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fresh and new, Hooping and life wisdom, Hooping flow, Meditative Hooping

Flow. What does it mean to you?

Bex Burton finds her flow in the beautiful foothills of Boulder, CO.

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.

April 14, 2014 by
fresh and new, Hooping and life wisdom, Hoopologie Team

Grace Inside and Outside the Hoop

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As the 2014 Winter Olympics come to a conclusion we all have the unique opportunity to witness athletes at the top of their game who have spent years honing their craft. These athletes inspire us with their amazing skill, elegance, grace, mental toughness, and ability to be fierce competitors. However, the most impressive are always those who are amazing in their daily life as well as their chosen sport.

Just as every sport/hobby does eventually, hooping has evolved by leaps and bounds, especially in the last decade. As more and more people excitedly pick up the hoop for the first time we witness the learning curve dramatically alter; so much so that the nature and style of hooping is even transforming. Hoopers are now gravitating towards certain types of hoops, tricks, styles, and/or groups. While some can more easily progress in amazingly short periods of time, for others the learning curve is much steeper- which is perfectly okay! Everyone experiences movement through different physical bodies and perceptive lenses, which inherently means we will all learn at different rates and in different manners. There will be those of us who don’t “get it” right away because we are not used to the type of movement hooping requires, or perhaps we are not used to feeling so free inside our bodies just yet. We could be wondering why everyone else is finding his or her flow, still waiting for that glorious day to finally feel it. Weeks go by, sometimes months, sometimes longer!

For those of us who find hooping comes easily, we may get excited at how quickly we progress, but eventually find ourselves feeling stuck in a rut or hitting a plateau. In the midst of mastering so much we may still crave to be more graceful, incorporate more dance, make tricks look smoother, or just be “better” in general. Sometimes we get discouraged and frustrated, and slowly but surely, hooping becomes less exciting than it once was; it becomes a chore. Contemplation of quitting or taking a break may even come into play, which is why the comparison game can absolutely take all the fun out of hooping.

Our experience can turn from a state of bliss into a battle of association. Instead of knowing what our real gifts and talents are, we might end up spending more time figuring out everyone else’s. Our world can become so high pressure and full of comparison that we barely have room to breathe outside of the hoop, so why would we want to bring that into one of our most sacred spaces? When we begin comparing ourselves to others it’s as if we are floating on a cloud, disconnected from our true selves. If we slip into this zone we have no idea who we are, what we want, what our dreams are, or what is even real to our true selves. But without some element of healthy competition, where would we find the motivation to improve? Would we really practice an extra half hour every day, stretch more, or try a trick just one more time? The truth is, we can channel this seemingly competitive vibe into one that serves us and helps us grow.

Living in a constant state of comparison can be incredibly exhausting. Instead, try practicing feeling your own heart inside the hoop. Hoop at home alone with YOUR music in YOUR style. Take it back to the basics. Hoop slower, hoop faster, hoop with different hoopers, hoop with a heavy hoop, hoop with your first hoop, hoop outside, and hoop on a mountaintop! Recognize when your mind begins playing those comparison thoughts like a broken record player in your head. Don’t listen to them! Take heart in your present experience. Look at your environment around you and find something beautiful to look at while noticing the details of this present moment. Intentionally find some commonality between you and that other person you seem to be comparing yourself to, for they are simply a soul who has found joy inside the hoop just like you. By learning to appreciate the experiences and teachings you’ve gained from other hoopers in a more objective manner, it becomes easier release comparisons and go your own way, which can ultimately help you with similar situations in every day life.

If you have honed the art of hooping, how do you go about sharing and spreading the love while staying true to yourself? People will naturally gravitate towards you when you are passionate about something and have simultaneously found a wonderful way to compliment living life in the moment. They will remember you more for who you are “outside the hoop” rather than “inside the hoop”. So share with us! How have you learned, or how are you in the process of learning to stay true to yourself within and without the hoop?

YOU are awesome! Thanks for reading!

Co-collaboration for this piece by Melinda Rider of Hoopologie and Amber Lane of Lucid hooping. ***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.

March 5, 2014 by