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Hoopologie Team

image of Woman in meditative position in front of sun approaching flow state

Community, Hooping flow, Meditation, Meditative Hooping

Find Your Flow State with Hula Hooping

What is “flow state”?

Have you ever been so immersed in an activity that you lose all sense of the world around you? Your attention and focus are honed into the experience you are having, and a sense of peace and excitement takes you over completely. You’ve likely heard people refer to this as “being in the zone”, but that can conjure images of hyper focus and fiendish, hypnotic behavior. People experiencing hyper focus may be described as “captured” by a task, often appearing as though they find little enjoyment in the activity they’re doing. While flow state shares some qualities with hyper focus and is characterized by the complete absorption in the ongoing activity, the resulting transformation in one’s sense of time is positive. You lose yourself and move on instinct.

How do I find my flow state?

A common misconception is that you won’t be able to get into your flow state until you have been practicing for months or years, or that you’ll need to know quite a few tricks to show off… Others may say it is something you’ve got to go searching for because it won’t just come to you. That is not true! The moment you pick up that first hula hoop and feel the spark in your soul, you have the opportunity to have a transformative experience.

At Hoopologie, we are truly committed to inspiring our customers and creating a fantastic relationship with you. Hula hooping is an art form and an exceptional alternative to traditional fitness. Helping you find your FLOW is important to us and a part of our mission. Your journey starts with us.

Hooping for Physical Activity.

On top of all the incredible mental health benefits, there are many physical benefits of hula hooping you may not have considered. It’s not just a great activity for you, but one for the whole family! If you’ve got kids in your life, you may find a quick partner in crime when it comes to hooping. Getting started is easy, fun, and once you start you’ll quickly find it improves back pain, burns calories, and even helps you build confidence.

Hoop making is a great hobby.

Did you know you can make your own hula hoop? There is nothing quite like crafting and customizing your own hoop from start to finish. It is not as intimidating as it may sound, and once you have your supplies, you’re ready to go. Luckily, you don’t need to figure it all out on your own. Check out our video on how to make a beginner hula hoop for step-by-step visual instructions.

Finding your flow state is a truly liberating, thrilling experience, and will certainly help you fall even more in love with hooping. Set your mind free and allow yourself to completely explore your space and hula hoop. If you’re looking for more inspiration, you can find hours and hours of videos and tutorials by visiting the HOOPMAKERS University page.

Still have questions? Check out some of the Common Questions and Answers Regarding Hoop Making page and let us know if you’ve got something specific you’d like to know more about. We can’t wait to hear from you!

July 14, 2020 by Hoopologie Team

Community, Hoop Making, Hoop Making Information, Hoop Making Supplies

The Basics of Hula Hoop Tape

If you’re new to the sport of hula hooping, you may have noticed how many people have fancy, flashy tape on their hoops. Certainly you’ve asked yourself, “what’s up with that?” Aside from enhancing their aesthetics, there are several reasons to add tape to your favorite hoop. Getting started can seem intimidating, but we are here to guide you through the process!

What are my options?

If you have ever had a hula hoop fall down on you or have struggled to keep the hoop going for very long, you need some tape! Most hoops are made out of sleek plastic and provide very little surface area to grip. Over the years, hoopers have answered the call and come up with a genius – yet simple – solution. Tape.

There are a few common types of tape that are used on hula hoops, but there are three types of tape to get familiar with:

Vinyl tape – or electrical tape. This is extremely durable, long lasting, and readily available which is why it is such a popular choice. You can change this tape out whenever the mood strikes.
Gaffer tape – commonly known as “grip” tape because of its textured surface. This is a great solution for slippery hoops or for anyone who struggles to get the hoop to stay up on their hips.
Deco tape – sometimes called metallic tape. This is the kind of tape you will notice from a mile away. It is super sparkly, draws attention, and comes in a large variety of patterns and colors.

Other noteworthy tapes include:

Crystal Clear Protection tape – This is a wonderful tape for layering over decorative or vinyl tapes to help them last longer and to preserve your hoop.
3M Grip tape – This type of grip tape is very soft, durable, abrasion resistant, and protects the hoop from damaging drops or bounces on hard surfaces.

I found my tape… Now what?

Great! Making a selection can often be the biggest challenge you face. If you’ve ever worked on another arts and craft project, you know you usually need more supplies than you think you do. Instead of buying too many or too few, try our Hoop Tape Calculator and determine exactly how much you need to get your project done.

Once you’ve got your tape, the real fun can begin. A lot of this is trial and error, playing around with types of tape, and finding the feel you like best. Layering and taping takes practice, but you’ve made it this far, and you will master this before you know it.

How to Tape a Hula Hoop

Now get out there and get hoopin’!

June 11, 2020 by Hoopologie Team

Community, Hoop Making, Hoop Making Information, Hoop Making Supplies, Hooping For Health

Hoop Making & Hooping, A Perfect Stay-At-Home Activity

Hooping is an activity for everyone.

As we all continue to hunker down, you may have found yourself asking how you’ll be able to entertain your family, let alone yourself! Have you considered hula hooping or hoop making as your next avenue to fun? Whether you are looking for something new to keep you active or introduce your kids to something new, you will soon discover why so many people enjoy hooping.

Aside from being a fun way to spend your time, there are many benefits to hula hooping including mental coordination and physical fitness.

Find your creative side.

There is a lot more to hula hooping than just spinning a hoop around your body. It’s an expression of who you are and the passion you feel inside. Your energy is colorful and flows from within you; your hula hoop should match. One of the most exciting parts of starting on this adventure is finding a hoop that represents you as an individual. Which hula hoop is right for you? The options are endless!

Finding the right dance hoop size is the first place to get started. Just like any sport, having the proper equipment, that fits you, and is comfortable to use will make a huge difference in your overall experience. It may look intimidating when you see how many options exist, but getting the proper size established is universally important. Traditional hula hoops are large, but over the generations, we have embraced all sizes! Right now, you may be looking for a good beginner hula hoop, but before too long you may be ready to ignite your excitement with a fire hoop.

Truly… The choices are incredible!

You are not limited to prebuilt, off the shelf hula hoops. If you don’t see any that call your name, you can easily make your own Polypro Hula Hoop at home. With some simple supplies, you’ll be crafting a masterpiece before you know it. On top of doing this for you, your whole family can spend the day making a hula hoop they can use for years to come.

Where can I learn more about Hoop Making?

You can find all of the videos you’ll need to help you craft you own hoop by visiting the HOOPMAKERS University page. With dozens of hours of tutorials, explanations of pieces, and instructions, you’ll find an answer to any questions along the way.

Still have questions? Check out some of the Common Questions and Answers Regarding Hoop Making and challenge us to answer any question you may still have! At Hoopologie, hula hooping is our passion, and a joy we hope to share with the world. Together, we can spin your world around.

May 4, 2020 by Hoopologie Team

Community, Hooping and life wisdom, Hooping flow, Hooping For Health

The Many Benefits of Hula Hooping

A hula hoop is more than just a toy. Though most of us were introduced in childhood, there is no reason to give up the joy, happiness, and youthful feeling associated with this wholesome activity. If it has been a while since you picked up a hoop – don’t worry! We are going to show you how to get started, where to find resources on this adventure, and outline some of the reasons you should be excited to try something new.

Getting Started is Easy

All you need to get started is a hula hoop, plenty of space to move around, and a little determination. Finding the proper size hoop is important for your overall experience. Check out our HDPE & POLYPRO TUBE SIZING GUIDE to learn all about the materials used to create hula hoops, inner and outer diameters, and how to select a size hoop that works for you.

When you’re ready to get started, be sure you begin with the proper posture and form. It may sound silly, but you aren’t looking to put more strain on your body! Your feet should be a little more than shoulder-width apart, one foot slightly in front of the other, keep your back straight, and core muscles engaged. With the hoop resting around your back and hips, start spinning the hoop. As it begins to move around your waist in a circular motion, push your hips forward and backward. Congratulations! You are now a hula hooper.

We have a wide variety of Performance, Fitness, and Beginner Hoops for every level of comfort. Did you know you can make your own? Learn How to Make a Simple Beginner Hula Hoop and be the envy of all your friends.

Why Hula Hooping is Great

It helps you burn calories.

In 2017 the Mayo Clinic supported this claim by stating hula hooping can provide results similar to other aerobic activities such as dancing. Adding weights to hoops increases the results.

It builds confidence.

Anytime you are spending time improving your lifestyle, and finding ways to boost your happiness, your confidence increases. I can attest to this and shared my story here: 3 Ways Hooping Helped Me Build Confidence.

Family friendly and focused activity.

Kids and adults can both enjoy the art of hula hooping. In addition to the physical health benefits, you can add an artistic flair to your hoops by adding HOOP TAPE. If you’ve never added tape to your hoops, view our tutorial on How to Tape a Hula Hoop. Before you know it, everyone in your family will be building their own hoops and showing off their personalities in a whole new way.

So many of us spend our days working from behind a desk, typing on computers, or driving all over town to get everything done. As we get older, our backs are more prone to aches and pains throughout the day. Without some form of exercise, you’ll continue to deal with these side effects. Try hooping for your back pain.

Improves Back Pain.

Now that you’re convinced, get yourself out there and start hooping! You and your entire family can enjoy a fun experience, create memories, and explore a hobby everyone can enjoy. Get inspired to begin your own story.

March 30, 2020 by Hoopologie Team

Meditation, Meditative Hooping

Meditation vs. Meditative Hooping: Why Should You Practice Both?

What enters your mind when you think of meditation?

For many hoopers, hooping itself becomes so freeing, so opening, that the focus on our awareness and presence inside the hoop allows us to enter the ethereal flow state. Our thought process slows, and the movement takes a hold, providing a complete release from the need to think about how or what we are going to do next. Because this state creates such powerful feelings, often leaving hoopers high from the release, the term “meditative hooping” frequently comes into play. And once this state is felt for the first time, it almost always keeps us coming back for more. There are, however, some big differences between meditative hooping and meditation techniques where stillness is key.

Now, just because there are important differences between them that should be noted, that doesn’t at all imply one modality is “better” than the other. Rather, I’ve experienced a breathtaking synergy occur when both movement and stillness forms are practiced in every day life, and I wish to share in the hopes that you, my fellow hoopers, may experience it as well.

Meditative hooping becomes so transfixing to the hooper practicing it because it provides a release from the near constant thought process of our human reality. Mixing this release with movement (which inherently makes us feel better and is its own release in and of itself) ultimately allows us to expand our perception into a greater frame of reference. We receive in unconditional self-love, confidence, joy, and self-power, while simultaneously releasing fear, doubt, and worry. We can simply be the movement we are creating. And creating feels good. Very good.

The upside is that when meditation and meditative hooping are practiced on a regular basis, the benefits are utterly overwhelming and penetrate every facet of your life.

So what’s the difference? Why should you consider incorporating one or more meditation techniques in which the body is still into your daily routine?

While meditative hooping and other movement based meditations allow us to connect with our bodies’ possibilities amongst the various planes of motion, meditation techniques in which we lie or sit still provide the opportunity to focus on the natural rhythms of the body that usually remain in the subconscious. Going even further, these modalities gift us the ability to focus on nothing but pure awareness. While it may seem paradoxical that practicing thinking to the most minimal degree possible sprouts incredible personal growth and new, enhanced thought processes, it remains one of the most important truths I’ve discovered in my life thus far. These types of meditation, such as Zen, Mindfulness, Vipassana, etc… have become so critical to my own personal well-being that I can’t imagine life without them. My body and mind crave that time every day to slow down, relax, and flow into the flow of awareness itself. In these moments I have witnessed myself effortlessly answer important life questions that were pertinent at the time, and quite simply experience raw happiness, which overflows into everyday life once these techniques have been practiced long enough.

Meditation, however, is by no means an easy practice. Just as hooping requires discipline, perseverance, and willpower, so too does the practice of being still. The upside is that when both of these are practiced on a regular basis, the benefits are utterly overwhelming and penetrate every facet of your life. However cheesy and cliché it may sound, I never thought these practices would help me surpass a level of happiness and contentedness I never knew was possible. This is why I implore you beautiful hoopers to give stillness practices a try. Whether it be five minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour every day, every little bit makes an incredible difference.

Below I’ll leave you will a few references to some wonderful meditations to help you get started. If you don’t like the particular voice of the person, that is perfectly okay. Simply search for another one of the type you enjoy, and you will be amazed at the results you discover. There is an overflowing wealth of free resources thanks to this beautiful tool we call the Internet, so take advantage of it! And if you ever have any questions, concerns, or thoughts you’d like to share, I’m always open to share space with you.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction meditation called a Body Scan (this kind is one of my absolute favorites, especially to practice before hooping).

This website provides countless varieties!

Yet another website with quite a few practices.

Just remember: Feel the movement, feel the flow, let go.

To get started hooping, Hoopologie and Hoopnotica sell a number of beginner and advanced hula hoops.

Hoopologie Beginner Fitness Hoops — Hoopologie sells a wide variety of beginner and advanced travel hoops and is the leader in high quality hula hoop supplies.

Hoopnotica Travel Hoops — Hoopnotica sells a wide variety of beginner travel hoops and fitness DVDs.

*Disclosure Hoopnotica is owned and operated by Hoopologie.

April 24, 2019 by Hoopologie Team

Hoop Making, Hoop Making Information, Hoop Making Supplies, Hooping and life wisdom, Hoopologie Team

Common Questions Regarding Hoop Making Supplies

Beginning your hoop-making journey can be a little intimidating, but fret not! We are here to help you make this as easy as possible while answering many of the basic questions you might have as you start out.

Supplies Needed for Making Hoops

– Tubing Hoop Making Tools

– Pipe cutters

– Riveter

– Handheld power drill or drill press

– Drill bits

– Push buttons

– Rivets

– Tape measure

– Super glue (to glue gaffer tape ends down – optional)

– Other supplies you may need depending on the type of hoop you are making include decorative tape, 3M crystal clear protection tape to cover decorative tape, and gaffer tape or 3M grip tape to add grip to a hoop. Gaffer adds a nice subtle grip, while 3M grip tape provides a super grip that many people love. Some people prefer to have their hoop bare with no grip, and others may prefer to have the hoop sanded with sandpaper or waxed with hoop wax for a more natural grip that doesn’t add any weight to the hoop.

Extra Info on Rivets, Snap Buttons, and Drill Bits

Rivets are used to secure one side of the insert piece to the hoop, while push buttons are used on the other side of the insert piece to make a hoop collapsible. The push button allows you open up the hoop and coil it down for travel! While push buttons are not necessary, they are used in most hoop connections for convenience in shipping and traveling.

Snap Button Sizes: 16722554_10211755333659835_2051387370843782493_o

Extra Small snaps are for 1/2″ hoops (3/8” insert material)

Small snaps are for 5/8″ hoops (1/2” insert material)

Medium snaps are for 3/4″ hoops (5/8” insert material)

Large snaps are for 7/8″ and larger PE hoops (3/4” insert material and larger)

Universal Straight Leg snaps are for 5/8” and 3/4″ hoops (1/2” and 5/8” insert material)

Small Coil vs. Large Coil & How to Stretch and Store Tubing

Small coil is wound on a smaller hub, so the diameter of the coil is much smaller and can fit in a smaller box- the main reason the cost is much lower. Large coils are larger in diameter and make it much easier to make larger hoops out of since you do not need to stretch the tubing.

Large Coil

Most people, however, still choose to use small coil and stretch it out themselves. This can be done by opening the coil of tubing as soon as you receive it (cut the tape and ties off). Many people leave the coil flat on the floor to expand on it’s own, which works great for HDPE tubing. For polypro tubing you may need to coil the tubing around a large object such as a box, etc…

Whatever coil size you choose, make sure to cut the flat parts off both ends of the tubing. This wastage is common in hoop making and each coil is a few feet longer than 100’ to allow for these flat parts to be cut off. Coils should be stored reconnected with a piece of insert material to keep the round shape of the ends, and can be stored flat on the ground or you can hang them with bungee cords on a rack!

Small Coil

Additional information regarding tubing sizes and the comparison of Polypro & HDPE can be found in our guide here!

Insert Material

There are various types of insert material available in the hoop world today. The most popular type of connector is polycarb, for it provides a very straight and sturdy connection so that the hoop will not bend at the connector. Polypro and HDPE may also be used in hoops that won’t quite work with polycarb inserts, and can make great connections as well.

As always, please feel free to contact us with additional questions. We are here to help at all points in your hoop making journey!

May 31, 2017 by Hoopologie Team

Community, fresh and new, Hooping and life wisdom, Millennial

Hooping as a Millennial

Amber Lane balances her hoop in front of the Iconic Flatirons in Boulder, Colorado.

Amber Lane balances her hoop in front of the Flatirons in Boulder, CO.

Hi, I’m a Millennial. There, I said it. I’m glad we got that out of the way, because despite this culturally persecuted aspect of who I am, I am also a hooper. But what exactly does it mean to be a hooper ostensibly lost in the pool of often confused and downtrodden millennials? It means I have a home to turn to when I find myself feeling overwhelmed. When I’m craving connection. When I’m craving a sense of security – something that effectively escapes me frequently throughout the day when I begin thinking about the mountain of student debt weighing down on me. My hoop is always there to hug me while dancing away my worries, and having this as a tool has proven life-altering while trying to navigate these tempestuous gen-y waters.

We, as millennials, are facing countless struggles largely unheard of in previous generations. We are well on our way to becoming the most educated, yet most underpaid generation in history. On average, we are making about 10% less than the median wages reported in 2000 – and that was almost twenty years ago – which means that when inflation is taken into consideration, is absolutely abysmal. This wage gap, however, is not only reflected among college attendees. Many who didn’t attend college are experiencing an even greater wage adversity because of the decline in the various jobs they tend to take on like manufacturing, etc… While these financial and economic woes are significant, it is just as critical to recognize that gen-y is struggling with the highest levels of clinical depression, anxiety, and stress than any other generation did at the same age. On top of it all, we are in the midst of a shifting, volatile political atmosphere, and are continually criticized, gaslighted, and attacked by many people in older generations who claim we are lazy, entitled, self-absorbed… the list goes on. All of these factors, when combined, invariably lead to the identity crises many of us are experiencing.

So how do we deal when these realities come crashing down around us? We hoop, of course! Yet it is also important to keep in mind that many of us are not just hoopers – we are yogis, we meditate, we are music lovers and adventurers, we are teachers, we are travelers, and we have a thirst for knowledge. All of these activities and qualities have something tremendously important in common, though – community. The hoop community itself is especially incredible, and I have witnessed so many amazing things being a part of it over the last seven years. The sense of connection and acceptance that comes from being a part of this circle (pun intended ;), is unique and magical. We create instantaneous, loving connections with people from all walks of life, all over the world, simply because we all adore these small plastic circles. How entirely peculiar and enchanting? We lift each other up, offer our knowledge, and provide a space to truly let go of any misconceptions about who we think we are and should be, allowing us to ultimately be our truest selves. For within the unique flow of dancing with a hoop, we are able to experience a truly raw, authentic part ourselves that many of us never knew existed before we found hooping.

Hooping provides such a beautiful way to fill our cups and therapeutically address many emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual challenges and limitations both as an individual and as a society. Whether it assists with depression, weight loss, confidence, connection, etc…, our hoop is an amazing healing tool, and when we use it with this intention it has the ability to create focus and passion in our lives, extending far beyond the surface of simple play. It hones our reflexes and ability to find solutions, which are vital qualities in these tumultuous times. We have also continued to alter the inherent desire for wealth from one rooted in the material to one in the experiential, and while that is not exclusive to the spin community, there is definitely a correlation between the two. We continuously find ways to shift the paradigm we are living in as a generation, and being a part of a community such as hooping or spinning multiplies the motivation and inspiration we experience on a daily basis, thereby increasing our ability to create a better world to live in.

Navigating our place in the world as millennials can certainly be challenging given the backlash we experience from other generations while trying to thrive and carve a new path for society to walk. We have an advantage, however, when we surround ourselves with communities that inspire us to be our best selves. Underestimating the value of connection and its essential role in a prosperous society has proven a key reason we are experiencing such a turbulent era, but with this realization, we regain the power to re-connect with our fellow humans and show the world what it means to be compassionate and understanding. The equity we can create when we enter this mindset of connectedness is unparalleled. Hooping should not be taken for granted, no matter how far we may stray from it at various points in our lives. Even if we may wander from the physical practice at times, our tool belt remains more stocked because of it, which invariably betters the actual practice of being our best selves in everyday life. Remember your newfound tools, friends, and use them. This community is always here to support us when we need it.

May 17, 2017 by Hoopologie Team

Hooping and life wisdom, Hooping flow, Meditation, Meditative Hooping

New Year’s, Personal Growth, and the Beginner’s Mind

The New Year has been a pivotal and celebrated time to humankind for thousands of years. Our modern times have proven that we are no exception, and hoopers everywhere are joining the ranks of celebration and new beginnings. Often times getting lost amidst the hubbub of the “New Year, New You” mantra, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that personal growth and transformation should not only be reserved for the fast to fade excitement over transitioning from year to year. Not to say we should stifle a fun and tribal tradition in lieu of this sentiment, but it is important to remember that our personal growth path is a never-ending one.

Now, some of you might be asking- what does this have to do with hooping? The answer: everything. Every single hooper I’ve ever had an in depth conversation with has always circled back to the notion that hooping has helped them immensely with multiple facets of their life- AKA, personal growth. However, many of us, myself included, sometimes lose a bit of the excitement and love we first experienced with hooping after doing so for years. There may be periods in which we are hooping every day for hours, and some when we don’t hoop much, or at all. While there are innumerable reasons we experience this bell-curve, a huge one I’ve encountered (and almost every other hooper I observe) is getting swept up in the hooping world that lies outside of myself. When we begin focusing too much on hoop-making, viewing videos of others, taking videos for others to see, learning new techniques and tricks, etc, instead of being intimately alone dancing and flowing with our hoop just for ourselves, it becomes easy to upset the delicate balance of our relationship with our hoop.

By no means am I implying hoop-making, taking and viewing videos, and the like are negative in the slightest (in fact they are immensely beneficial!), but when we neglect our truly “alone” time with our hoop we create the potential to lose out on the profound benefits that hooping has to offer; hence the reason it is such a delicate balance. One of the greatest pieces of wisdom that I have attained with my circle thus far is that hooping is a way of practicing self-love and learning how to carry it with you into your daily life. This practice and absorption can begin to become mute if we dwell too much outside of our own intimate little world with our hoop by focusing too much on others’. In some scenarios it can even add to or create feelings of jealousy, self-judgment, lack of motivation, and the like.

All of these feelings, including many unmentioned, are a part of those innumerable reasons we might find ourselves straying away from hooping as much as we’d ideally like to, adding to the bell-curve. This evidently happens to more of us than we might think, otherwise we would not be witnessing so many hoop challenges on social networking sites motivating us to hoop for a certain length of time every day for x number of days. I personally notice even more of these pop up around the New Year because of the previously mentioned “New Year, New You” mantra that becomes so infectious. While these are all amazing motivations and fun, social ways to get us hooping more, I like to pose and ponder the question, “how can we keep this motivation, personal growth, and self-love alive and kicking every single day throughout the year?” One of the greatest answers is quite simple, really. Go back to the way hooping used to make you feel when you first started- your beginner’s mind.

While it is easier said than done for most of us, even just making the slightest effort and acknowledging that you have the ability to be back in that beginner’s mind in every moment, it will make quite a noticeable difference in your daily practice (even if it’s only for five minutes!). Enjoy hooping for exactly what it is- hooping, dance, movement, art… Enjoy the feeling of your hoop caressing you at every point of contact around your body. Enjoy the moving meditative state that your mind automatically slips into while spinning in circles. Just be aware and allow your beginner’s mind joy to shine through. And always remember- hooping is first and foremost a sacred time for your Self.

As we continually learn and re-learn how to experience the happiness and self-love that exists within each and every one of us, there are ups and downs and turnarounds along the path. Just keep in mind that us hoopers have stumbled upon an amazingly beautiful tool that has the power to help in immeasurable ways when we continue to hone our relationship with it. Pull it out of your tool-belt on days you may be feeling lost and unmotivated, even if only for a few minutes. There is absolutely no need to wait for a new year or even a new hoop challenge to start or continue climbing up the next curve. Toss out that dated New Year’s mantra and replace it with “New Day, New You”, or create something of your very own. Because we are all constantly changing and transforming, we persistently have the opportunity to be exactly what we want to be and experience exactly what we want to experience. Every moment possesses the possibility to be something beautiful.

***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 healing and relief. 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.

January 13, 2015 by Hoopologie Team

Hooping and life wisdom, Hooping flow

How to Deepen Your Hoop Practice

Mallory Maki dances with the sunset – Mission Beach, CA

As a person who has hooped for over four years now, I can definitely say that I’ve experienced my fair share of searching for new ways to flow and even quite a few hooping “plateaus”- when you feel like you’ve learned all you can or have become stagnated for other reasons. Rest assured, however, that we all have limitless potential for learning, and that includes our precious little plastic circles. Perhaps thinking outside the box is all you need! In this piece I will go over a few helpful tips and new things you can try to help deepen your hoop practice or get that momentum going again if you feel you are stuck with nowhere to turn.

Hoop blind folded

Hooping blind folded might sound a bit unnerving or odd to some at first, but doing so offers many lessons. When we take away our sense of sight our other senses naturally heighten and create a different experience within the hoop. We can feel the hoop caress our bodies at every point single of contact on a much deeper level, and it also helps take away the judgment about how we think we may look.

Dance without a hoop

I personally reached a point this past year where I was ready to begin incorporating more dance like movements into my practice. While a lot of that came from messing around and trying weird dance moves with the hoop, a lot of the progress I made came from dancing freely with no prop and learning how to release my inhibitions. Even if you already dance with your hoop, try doing so without it for at least a few minutes every day. It feels amazing and invites a new twist!

Hoop with different sizes

Every time I felt stagnant with hooping I noticed that I had been using the same hoop size for a very long time. Changing your hoop size (whether going smaller or larger) may sound simple, but it transforms the dynamics of the way you move, respond, and play with your hoop, even if it’s just a tiny bit with certain moves. Doing so will open you up to a whole new world and many more years of practice.

Stretch/do yoga

Stretching or going even further by doing a physical yoga practice can open your body up to a whole new plethora of movements that can also be done with a hoop. It takes perseverance and willpower, but I’ve also found how much more easily I can move with my hoop in general after I’ve done some stretching or yoga, even if I’m not trying new moves per se. Limbering up the body works wonders.

Hoop in both directions

The first time I felt I hit a plateau a huge realization smacked me in the face- almost everything I had learned I only learned in one direction. Going back and correcting this proved to be much harder than it would have been if I had learned each move in both directions right away. Not only that, but the muscles on the left side of my body were noticeably lacking compared to the right, my right side was more lean, and my hips were not moving evenly. So while I had the chance to learn almost every move all over again and jump off my plateau in that regard, I also learned the hard way that uneven hooping could actually create disharmony in the body. Big surprise, huh? If you take one thing away from this piece- hoop in both directions for an even amount of time!

Go back to the basics

When many of us first start hooping, including me, we become so obsessed that we try to learn new moves as quickly as possible and often fall away from the basics that are waist and core hooping. Going back and working on perfecting your waist hooping allows you to work on your footwork and other small intricacies that can add a whole other level to your hoop dancing, especially from an audience’s perspective. This tip can actually be applied to any hoop move as well by going back to every trick and smoothing them out and working out technicalities.

Try new props

Trying new props such as staff, fans, poi, wand, etc… provides something completely new for you to figure out and play with. What’s even better, however, is that using new toys can help you figure out new ways of moving and new tricks that can be translated over to the hoop. Poi is an especially wonderful learning tool to utilize if you are ready to start using double hoops.

Discovering new realms of movement, new items to introduce, and going back to what we already know is often all we need to facilitate a whole new chapter of growth with our hoops. If you have any other tips that have helped you deepen your own personal practice or overcome a hoop plateau I would love to hear them in the comments below. Please don’t hesitate to share! Now go forth and explore, hoopers!

September 22, 2014 by Hoopologie Team

Hooping and life wisdom, Hooping flow, Spin Summit

5 Things The Spin Summit Helped Me Understand On An Even Deeper Level

Amber Lane of Lucid Hooping at the Spin Summit 2014 – Photo Credit: Rachel Coughlin

Ideas and concepts are constantly introduced to us and expanded upon by our surroundings and experiences throughout our lives. Whether it comes easily or not, these understandings are continually changing, evolving, and being understood on more profound levels, and sometimes even being debunked and replaced with new ones. During my time at The Spin Summit earlier this May, quite a few of these deeper understandings and changes within myself took place, of which I would like to share a few.

1. Flow is universal

While I’ve been thinking about this subject frequently since I started hooping, I was absolutely blown away by some of the flow I witnessed at The Spin Summit. It was the first time I saw upwards of five poi spun by one person. It was the first time I saw clubs being used in such unique ways through balance and other manipulation techniques aside from juggling (although the juggling was amazing itself). This wasn’t, however, the first time I witnessed seemingly impossible things happen with a prop. So why was I taken to such a new high within this personal understanding of mine? It was because I realized that flow (in other words, energy) already runs through literally everything (well, duh… wait for it), it’s just that it’s up to us to tap into it.

I have observed so many spinners disappointedly claim they don’t have any flow (a thought which should be chucked out the door as soon as possible, by the way) in a manner that indicates it is nonexistent. All energy is borrowed, which consequently means that flow isn’t something that can be created out of nothing. We simply need to tap into the abundance of flow that already exists everywhere around us. Every single person has the ability to do so in some shape or form whether it’s through prop manipulation, writing, the use of one’s mind, etc… and that is Absolutely. Freaking. Beautiful.

2. Listen to your body

A little over five years ago I was unwillingly immersed in the art of listening deeply to my body because of severe disc herniations in my lumbar spine. Although I am now pain-free a majority of the time, it is only because I continually listen to my body telling me what feels good and what doesn’t. The Spin Summit brought with it at points a little physical pain. However, I was able to deepen my ability to stop, listen, and focus on freeing myself from its grasp. It was a good reminder for me, and ALL of us, not to overwork the body and set some healthy boundaries, especially when we are immersed in a weekend-long, physically intensive series of workshops.

3. It’s okay to mess up

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but every time I see amazing performances like the ones at The Spin Summit, one of the factors that make them amazing is the ability to gracefully mess up in front of hundreds of people. This means that making mistakes in our personal practice is perfectly okay, too, and in fact, they are necessary. They help us grow, learn, and develop our techniques. We should be thanking them, really.

4. Don’t be afraid to try new things

New tricks, new dance moves, new props. Try it all! Trying new things allows us to become more well-rounded in our overall practice, and experimenting with new props can especially help us develop deeper understandings of our first love. I was finally able to get a staff at The Spin Summit, and I must say, the highs of nailing moves with it are as wonderful as they were when I first started hooping. It is also helping me understand balance on such a greater level, which is spilling over into my hooping practice.

5. Bigger is better…. for some

Hoopers have begun using smaller and smaller and smaller and, you guessed it, smaller hoops in their everyday practice. I started to follow this trend for a bit because I like trying new sizes and different widths of tubing (and I still do!), but Baxter’s workshop at The Spin Summit made me realize I feel more in-tune with my flow when I use a larger hoop and move at a slightly slower pace. I went straight back home and made myself some new 35” hoops, and I couldn’t feel better about where my practice is going. Use what size feels right for YOU, whether it is 28” or 48”, only you know what is best for the majority of your practice.

I’m so grateful for the experiences I had at The Spin Summit this year. They will undoubtedly influence me and my practice for the rest of my life, and as flow festival season kicks into high gear, I encourage each and every one of you to stay open-minded and flexible. Allow your inner child to shine through, and stay interested in subtleties. Our lives could always use a little more play and exploration.

***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.

June 3, 2014 by Hoopologie Team

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