing about her especially when she was balancing. It was a great way to finish off Sunday's workshops.
I loved each and every workshop and feel like I took a little bit from each one to incorporate into my own dance and practice. I feel like I've grown so much as a hooper from having the opportunity to work with each teacher and their different styles.
And what about the rest of the weekend? All the stuff that filled in the gaps? The food was amazing. Home cooked, local meals every day. I don't think I've ever eaten so well in my life. Aside from the quinoa mishap, my tummy was very happy.
We spent our free time hanging out, lounging around, hooping, swimming, and reading. There was a stunning little pond on the farm that most people loved swimming in. I just liked to admire it, since I'm not big on pond or lake swimming. It did look lovely though. I did take a trip to the cool outdoor shower that they hooked up for us, and I took a dip in the hot tub as well on Sunday night which was awesome.
Let's not forget the yoga! Every morning Mandala led us through yoga and it was certainly a most welcome start to the day.
Some other perks of the weekend included an RMT, and a photographer who was there to capture every moment. I definitely took advantage of both! At home I had been saying for months that I wanted to book a massage, and now finally with no kids to have to worry about, I made sure to book one with Anya while I was there. It was amazing. The photographer on site was Kevin Sue Chue Lam and he was busy the whole time taking pictures of all the events, but was also available for mini-private photo shoots and I took advantage of that as well. I have wanted some nice hooping pictures for some time and that seemed like the perfect opportunity to have some taken. Kevin did an awesome job and I'm so happy with the pictures. There are so many that I think I will do a separate post to share them.
Also, I survived the weekend of tent camping! How I was going to manage being outside for the whole weekend did cause a bit of anxiety for me leading up to the event, but I actually felt quite comfortable and at home in my tent and outdoors. My tent was my sanctuary when I wanted to be alone or escape from the bugs. I enjoyed sleeping in it even though my air mattress wasn't as nice as my comfy bed at home. I lay awake at night listening to the music coming from the tent where people were still dancing, or to the coyotes howling, until drifting off to sleep. I woke up happy and refreshed each morning. The bugs did bother me but I didn't have any traumatic bug experiences which made me feel more confident about camping outdoors again in the future.
Monday was home day and it rained. I made sure to get my tent down before the rain hit so I wasn't packing up in the rain. It almost seemed fitting to get a bit of rain on the last day, afterall we were lucky enough to have the most beautiful weather of the summer all weekend, and the rain kind of mirrored my feelings of having to leave. It cleared up after breakfast though and we had the most lovely circle to end off our weekend.
My weekend at In Flow was a huge milestone for me. It was my first weekend away from my family. It was the first time I truly spent that much time on myself, on my passion, on things that I love. It was the first time I got to spend a lot of time with other hoopers and really truly connect with them. It was also a huge confidence booster for me. I did get a lot of compliments on my hooping and my flow, and each kind word meant the world to me. I also felt great about myself when I realized how far I have come this year, and not just that but knowing I have taught myself so much of it as well.
I arrived home on Monday refreshed and excited to see my family. I looked at my children's faces and I felt like they had grown and changed so much in the three short days I was away. It was the longest I had every been away from them, and as much as I needed the break, I was overjoyed to see them.
I still can't believe it is over. Last weekend already feels like so long ago. I can't believe I took the chance and entered the Flowbot Award, I can't believe that I actually won, and I can't believe I got the opportunity to have this experience. It has certainly been one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
I've written so many words here, and they do not do the whole experience of In Flow justice. I had so many better words running through my head the whole weekend, and the drive home (which turned out to be a bit of a nightmare after getting lost and getting stuck in traffic, but again one of the things not worth dwelling on). I don't have the gift of writing so many others have that pieces things together so beautifully. I can only really write as they come to me, and hope that after time has passed and I come back to read this, it will spark my memory and I can smile knowing what it felt like just to be there.
So many new friends, so many great memories.
And........
Exhale.....................
*sighhhhhhhhh*
*sighhhhhhhhh*
This post. This post will be big. Usually when I write a blog post, I power through it spewing words onto the computer screen without thinking much. I hit spellcheck then give it a quick once over (sometimes I don't even re-read it at all), then click publish and walk away. That's how I roll. I know this post is going to need more than that. It will be rewritten, then probably left to sleep on, then revised, and then we'll see what happens. I really want to remember everything I can about my experience at the 2014 In Flow Festival
At first I thought about writing everything as it happened. Before I had even left and had been delayed by air mattress drama, thoughts were running through my brain about how I was going to explain said drama and how it all unfolded. Maybe even a whole post about how I discovered at the last minute that I couldn't blow up the air mattress I had bought with the pump I had borrowed, and the mad rush that followed trying to figure out what to do about it, right down the air mattress blow up race I had with my friend Monica right before leaving town. It was funny at the time, but was it really important? Or about how on the first night I ate the quinoa salad at dinner without thinking (because it looked so awesome), and then realized afterwards that I had consumed a sizeable portion of the only food that my stomach cannot tolerate, only to spend the rest of that evening feeling bloated and nauseous and not fully able to totally enjoy that night's events.
No, let's not remember those things entirely, though they are good for a laugh at this moment.
I want to remember the place, and the space, and the faces that mattered. The music, and the movement, and the feelings all of these things provoked. I'm not one for details, I'm not good at describing things, words are not my strength. But I really really don't want to forget how amazing I felt this past weekend.
I don't really need to go over what this weekend meant to me, I've been over that time and time again. It was my first weekend away in 6 years, that says enough. Leaving my children wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I thought I would feel more emotional about it, but when the time came they were all in good spirits, and I felt good knowing they were safe. My husband was showing that he was ready for the task of having them all weekend, and he seemed confident about it which was enough for me. When I left on Friday (2 hours later than I was hoping to leave), I felt good. I felt ready for an adventure.
The drive up was beautiful and peaceful, and I got to Wildenfree Farm in Gravenhurst in 1.5 hours exactly. I felt a sense of exhilaration as I drove in, not sure what to expect. It was absolutely beautiful, and welcoming. Our hosts had taken such care to make sure it was easy to find, with signs on the roads and also once we drove in, making it easy to know where to go and where to park.
I wish I could describe the setting, but like I said, I suck at descriptions. I also suck at taking pictures. But what pictures I did take, I will add.
I was nervous about this weekend for many reasons, but one of the biggest ones was that I didn't know anyone very well. I was familiar with many faces from the Toronto hoop community from the few workshops I had attended earlier this year, but I hadn't yet really talked to any of them yet, and I was feeling intimidated because I knew most of them already knew each other. I hadn't even been out of my van 2 minutes yet when the lady unpacking the car next to me introduced herself and made me feel included. I knew from that moment on that I would be fine.
I managed to sign in and meet a few more people, and find myself a site to set up my camp. I tried as hard as I could to look like I wasn't nervous, and that camping with strange people was something I did all the time. Let's be honest here, outdoorsy person I am not. I don't camp. It's not that I haven't camped (on the contrary I did a lot of camping as a kid), but I hadn't done it in a very long time. Oh and I am severely bug phobic. Yeah, that kind of makes I hard to love the outdoors. So I was worried that my being camping challenged would put a damper on the experience, but it turns out I fared just fine.
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| "The Grove" |
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| My sanctuary for the weekend |
I could give you a play by play of how the entire weekend unfolded, but like I said I'm not sure I want to write this post that way. I want to try and write about how it made me feel, and about how I made so many new friends and had so many breakthroughs both as a person and as a hooper.
I cannot imagine a more perfect weekend. If I had to pick one negative thing it would have been that I got eaten alive by bugs, but even then I don't consider it bad because it was a part of the experience, and the experience as a whole was amazing.
The place. Wildenfree Farm, home of Naoise and Greg, was the most beautiful setting for our weekend and we are so fortunate that they opened up their home and property to us. I have nothing to compare this year's In Flow to since I have never attended anything like it in the past, but I cannot imagine a better place to hold it. The house, the pond, the forests, the fields, it was all so stunning and they outdid themselves making sure it was comfortable for all of us.
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| The Orchard, where hammocks hung and we had opening circle |
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| View from the house - the pond, the fire pit, and where we ate our meals |
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| The gardens and the tent where the magic happened |
The people. I don't think I have ever met a warmer and more welcoming community that those in the hoop community. Every single person had a warm smile on their face and a big heart. And they were all so interesting. I loved hearing about their adventures and travels. Things I could only dream of doing and places I could only dream of visiting. Not that I have ever been a particularly free spirited individual, but I think that I see a bit of the old me in them, in their freedom. There was a time when I might have been more like that, but that was a long time ago. Still it was nice to be reminded of that.
The workshops. Fantastic. I learned so much, I grew so much as a hooper. Not just the hooping workshops either, the movement ones were just as amazing. Spandy Andy was so much fun, I only wish that I had felt a little better (damn quinoa) and could have enjoyed it more. He is such a bundle of energy ant it's hard not to feel happy when he is around and dancing. It's clear to see the guy loves to dance, and man can he dance! I managed to last through his workshop despite feeling awful because I didn't want to miss a thing (and really, lying in my tent in pain seemed like a worse idea than dancing through the pain), and then rocked out for a bit during the LED jam. My fiber optic hoop almost didn't make it to In Flow since I couldn't find the batteries for it, but luck smiled on me and I found them right before I walked out the door. It was the first time I really got to spin with it for a long period of time and it helped me temporarily forget that I had eaten quinoa for dinner.
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| LED jam - photo credit: Kevin Sue Chue Lam |
Elana's Grace in the Space workshop was fantastic as well. I felt really at home there, grace while dancing is something I feel I can do. I also loved the music Elana played, and I loved Elana herself. She was that first person who introduced herself, and I will always love her for that.
In the afternoon was Beth Lavinder's 3 hour intensive. What can I say about Beth other than she has become my single biggest inspiration in the hoop world. There's one thing I've said in previous posts, and that is that I often feel like the odd one out being a hooper and a mother. Beth made me feel so amazing about being both. Hearing that she also didn't start hooping until after she had her daughter, and seeing what a stunning hooper she is today, gives me so much hope that it's not too late for me to be not only the kind of hooper I want, but also the kind of mother I want to be and the kind of entrepreneur I want to be. She has shown me there is still time, still hope to be all I want. From now on whenever I get down about not being able to do as much as people without kids, I will think of her.
Her workshop was nothing short of fantastic as well, and I really enjoyed learning more about point hooping as well as some of the really cool breaks she taught us. Beth was such a joy to learn from and a joy to watch hoop. She was so graceful and stunning, and her style really resonated with me. She was also an absolutely lovely lady to talk to. I feel so fortunate to have gotten to spend time with her. I know that in the past when I took workshops with Baxter and Hoopalicious, I felt really intimidated by them and was afraid to talk them. It might have been the relaxed setting as well but I felt totally comfortable hooping with and chatting casually with Beth.
The evening's workshop was fire spinning with Tegan, and that was very exciting for me because I had never fire hooped before. We covered safety first which was very important, for obvious reasons, and then first I tried playing with one fire poi. I actually found that kind of weird since it was harder to control than a hoop, and one wrong swing could send it flying close to me. When my turn came to try the first hoop, I was nervous but I knew I had to do it. I would have been very disappointed with myself if I hadn't. It was actually not as scary as I thought, and I had a lot of fun. I feel like I was fairly cautious but I probably could have done a few more cool moves like isolations and other off body stuff, but I was trying to be safe. Mostly I kept the hoop on my body but even that was fun. Now I can say that I've done it, and I would also say that I'd do it again!
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| Spinning fire! Photo credit: Kevin Sue Chue Lam |
I was really looked forward to Morgan's twin workshop because twin hooping is something I've really started to get into lately, and I was hoping to learn some new tricks and moves I could do with my twins. I was actually surprised to see there wasn't that much she taught that I hadn't already taught myself, but I was also really happy about that as well. The only thing that was new to me was turning with the twins. I already know how to turn with them, but I do it in a different way and I liked learning that there is more than one way I can do it. I will have to practice the way that she showed us because it was tricky. I'm really starting to feel more comfortable twin hooping and am finding myself picking up my twins more and more often.
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| Twin workshop - Photo credit: Kevin Sue Chue Lam |
In the afternoon we started with Maryeve's Circus Style workshop, and that was a lot of fun but really challenging! I enjoyed trying to hoop on my feet, and there were a lot of cool acrobatic type moves that she taught us. I was surprised that I could almost do a few of them, because I didn't think I'd ever be able to do that kind of style since I am not flexible at all. It is something I am working on though, and maybe now that I've learned a bit of it I will try some more of those moves more often. Maryeve was so amazing to watch and I was in awe of some of the tricks she could do.
The final workshop on Sunday was Tessa's Balance and Toss workshop, and was probably the one I found the most challenging. I had tried some balance work back in February in Baxter's workshop, but I will admit I have never quite had the patience for it and so I haven't been practicing it. After seeing what Tessa can do I really want to practice more balance work. I would also like to work on my body rolls, and I think the balancing will help with that. On the In Flow website Tessa was described as an old soul, and I really saw that in her. She was quiet and sweet, and there was just something so amazing about her especially when she was balancing. It was a great way to finish off Sunday's workshops.
I loved each and every workshop and feel like I took a little bit from each one to incorporate into my own dance and practice. I feel like I've grown so much as a hooper from having the opportunity to work with each teacher and their different styles.
And what about the rest of the weekend? All the stuff that filled in the gaps? The food was amazing. Home cooked, local meals every day. I don't think I've ever eaten so well in my life. Aside from the quinoa mishap, my tummy was very happy.
We spent our free time hanging out, lounging around, hooping, swimming, and reading. There was a stunning little pond on the farm that most people loved swimming in. I just liked to admire it, since I'm not big on pond or lake swimming. It did look lovely though. I did take a trip to the cool outdoor shower that they hooked up for us, and I took a dip in the hot tub as well on Sunday night which was awesome.
Let's not forget the yoga! Every morning Mandala led us through yoga and it was certainly a most welcome start to the day.
Some other perks of the weekend included an RMT, and a photographer who was there to capture every moment. I definitely took advantage of both! At home I had been saying for months that I wanted to book a massage, and now finally with no kids to have to worry about, I made sure to book one with Anya while I was there. It was amazing. The photographer on site was Kevin Sue Chue Lam and he was busy the whole time taking pictures of all the events, but was also available for mini-private photo shoots and I took advantage of that as well. I have wanted some nice hooping pictures for some time and that seemed like the perfect opportunity to have some taken. Kevin did an awesome job and I'm so happy with the pictures. There are so many that I think I will do a separate post to share them.
Also, I survived the weekend of tent camping! How I was going to manage being outside for the whole weekend did cause a bit of anxiety for me leading up to the event, but I actually felt quite comfortable and at home in my tent and outdoors. My tent was my sanctuary when I wanted to be alone or escape from the bugs. I enjoyed sleeping in it even though my air mattress wasn't as nice as my comfy bed at home. I lay awake at night listening to the music coming from the tent where people were still dancing, or to the coyotes howling, until drifting off to sleep. I woke up happy and refreshed each morning. The bugs did bother me but I didn't have any traumatic bug experiences which made me feel more confident about camping outdoors again in the future.
Monday was home day and it rained. I made sure to get my tent down before the rain hit so I wasn't packing up in the rain. It almost seemed fitting to get a bit of rain on the last day, afterall we were lucky enough to have the most beautiful weather of the summer all weekend, and the rain kind of mirrored my feelings of having to leave. It cleared up after breakfast though and we had the most lovely circle to end off our weekend.
My weekend at In Flow was a huge milestone for me. It was my first weekend away from my family. It was the first time I truly spent that much time on myself, on my passion, on things that I love. It was the first time I got to spend a lot of time with other hoopers and really truly connect with them. It was also a huge confidence booster for me. I did get a lot of compliments on my hooping and my flow, and each kind word meant the world to me. I also felt great about myself when I realized how far I have come this year, and not just that but knowing I have taught myself so much of it as well.
I arrived home on Monday refreshed and excited to see my family. I looked at my children's faces and I felt like they had grown and changed so much in the three short days I was away. It was the longest I had every been away from them, and as much as I needed the break, I was overjoyed to see them.
I still can't believe it is over. Last weekend already feels like so long ago. I can't believe I took the chance and entered the Flowbot Award, I can't believe that I actually won, and I can't believe I got the opportunity to have this experience. It has certainly been one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
I've written so many words here, and they do not do the whole experience of In Flow justice. I had so many better words running through my head the whole weekend, and the drive home (which turned out to be a bit of a nightmare after getting lost and getting stuck in traffic, but again one of the things not worth dwelling on). I don't have the gift of writing so many others have that pieces things together so beautifully. I can only really write as they come to me, and hope that after time has passed and I come back to read this, it will spark my memory and I can smile knowing what it felt like just to be there.
So many new friends, so many great memories.
And........
Exhale.....................
*sighhhhhhhhh*
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| New friends - Photo credit: Kevin Sue Chue Lam Check out here for more info about the In Flow Festival Check out here for more info about Kevin Sue Chue Lam Photography |
Friday, 8 August 2014
Day 229 - Love the Process/REVERSE THREE BEAT WEAVE!
I'm a little excited about this, hence the title being in caps. It's not that I didn't think I'd ever get the reverse three beat weave, I just didn't know when. It seemed so elusive, I couldn't quite work out how to do it and I hadn't really found a good tutorial for it either. I remember when I was trying to work out how to do the forwards three beat weave, I looked for tutorials and then finally saw one from Emma Kenna that really broke it down and made it somewhat easy to understand. After watching it I went outside and got to work, and it seemed like I was never going to get it. My brain actually started to hurt from trying to figure out what to do with my hands, but I stuck with it and kept working it out until finally it clicked. I remember the feeling of elation when I finally got it once, and then again, and again and again until I was doing it fluidly without having to focus too hard on what my hands were doing. The whole process after watching Emma's tutorial took maybe 15 minutes.
I just went through the exact same process trying to figure out the reverse three beat weave. It's fascinating for me to think back to what the entire process entailed.
First I looked for a tutorial, something that broke it down as easily as Emma's forwards one did. I didn't have much luck finding one that made sense, so I tried to work it out myself with little success. When a hooper on Facebook posted that she finally got it, I asked her if she had any tips or tutorials that had helped, but she didn't have anything to offer me, simply saying she kept at it until she got it. That was somewhat useless information at the time but now makes perfect sense to me.
So I tried to break it down for myself, step by step. The first logical step was to work on my reverse two beat weave and get comfortable with that. That move in and of itself was a bit tricky as I find reverse weaves in general to be a bit of a challenge. Once I felt somewhat comfortable doing the two beat weave in reverse (practicing leading with both hands of course), I took the same approach I learned from Emma's tutorial and worked on the timing with each hand individually. I used one hand and one hoop to practice the one-two-three beat, with the hoop spinning two rotations on one side and one on the other.
Last week at In Flow a fellow hooper saw me trying to drill this one hand movement and suggested I practice moving the other hand with it as well to get the motion down. This made total sense as I had learned to use the same approach from Emma's tutorial. So I started trying to do that as well.
Today I decided once again to give it a go, and once again I could feel my brain starting to hurt as I tried to work it all out. I had the reverse two beat weave, I had the one-two-three timing down with each hand individually, but I was still running into a problem somewhere. I kept going back to the forwards three beat weave to see if there were any clues as to when I should be changing my hands from over to under. That's when I finally realized it: During the forwards three beat weave, the hand that is on top spins two rotations while the hand that is underneath comes up and over. With the reverse three beat weave, it is the other way; the hand on the bottom spins two rotations while the hand on top moves to underneath. Duh.
Once I had that revelation it was just a matter to getting the timing and pattern down, and with each time I tried it I got better and better. Soon I was getting the hand switches down though I still needed time in between them to recover and get the reverse weave going smoothly again. But after that it was only a matter of minutes before I was switching back and forth in a proper three beat time. At first it was kind of wonky, with the hoops flying all over the place and the weave not going quite as smooth, but it didn't take long at all before I had cleaned it up some more into a presentable, proper, reverse three beat weave. I still need to practice and work on those wrists, but man does it feel good to have that move down.
Just like with the forwards three beat weave, the whole process today from starting to work it out (but still having little clue as to how to actually do it), to actually nailing it took maybe 15 minutes.
I am thrilled about this breakthrough today. Next up, moving through a forwards three beat weave, to a windmill, to a reverse three beat weave. I've seen combination referred to as The Fountain.
Progress is sweet.
(ps I do have an epic In Flow post in the works, but there was a lot of information to process and I'd like to add pictures as well, so it's taking some time. But just so you know In Flow itself was epic. Just epic.)
I'm going to leave you with Safire's Love the Process Video, something I go back to when I'm feeling discouraged and also a video that I thought about a lot today, as I have enjoyed the process unfolding.
I just went through the exact same process trying to figure out the reverse three beat weave. It's fascinating for me to think back to what the entire process entailed.
First I looked for a tutorial, something that broke it down as easily as Emma's forwards one did. I didn't have much luck finding one that made sense, so I tried to work it out myself with little success. When a hooper on Facebook posted that she finally got it, I asked her if she had any tips or tutorials that had helped, but she didn't have anything to offer me, simply saying she kept at it until she got it. That was somewhat useless information at the time but now makes perfect sense to me.
So I tried to break it down for myself, step by step. The first logical step was to work on my reverse two beat weave and get comfortable with that. That move in and of itself was a bit tricky as I find reverse weaves in general to be a bit of a challenge. Once I felt somewhat comfortable doing the two beat weave in reverse (practicing leading with both hands of course), I took the same approach I learned from Emma's tutorial and worked on the timing with each hand individually. I used one hand and one hoop to practice the one-two-three beat, with the hoop spinning two rotations on one side and one on the other.
Last week at In Flow a fellow hooper saw me trying to drill this one hand movement and suggested I practice moving the other hand with it as well to get the motion down. This made total sense as I had learned to use the same approach from Emma's tutorial. So I started trying to do that as well.
Today I decided once again to give it a go, and once again I could feel my brain starting to hurt as I tried to work it all out. I had the reverse two beat weave, I had the one-two-three timing down with each hand individually, but I was still running into a problem somewhere. I kept going back to the forwards three beat weave to see if there were any clues as to when I should be changing my hands from over to under. That's when I finally realized it: During the forwards three beat weave, the hand that is on top spins two rotations while the hand that is underneath comes up and over. With the reverse three beat weave, it is the other way; the hand on the bottom spins two rotations while the hand on top moves to underneath. Duh.
Once I had that revelation it was just a matter to getting the timing and pattern down, and with each time I tried it I got better and better. Soon I was getting the hand switches down though I still needed time in between them to recover and get the reverse weave going smoothly again. But after that it was only a matter of minutes before I was switching back and forth in a proper three beat time. At first it was kind of wonky, with the hoops flying all over the place and the weave not going quite as smooth, but it didn't take long at all before I had cleaned it up some more into a presentable, proper, reverse three beat weave. I still need to practice and work on those wrists, but man does it feel good to have that move down.
Just like with the forwards three beat weave, the whole process today from starting to work it out (but still having little clue as to how to actually do it), to actually nailing it took maybe 15 minutes.
I am thrilled about this breakthrough today. Next up, moving through a forwards three beat weave, to a windmill, to a reverse three beat weave. I've seen combination referred to as The Fountain.
Progress is sweet.
(ps I do have an epic In Flow post in the works, but there was a lot of information to process and I'd like to add pictures as well, so it's taking some time. But just so you know In Flow itself was epic. Just epic.)
I'm going to leave you with Safire's Love the Process Video, something I go back to when I'm feeling discouraged and also a video that I thought about a lot today, as I have enjoyed the process unfolding.
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Day 220 - Summer Classes and INFLOW
I am really late in posting about the summer classes seeing as they are already half over. We have done three weeks so far out from the 6 week Hoop Foundations Course, and they have been a great success. The students are learning all the foundational moves of hoop dance and are rocking it every week. There are still 3 weeks left for anyone who wants to jump in and join us! Classes are Tuesday evenings 7-8 at Head Over Heels Gymnastics in Collingwood and cost $10 per class.
This weekend is the INFLOW FESTIVAL, and I cannot describe my excitement at the prospect of 4 days and 3 nights filled with hooping, yoga, new friends, and fun. I am also incredibly nervous. For one I cannot remember the last time I went camping, nevermind the fact that I am going on my own. Um, pitch a tent? I will try! I feel totally unprepared and completely overwhelmed with things to do before I leave on Friday, so much so that I spend the better part of the days thinking about what I have to do and very little time actually doing it.
Secondly I am leaving my children for 3 nights and 4 days, which I have never done. I have only been away from all three of them for one night. ONE NIGHT in almost 6 years, that's all I've gotten. There are so many emotions over this - excited to finally have this time to myself, to be able to relax all weekend and focus on me, but also total anxiety over the idea of being away from them for so long. It's funny how I want to go and don't want to go all at the same time. It's hard to let go, especially since I am so used to being around them all the time (even when they are driving me nuts!). The days go by and I'm pulling my hair out in frustration because let's face it, kids drive their mothers crazy. And yet in the evenings when they are all in bed and sleeping peacefully, I don't remember what they did to drive me so insane and all I can think about are their beautiful little faces and how much I will miss them. This weekend will be very bittersweet.
I cannot believe how much amazing stuff is going down this weekend. Dancing, hooping, fire spinning, LED jams, yoga, fresh locally prepared food, the market, swimming, and hopefully making some new friends. It's almost too much to process.
I also still cannot believe that I have the opportunity to attend this event. I am so glad I entered the competition to win the Flowbot Award this year, and so incredibly honoured that I did.
I have no idea what to expect from this weekend, but I'm sure it will be great. Bring on INFLOW!
This weekend is the INFLOW FESTIVAL, and I cannot describe my excitement at the prospect of 4 days and 3 nights filled with hooping, yoga, new friends, and fun. I am also incredibly nervous. For one I cannot remember the last time I went camping, nevermind the fact that I am going on my own. Um, pitch a tent? I will try! I feel totally unprepared and completely overwhelmed with things to do before I leave on Friday, so much so that I spend the better part of the days thinking about what I have to do and very little time actually doing it.
Secondly I am leaving my children for 3 nights and 4 days, which I have never done. I have only been away from all three of them for one night. ONE NIGHT in almost 6 years, that's all I've gotten. There are so many emotions over this - excited to finally have this time to myself, to be able to relax all weekend and focus on me, but also total anxiety over the idea of being away from them for so long. It's funny how I want to go and don't want to go all at the same time. It's hard to let go, especially since I am so used to being around them all the time (even when they are driving me nuts!). The days go by and I'm pulling my hair out in frustration because let's face it, kids drive their mothers crazy. And yet in the evenings when they are all in bed and sleeping peacefully, I don't remember what they did to drive me so insane and all I can think about are their beautiful little faces and how much I will miss them. This weekend will be very bittersweet.
I cannot believe how much amazing stuff is going down this weekend. Dancing, hooping, fire spinning, LED jams, yoga, fresh locally prepared food, the market, swimming, and hopefully making some new friends. It's almost too much to process.
I also still cannot believe that I have the opportunity to attend this event. I am so glad I entered the competition to win the Flowbot Award this year, and so incredibly honoured that I did.
I have no idea what to expect from this weekend, but I'm sure it will be great. Bring on INFLOW!
Monday, 28 July 2014
Day 219 - I got out of bed to hoop
I had a close call. I almost missed a day. I guess if you want to get all technical I did miss a day since it was just after midnight when I got my daily hoop on, but I'm counting it for the day since I did it before going to sleep. It totally counts.
So I'm lying in bed and my head is racing, because life has been busy and continues to be busy and I've got a lot on my mind. You know, that sort of thing. It's midnight, and it hits me: I didn't hoop today. Oh my god I didn't hoop today. What do I do? I'm almost ready to sleep, but I can't - just can't - miss a day of hooping.
I got up and went downstairs and hooped. Obviously.
Because I couldn't handle the disappointment if I missed a day. It's like when I quit smoking and with every day that passed my resolve grew, and I didn't want to ruin the progress I'd made. Ok it's not like that, but kinda is too, you know?
Anyways the reason I may not be making sense is that, I still haven't gone to bed yet. And my head is still racing with things I need to do. But at least I got hooping off my brain, until tomorrow.....
So I'm lying in bed and my head is racing, because life has been busy and continues to be busy and I've got a lot on my mind. You know, that sort of thing. It's midnight, and it hits me: I didn't hoop today. Oh my god I didn't hoop today. What do I do? I'm almost ready to sleep, but I can't - just can't - miss a day of hooping.
I got up and went downstairs and hooped. Obviously.
Because I couldn't handle the disappointment if I missed a day. It's like when I quit smoking and with every day that passed my resolve grew, and I didn't want to ruin the progress I'd made. Ok it's not like that, but kinda is too, you know?
Anyways the reason I may not be making sense is that, I still haven't gone to bed yet. And my head is still racing with things I need to do. But at least I got hooping off my brain, until tomorrow.....
Day 218 - Some Toronto Island Hooping
A few weeks ago we stayed on Toronto Islands for my cousin's wedding. Of course I had to bring a hoop! How else would I get my daily hooping in? So I managed hoop a bit before the wedding in this lovely garden of the bed and breakfast we stayed in.
I really do have intentions of posting hoopy stuff more often than this, I swear! I will be back with more this week.
I really do have intentions of posting hoopy stuff more often than this, I swear! I will be back with more this week.
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
Day 191 - Aerial Hoop, it's still technically 'hooping'!
I think I had mentioned that I tried out the aerial hoop/lyra at Aerial Silks Collingwood a few weeks ago. I took a 4 week intro class and was fortunate enough to be the only one who signed up, so basically got 4 private classes from their awesome aerial hoop coach, Jayeden. And, I LOVED IT! It's a hoop, what's not to love? I completely surprised myself with how comfortable I felt on the hoop, and some of the moves that I learned how to do.
Anyways, on my last class the girls at Aerial Silks asked if I was interested in performing in the student showcase happening later that week. Well, why not? Never mind the fact that I had only done 4 classes! I'm not terribly shy about performing so I thought I would give it a try.
Turns out the day of the event I actually was quite nervous, and spent most of the day with my stomach in knots. This was probably likely due to the fact that I didn't get any practice time in during the week, so I was feeling a little unprepared. I'm no stranger to performing in front of people though, so the nerves were familiar to me and I was able to cope. Waiting for my turn on the rig felt a lot like waiting for so many other things in the past: waiting to enter the ring during an equestrian show, or waiting on the sides before performing bellydance on stage. And just like those experiences, once I was out there all was fine, and I felt amazing afterwards.
I had really hoped my husband would have videoed my performance, but as soon as my two year old saw me in front of the crowd she made a mad rush to get to me and then screamed when he stopped her, so he was not able to record it. I was pretty bummed but what can you do.
I have enjoyed learning some aerial hoop skills so much that I definitely want to continue, and I might try my hand at the aerial silks as well. In fact I love everything about the aerial and circus arts so I am going to try to take more classes with Kristen, Jayeden and the girls at Aerial Silks Collingwood in the future.
Here is a picture they took of me, as well as a video of me on the aerial hoop.
Anyways, on my last class the girls at Aerial Silks asked if I was interested in performing in the student showcase happening later that week. Well, why not? Never mind the fact that I had only done 4 classes! I'm not terribly shy about performing so I thought I would give it a try.
Turns out the day of the event I actually was quite nervous, and spent most of the day with my stomach in knots. This was probably likely due to the fact that I didn't get any practice time in during the week, so I was feeling a little unprepared. I'm no stranger to performing in front of people though, so the nerves were familiar to me and I was able to cope. Waiting for my turn on the rig felt a lot like waiting for so many other things in the past: waiting to enter the ring during an equestrian show, or waiting on the sides before performing bellydance on stage. And just like those experiences, once I was out there all was fine, and I felt amazing afterwards.
I had really hoped my husband would have videoed my performance, but as soon as my two year old saw me in front of the crowd she made a mad rush to get to me and then screamed when he stopped her, so he was not able to record it. I was pretty bummed but what can you do.
I have enjoyed learning some aerial hoop skills so much that I definitely want to continue, and I might try my hand at the aerial silks as well. In fact I love everything about the aerial and circus arts so I am going to try to take more classes with Kristen, Jayeden and the girls at Aerial Silks Collingwood in the future.
Here is a picture they took of me, as well as a video of me on the aerial hoop.
Sunday, 29 June 2014
Day 180 - Having a discouraged moment
I was at a local street festival yesterday and there was a girl hooping on the street. Just hooping. I had brought my hoops, but I had also brought my husband and three kids, and really we were there to spend time together as a family. Not to hoop. But I wanted to, so so badly.
As I watched her I found myself feeling really sad. Sad that I can't do that, at least not yet. The thing is, I want to just take my hoop and go hoop all over the place. On the street, at festivals, in parades. Today is World Pride day and I know a lot of hoopers from all over the province are hooping in the parade. I bet it will be a ton of fun. I can't do that kind of stuff.
My time to hoop is already so limited as it is. I have to squeeze it in here and there, and my big 'blocks' of hooping time (my Wednesday evening and Sunday morning jams) are carefully planned around my husband's busy schedule. Anytime I want to go to an event, I have to coordinate it with him. We have three small children, all of which are on summer vacation right now, and I am a stay at home mom while my husband runs his own very busy landscape business. Unfortunately prime hoop season also falls during his busiest season. He works 6 out of 7 days, for 12 hours or more a day. This is how it has to be, it is not like he works for someone else and can just clock out when the day is done and take weekends off. When you are an entrepreneur, you work pretty much around the clock. I am ok with this and fully supportive, his goal of running a successful business and his 'workaholic' personality are what have allowed me to be able to stay at home and take care of our children, something that I have always wanted to do. For this I am really thankful.
But yeah, it does mean that the success of our landscaping business comes first, alongside the health and well being of our family, and my hooping way after that. Anytime that he does manage to take a day off, that time is spent catching up on work around the house or spending time together as a family, which is the most important thing to me. It is hardly fair that whenever my husband does make an effort to be around, I dump the children on him and run. I do use that time to plan some things for myself, like my hoop sessions, but I make it a point to plan some family activities for us as well. Otherwise it becomes a case of us just passing the kids back and forth but never actually doing anything together, all 5 of us.
Reconciling my family life and my love of hooping has often been a challenge for me. I don't always think of it as a bad thing, afterall they are two very compatible things. What better family activity is there than spending some time outdoors, hooping together? The hard part comes when I do need to divide the two, at the times when I am trying to be Martina the hoop dancer/hoop teacher/hoop maker vs Martina the Mom. I have found that my business itself is not particularly progressing at a steady pace because I'm picking away at it in between my family responsibilities.
Sometimes I feel like I am making excuses for not pushing Hoopla along at a better rate, like a truly ambitious and motivated person would make it work despite also having a family to attend to. If I am honest with myself, this is probably true in a lot of ways. I am not an ambitious, go-getter, business-type person by nature. In fact the only ambition I have ever truly had was to be a mother, and that at least I know I am good at. This whole running my own hoop business thing, I don't always know....
For the most part I can sort through these feelings and am really ok with Hoopla not necessarily blowing up and becoming a huge thing. It was never my intention to grow my business fast and furious, in fact I have taken many measures to make sure just the opposite. With my husband's business being priority and so busy already, I had purposely not marketed myself or pushed my hoops and hoop classes for fear of getting too busy, because the reality is I just don't have the backup and childcare in place for if I were in high demand. The main reason I started Hoopla at all was for the love of hooping, and so that if anyone out there is interested and does want to learn to hoop, they can seek me out and I will guide them. And that is what I have been doing.
Nevertheless, sometimes it's hard to shake this sad, nagging feeling that other people are doing more and being more in the hoop world than I will ever be. I guess you could call it the ugly face of jealousy in a way. Not necessarily jealous that they are better than me, I know better to compare myself to other hoopers, rather jealous that they can put their art first. I often wonder if I would be more motivated and ambitious about hooping if I didn't have a family as well.
I have said it before and I will say it again though, I wouldn't trade my family for all the hoops in the world, and that part is and always will be true. I take comfort in knowing that my true calling is to be a wife and mother, and I am proud of that. And I also know it doesn't mean I can't be a hoop dancer as well, or that I can't build Hoopla and have it be successful. I know that in the grand scheme of things Hoopla is still young, and there is still time. Time to grow, time to learn, time to be successful. There is no hurry.
I started Hoopla with the goal of sharing hoop dance with others. When I get caught up in thinking that I should be further along by now, I take a step back and remind myself that my kids are only little for a short period of time, and one day they will all be in school and I will be twiddling my thumbs wondering what to with myself, and when that time comes my hooping will still be there. One day my husband's business will be more established and then maybe it can take a back seat for a bit while mine gets more attention. One day all of these things will fall into place, and then maybe that day I will be the girl hooping on the street.
See, even just writing it all down makes me feel better. I think some hoop therapy might be in order too.
As I watched her I found myself feeling really sad. Sad that I can't do that, at least not yet. The thing is, I want to just take my hoop and go hoop all over the place. On the street, at festivals, in parades. Today is World Pride day and I know a lot of hoopers from all over the province are hooping in the parade. I bet it will be a ton of fun. I can't do that kind of stuff.
My time to hoop is already so limited as it is. I have to squeeze it in here and there, and my big 'blocks' of hooping time (my Wednesday evening and Sunday morning jams) are carefully planned around my husband's busy schedule. Anytime I want to go to an event, I have to coordinate it with him. We have three small children, all of which are on summer vacation right now, and I am a stay at home mom while my husband runs his own very busy landscape business. Unfortunately prime hoop season also falls during his busiest season. He works 6 out of 7 days, for 12 hours or more a day. This is how it has to be, it is not like he works for someone else and can just clock out when the day is done and take weekends off. When you are an entrepreneur, you work pretty much around the clock. I am ok with this and fully supportive, his goal of running a successful business and his 'workaholic' personality are what have allowed me to be able to stay at home and take care of our children, something that I have always wanted to do. For this I am really thankful.
But yeah, it does mean that the success of our landscaping business comes first, alongside the health and well being of our family, and my hooping way after that. Anytime that he does manage to take a day off, that time is spent catching up on work around the house or spending time together as a family, which is the most important thing to me. It is hardly fair that whenever my husband does make an effort to be around, I dump the children on him and run. I do use that time to plan some things for myself, like my hoop sessions, but I make it a point to plan some family activities for us as well. Otherwise it becomes a case of us just passing the kids back and forth but never actually doing anything together, all 5 of us.
Reconciling my family life and my love of hooping has often been a challenge for me. I don't always think of it as a bad thing, afterall they are two very compatible things. What better family activity is there than spending some time outdoors, hooping together? The hard part comes when I do need to divide the two, at the times when I am trying to be Martina the hoop dancer/hoop teacher/hoop maker vs Martina the Mom. I have found that my business itself is not particularly progressing at a steady pace because I'm picking away at it in between my family responsibilities.
Sometimes I feel like I am making excuses for not pushing Hoopla along at a better rate, like a truly ambitious and motivated person would make it work despite also having a family to attend to. If I am honest with myself, this is probably true in a lot of ways. I am not an ambitious, go-getter, business-type person by nature. In fact the only ambition I have ever truly had was to be a mother, and that at least I know I am good at. This whole running my own hoop business thing, I don't always know....
For the most part I can sort through these feelings and am really ok with Hoopla not necessarily blowing up and becoming a huge thing. It was never my intention to grow my business fast and furious, in fact I have taken many measures to make sure just the opposite. With my husband's business being priority and so busy already, I had purposely not marketed myself or pushed my hoops and hoop classes for fear of getting too busy, because the reality is I just don't have the backup and childcare in place for if I were in high demand. The main reason I started Hoopla at all was for the love of hooping, and so that if anyone out there is interested and does want to learn to hoop, they can seek me out and I will guide them. And that is what I have been doing.
Nevertheless, sometimes it's hard to shake this sad, nagging feeling that other people are doing more and being more in the hoop world than I will ever be. I guess you could call it the ugly face of jealousy in a way. Not necessarily jealous that they are better than me, I know better to compare myself to other hoopers, rather jealous that they can put their art first. I often wonder if I would be more motivated and ambitious about hooping if I didn't have a family as well.
I have said it before and I will say it again though, I wouldn't trade my family for all the hoops in the world, and that part is and always will be true. I take comfort in knowing that my true calling is to be a wife and mother, and I am proud of that. And I also know it doesn't mean I can't be a hoop dancer as well, or that I can't build Hoopla and have it be successful. I know that in the grand scheme of things Hoopla is still young, and there is still time. Time to grow, time to learn, time to be successful. There is no hurry.
I started Hoopla with the goal of sharing hoop dance with others. When I get caught up in thinking that I should be further along by now, I take a step back and remind myself that my kids are only little for a short period of time, and one day they will all be in school and I will be twiddling my thumbs wondering what to with myself, and when that time comes my hooping will still be there. One day my husband's business will be more established and then maybe it can take a back seat for a bit while mine gets more attention. One day all of these things will fall into place, and then maybe that day I will be the girl hooping on the street.
See, even just writing it all down makes me feel better. I think some hoop therapy might be in order too.
Thursday, 26 June 2014
Day 177 - Sometimes I Get Bored
I feel like at this point I know a lot of hoop moves and tricks. Maybe dozens even, I don't even know how to count them all (I mean, what qualifies as a hoop trick? Surely something like knee or shoulder hooping isn't so much a trick as a movement....?). In any case, I can move the hoop this way and that way, twist it around, turn in all different directions with it, break and reverse, etc etc. Every new move or trick learned is a way to unlock new flow, and really there are probably infinite combinations when you know that many moves.
So why do I sometimes feel bored? Stuck in the same ruts, over and over again? This move to that move, weave forwards, tuck, toss, catch, flow this way, flow that way, lather, rinse repeat. I'm sure that in any given song/dance I am doing a lot of different moves in many different combinations, and yet I feel like it is not interesting enough. This of course is not true, it is plenty interesting. And I am always trying to come up with new ways to flow. Still......
I think this is more of a mindset than anything else, so I try not to think about it so much. I mean I keep learning new tricks and incorporating them into my dance and I still feel like I don't know enough to keep it interesting. But I know that to an outside set of eyes viewing my dancing for the first time, it probably does look really cool and not boring at all.
This is all part of the fun I guess!
So why do I sometimes feel bored? Stuck in the same ruts, over and over again? This move to that move, weave forwards, tuck, toss, catch, flow this way, flow that way, lather, rinse repeat. I'm sure that in any given song/dance I am doing a lot of different moves in many different combinations, and yet I feel like it is not interesting enough. This of course is not true, it is plenty interesting. And I am always trying to come up with new ways to flow. Still......
I think this is more of a mindset than anything else, so I try not to think about it so much. I mean I keep learning new tricks and incorporating them into my dance and I still feel like I don't know enough to keep it interesting. But I know that to an outside set of eyes viewing my dancing for the first time, it probably does look really cool and not boring at all.
This is all part of the fun I guess!
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
Day 176 - Bio and Hoops Hoops Hoops!
I finally wrote my bio. What better place to put it than here? I will get a proper website on the go, that is my goal for over the winter. One thing at a time.
And, some pictures of hoops I've made. Because they're pretty. Enjoy!
And, some pictures of hoops I've made. Because they're pretty. Enjoy!
About Martina
Martina’s first experience with dance was in 2004 when she
decided to try a bellydance class with her friends. She was immediately hooked and continued
bellydancing for 4 years, training with several different dance schools
including Arabesque Academy in Toronto.
She also had the opportunity for a short period of time to dance with a
small bellydance dance troupe based out of Newmarket. After moving to a new town in 2010, Martina
had hoped to continue her bellydance training however was disappointed to find
there were no local dance schools or dancers that offered classes. Feeling sad and discouraged, for a short
period of time she was without dance in her life and there was truly a void
where it had once been. Martina
discovered hoop dance in the fall of 2011 and it was love at first spin.
The first hoopdance video Martina ever saw was Lisa Lottie
performing to Differente, and she knew from that moment on that hoopdance was
something she wanted to be a part of. She
bought her first hoop and learned how to hoop while she was pregnant with her
daughter. In the years since discovering
hoopdance, it has become her passion.
The year 2014 started off with a challenge to herself: To hoop every single day. Martina decided it was time to pursue her
dream, and started Hoopla Hula Hoops.
She has had the privilege of training with master hoopers such as
Jonathan Baxter and Anah Reichenbach (a.k.a. Hoopalicous), and has most
recently completed the Hooplove Coaching course with Deanne Love. Martina has also been awarded the 2014
Flowbot Award, a scholarship to the InFlow Festival taking place this summer in
Muskoka.
Martina lives in Collingwood with her husband and three
children, and on any given day can be found out and about at various parks and
greenspaces hooping it up with her children and friends. If you see Martina out hooping please stop
and say hi, and join her for a spin!
Martina’s mission is simple:
Share her love of hoopdance with the community!
Hoopla Hula Hoops provides quality dance hoops for adults
and for children, as well as hoopdance classes, workshops, and parties, and
hooping for special events.
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
Day 175 - I Am a Hooplove Coach
I can't believe it's taken me so long to write these words here. I mean, I finished the course a few weeks ago already! And I have been telling myself I need to share the news here almost every day since then but just haven't had the time. So I'm doing it now!
I finally finished Deanne Love's Hooplove Coaching! Ok so it took me a little longer than the 30 days it was supposed to take. I imagine that many other hoopers (ahem those without kids!) could dedicate a few hours to the course each night. I couldn't. If I was lucky I could watch the tutorials or read the material for 30 minutes to an hour MOST nights (some nights I just couldn't do it). By the time my kids were in bed, and I finished packing lunches for the next day, and folding the laundry, and making whatever hoops were on order, there was usually a very small sliver of time left to do the course work. So I picked away at it, but I did manage to finish it by about the second week of June, so that's not too far behind!
So now what? Well, I'm finding myself in this interesting transition period, where I know I need to be doing more for my hoop business but I still don't know exactly what. But I am not stressing about it. I feel like the beauty of what I am doing is that I don't need to pressure myself. I can grow my business as fast, or as slow, as I would like. So it is taking me some time to wrap my head around the whole process. There are still a lot of things I feel I need to work on, like my bio and credentials, and thinking about a website, and organizing more classes. As always family first, so I fit the hoop business in around that.
Admittedly I am finding it hard to build an interest in hooping and I am still not sure if that is because this town is a hard crowd to crack, or if I'm not trying hard enough. I am putting myself out there as much as I can, but I am never entirely sure if it is enough. For example I do know other hoopers who are doing so many more events than I am, but the bottom line is, I just can't commit to much of that stuff...yet. There is still time.
For the time being, I am making time to plan weekly hoop jams and gatherings, and hoping that people will come out to meet me, and a few have. I've still been at the Y every Sunday, sometimes I have a few people and sometimes I don't. I've also been trying to get to Sunset Point with my hoops on Wednesday evenings, and have had a few people join me then too.
The most important thing is that I keep on hooping, and that I can do!
I finally finished Deanne Love's Hooplove Coaching! Ok so it took me a little longer than the 30 days it was supposed to take. I imagine that many other hoopers (ahem those without kids!) could dedicate a few hours to the course each night. I couldn't. If I was lucky I could watch the tutorials or read the material for 30 minutes to an hour MOST nights (some nights I just couldn't do it). By the time my kids were in bed, and I finished packing lunches for the next day, and folding the laundry, and making whatever hoops were on order, there was usually a very small sliver of time left to do the course work. So I picked away at it, but I did manage to finish it by about the second week of June, so that's not too far behind!
So now what? Well, I'm finding myself in this interesting transition period, where I know I need to be doing more for my hoop business but I still don't know exactly what. But I am not stressing about it. I feel like the beauty of what I am doing is that I don't need to pressure myself. I can grow my business as fast, or as slow, as I would like. So it is taking me some time to wrap my head around the whole process. There are still a lot of things I feel I need to work on, like my bio and credentials, and thinking about a website, and organizing more classes. As always family first, so I fit the hoop business in around that.
Admittedly I am finding it hard to build an interest in hooping and I am still not sure if that is because this town is a hard crowd to crack, or if I'm not trying hard enough. I am putting myself out there as much as I can, but I am never entirely sure if it is enough. For example I do know other hoopers who are doing so many more events than I am, but the bottom line is, I just can't commit to much of that stuff...yet. There is still time.
For the time being, I am making time to plan weekly hoop jams and gatherings, and hoping that people will come out to meet me, and a few have. I've still been at the Y every Sunday, sometimes I have a few people and sometimes I don't. I've also been trying to get to Sunset Point with my hoops on Wednesday evenings, and have had a few people join me then too.
The most important thing is that I keep on hooping, and that I can do!
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Day 169 - YouTubing it UP! Practice makes.... ???
Alright all my hoop videos are going up on YouTube. For one if they are on YouTube then I always have access to viewing and sharing them. And for another, my husband has told me I need to free up some space on the computer and since I am hesitant to delete all the pictures of our kids without backing them up again (even though I have them uploaded to a share site as well), the hoop videos will have to go.
It has been a time consuming process, first of all going through them and deciding which ones I wanted to hang on to (I mean really, I don't need like 4 videos of the same session where I'm pretty much doing the same thing in each one, now do I?). And really I will never watch all of them again. So I am holding on to my favourites, the ones that after I watched them for the first time I smiled so hard and was so happy to see how far I had come (even though when I watch the same videos now they are so boring!). The best thing about watching the videos from the very beginning is knowing that I am already 10x better than I was then, so by this time next year I should in theory be another 10x better (if not more since I practice more and am doing more training)!
Practice makes...improvement? I can testify to the fact that hooping everyday has made me a far better hooper in much less time than compared to last year where I only practiced every few days or so. If you love something then do it, and do it often, and you will be as amazing as you want to be.
Anyways, here's my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/martinaraeonthebay
It has been a time consuming process, first of all going through them and deciding which ones I wanted to hang on to (I mean really, I don't need like 4 videos of the same session where I'm pretty much doing the same thing in each one, now do I?). And really I will never watch all of them again. So I am holding on to my favourites, the ones that after I watched them for the first time I smiled so hard and was so happy to see how far I had come (even though when I watch the same videos now they are so boring!). The best thing about watching the videos from the very beginning is knowing that I am already 10x better than I was then, so by this time next year I should in theory be another 10x better (if not more since I practice more and am doing more training)!
Practice makes...improvement? I can testify to the fact that hooping everyday has made me a far better hooper in much less time than compared to last year where I only practiced every few days or so. If you love something then do it, and do it often, and you will be as amazing as you want to be.
Anyways, here's my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/martinaraeonthebay
Monday, 9 June 2014
Day 160 - Please Join me for a Spin! Hoopy Wednesdays are ON!
Whenever it's been a little while since I posted, I have to redo the math to figure out what day I'm on. Looks like I'm almost halfway through the year, and haven't missed a day yet! Woo hoo! I'll be honest there are some days that barely count (not many though), but I do manage to get a spin in. Sometimes it's as simple as standing in front of my tv for 10 minutes doing drills. Coiling the hoop up and down on my body, working in my non-dominant direction, or just doing isolations. If I picked up the hoop that day, then it counts!
It really helps that the gorgeous weather is finally here which has meant much more outdoor hooping! It is always easier to make progress and have breakthroughs when outside in the fresh air and sunshine, when I'm not limited by space. And so, with the arrival of outdoor hooping comes the start of HOOPY WEDNESDAYS! I'm inviting people to join me every Wednesday evening (weather permitting), to have a little social spin and enjoy the outdoors. It's at Sunset Point 7-9pm.
Last Wednesday was the first one, and it was absolutely amazing. The weather was just perfect, it could not have been more lovely out. I was worried it was going to be too windy since the wind was howling all day, but by evening it calmed down and it was wonderful. I had a few people stop and join me, and it was nice being outside and connecting with others through my hoop.
I have also tried my hand at aerial hoop/lyra which has been fantastic. The girls at Aerial Silks Collingwood have been so great and so supportive, and I'm really starting to get the hang of it now three weeks in. It's really hard, but is a great core workout and I am loving it.
Another little bit of news, I have a fan! A friend from overseas messaged me and said her 5 year old daughter loves my videos, and asked if I would do a basic tutorial for her since she is still have trouble getting the hang of it. I don't know that making tutorials will ever be something I'd like to do, especially since there are already so many great ones out there, but I had fun making this short one for the little girl. My own 5 year old was my assistant and he did a great job demonstrating the technique. I must say he is becoming a great little hooper himself, his waist hooping is coming along nicely, and he has even been trying some arm/hand hooping too. Making Mommy proud!
I really enjoy watching kids hoop especially when they are really into it. There is nothing like seeing how excited they are to try it and get it. I did a birthday party a few weeks ago which was a lot of fun, and I often take hoops to my kids' school after class so the other kids can hoop, and we all have a great time. There are some really great future hoopers out there, and I would be thrilled so see them all blossom into amazing hoopers one day.
Here's one more video I've managed to upload (it's a slow process). From late last summer, and the music is Let it Fall by Lykke Li. Amazed at how far I've come since this video!
It really helps that the gorgeous weather is finally here which has meant much more outdoor hooping! It is always easier to make progress and have breakthroughs when outside in the fresh air and sunshine, when I'm not limited by space. And so, with the arrival of outdoor hooping comes the start of HOOPY WEDNESDAYS! I'm inviting people to join me every Wednesday evening (weather permitting), to have a little social spin and enjoy the outdoors. It's at Sunset Point 7-9pm.
Last Wednesday was the first one, and it was absolutely amazing. The weather was just perfect, it could not have been more lovely out. I was worried it was going to be too windy since the wind was howling all day, but by evening it calmed down and it was wonderful. I had a few people stop and join me, and it was nice being outside and connecting with others through my hoop.
I have also tried my hand at aerial hoop/lyra which has been fantastic. The girls at Aerial Silks Collingwood have been so great and so supportive, and I'm really starting to get the hang of it now three weeks in. It's really hard, but is a great core workout and I am loving it.
Another little bit of news, I have a fan! A friend from overseas messaged me and said her 5 year old daughter loves my videos, and asked if I would do a basic tutorial for her since she is still have trouble getting the hang of it. I don't know that making tutorials will ever be something I'd like to do, especially since there are already so many great ones out there, but I had fun making this short one for the little girl. My own 5 year old was my assistant and he did a great job demonstrating the technique. I must say he is becoming a great little hooper himself, his waist hooping is coming along nicely, and he has even been trying some arm/hand hooping too. Making Mommy proud!
I really enjoy watching kids hoop especially when they are really into it. There is nothing like seeing how excited they are to try it and get it. I did a birthday party a few weeks ago which was a lot of fun, and I often take hoops to my kids' school after class so the other kids can hoop, and we all have a great time. There are some really great future hoopers out there, and I would be thrilled so see them all blossom into amazing hoopers one day.
Here's one more video I've managed to upload (it's a slow process). From late last summer, and the music is Let it Fall by Lykke Li. Amazed at how far I've come since this video!
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