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!

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.....

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.

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.