Bex Burton finds her flow in the beautiful foothills of Boulder, CO.
Flow. What does it mean to you? In the movement community it is one of the foremost concepts we contemplate and try to experience in our various practices whether it be in a physical, mental, or more ethereal sense. At the same time, however, flow can be experienced in every facet of life, not just through movement arts. As many of us have discovered through our hoop practice, unearthing flow through movement can prove to help us find it in our every day lives. And living in a constant state of flow is a blissful feeling that we all deserve and have the ability to cultivate.
When I first began hooping, I was searching for my flow in a more physical and somewhat mental capacity. As we all experience at the beginning of our newly discovered practice, making moves look and feel graceful and smooth, and learning how to transition from one move to the next in the same manner can feel rather bumpy and somewhat awkward. I for one was not used to using many of the muscles hooping requires. The more hours we spend inside the hoop, however, the more our muscles continually gain memory and allow us to begin entering a state of physical and mental flow. When I first began experiencing this state it was pure magic. I had no idea a few months prior that my body was capable of cultivating such power through movement, and it felt beyond amazing to be able to transition from one move to the next with little to no thought about how it was going to happen.
I’ve noticed a trend that as we first learn to enter the physical flow state with our props, this stage often comes with contemplation and even concern that from an outside perspective it doesn’t “look” like we are flowing. Although the ability to record ourselves virtually and watch our own hooping can provide various lessons and benefits, it can also cultivate (in my opinion) unnecessary concerns. I’ve seen numerous comments from many different hoopers on their own videos questioning whether they were actually flowing. They claim they felt it at the time, but upon watching their movement, they begin wondering if they truly were flowing. I feel it is always important to note and keep in mind that physical flow is something that comes with practice, and while viewing our videos can help us tweak certain aspects of our movements to make them look better, there is no need to get sad, disconcerted, or down about how you think you look. Respect the process of practice and know that if you felt the flow, it most definitely happened. The feeling is what matters most, not the aesthetics.
As we delve further into our practice we have the ability to experience a more ethereal flow state on top of doing so physically and mentally. We all have different ideas and definitions of what this state entails, but for me personally, it allows me to connect the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of the Self to experience an incredible state of complete awareness connected to Spirit. I like to think of it as a meditative state in which I can live in the present moment on a beautiful and powerful level.
Going even further, immersing ourselves in flow through movement can help us enter the same flow state in our everyday lives from eating, working, and playing to having relationships, communicating, and practicing other art forms. When we completely surrender to the way things are the energy we give and receive in return allow us to experience and recognize the multitude of beautiful synchronicities that are present in every day.
Because we all have different definitions of the term flow in general, I was curious to know how others define their experiences with it. I asked openly for responses to my question, “What is flow to you?”, and received so much heart and openness in return. Here are just a few responses:
“For me personally, immersing myself in the heady study of Flow has had a startling ripple effect. I realized that I was not practicing what I was attempting to preach. So this past January, I quit my day job to pursue my artistic passion in fiber arts, wearable arts, and costume design full time. In addition to practicing my flow with my hoop and fans, I can now say that I am trying to Live in Flow.” – Ann-Marie Phalen-Hartman
“Flow is clarity. The understanding of our universe, finally finding how everything is connected, and how you move with the rest of the energy in the world.” – Destiny McPherson
“Flow is when the outer world falls away and all I know is myself connected to my soul.” – Shannon Loucks
And there you have it. I’m consistently amazed and inspired by the beauty and depth that is ever present in our community. I am always seeking more stories and thoughts about flow, how it has changed you, how it has added to your life, how it has healed you, etc… Please feel free to share in the comments below if you feel called to do so. I would love to hear from you!
***Amber Lane of Lucid Hooping is a general lover-of-life and hoop enthusiast. After being diagnosed with degenerative disc disease and two herniated discs at the age of 17, she entered the world of medicine. She discovered the hoop and meditation in 2010 when she was 19 and instantly fell in love, not only because they boosted her self-confidence to new highs, but also because these modalities magically healed her chronic pain. Life since then has been a whirlwind of learning and sharing self-healing techniques and manifesting the life of her dreams. Through Lucid Hooping she hopes to help others in their journeys to health and true happiness through self-healing and transformation.