NW Hoop Gathering - Apr '09
There is no right or wrong. There is only flow or
not flow.
Anah (aka: Hoopalicious)
I recently returned from a long weekend in Bend,
Oregon where I attended the first annual
NW Hoop
Gathering.
It was a transformational weekend, filled with
workshops led by hoop pioneers from all over the
country. Presentations ranged from free-form
explorations to technical skill-building, as
each of the facilitators shared their unique
approach to hooping with over 100 attendees.
(See a
full page article
in the Bend Bulletin).
When I first picked up a hoop in 2006, I never
imagined where it would take me. The most powerful
aspect of my path in the hoop has been the way it
has taught me to surrender to the unknown. By
allowing myself to be carried on the current of the
hoop, my life has orbited to new heights. To me,
the hoop is
contemplative playtime.
It is a vehicle that allows two parts of me to
unite in a harmonic convergence. My free spirit is
nurtured by the joy of dance and exploration
through movement and radiance. And the spiritual
seeker and metaphysician in me is taught volumes
about how the flow of energy moves in and around my
body and mind. The hoop is a metaphor for the ways
in which life speaks to (and through) me. Joyful.
Powerful. Active. Yielding.
The
SHiNE Workshop - What Moves You Matters
Saturday, April 11, 2009
My workshop presentation was at the end of the day
on Saturday. After many hours of hooping, attendees
were in need of a breather. In the spirit of flow,
I surrendered my workshop plan to the tides of the
moment. The majority of our time was spent in
seated discussion. I introduced attendees to my
ever-evolving experience of flow as a harmonic
balance between Who We Are and Who We Have Become.
Upon opening the floor for questions, we discussed
the perceived barriers to living with authenticity.
Topics of discussion included: the opinion of
others, family dynamics, how ‘should’ can
disempower our choices, and getting to the core of
what it is we really want. In short, we applied the
energy dynamics that the hoop is helping us to
master to our everyday lives. How can we flow more
deliberately towards our most joyous experience of
life?
After a lively discussion, I was eager to move and
vessel the understanding through movement. We had
very little time, so I picked two exercises to end
with. First, we moved into a circle formation and
surrendered our hoops - “you are not what you do.”
We co-created our own harmonic flow of energy - two
concentric circles weaving in and out of one
another - as attendees connected with their
community face-to-face, hand-to-hand in a
perpetually moving circle dance. From there, I felt
the space was hungry for release. A Nia experience
followed through a powerful dance of rhythm and
sounding. The power of over 100 voices wildly
basking in unison is still reverberating in my
heart.
I am ever-so grateful to
Mollie Hogan
of
HoopDazzle
- friend, student, and event organizer - who
wouldn’t take no for an answer. When she encouraged
me to present at the event many months ago, I
voiced my concern about teaching hoop technique as
my energy is so much more drawn to coaching these
days. She encouraged me to create a workshop that I
would be eager to teach, and reassured me in my
ability to deliver. I faced my demons of doubt, and
I did just that. Thank you, Mollie, for your
unconditional love and support.
And I was so delighted and appreciative to see so
many friendly Portland faces in the crowd! Your
presence made me feel at home and at ease. Special
thanks to
Lacye Lee
for her assistance and support during my workshop!
A
Shout Out to the Presenters
I
am continually amazed and inspired by the people
that I meet through the hoopdance community. The
focus of this year’s event was The Evolution of
Flow. In the world of flow arts (ie: poi, staff,
flags, etc), hoopdance has arrived and is
rock-solid! Presentations focused on experiential
understandings of flow understanding, specific to
the hoop. These few paragraphs could hardly do
justice to all the brilliance shared in the
presentations... nevertheless, a shout out feels
warranted. I express my gratitude to:
Baxter
of
The Hoop Path
for his shamanic teaching style that reminds us all
to “go blind” and dive deep into what moves us at
our very core.
Ann
of The Hoop Path for her poise, grace, and
willingness to look closer. Her teaching presence
ignites a powerful fusion of femininity and
strength.
Spiral
of
Spiral Hoop Dance
for her beauty and presence as she led us through a
variety of technical applications inspired by her
inspirational circus-style studies. I appreciate so
much getting to know her... her smile, her
curiosity, and her wonder.
Rich
of
Isopop
for a diagrammatical workshop on isolations and
break-style hooping that was awe-inspiring and
effective.
Christabel
of
HoopGirl
for her continual courageous pushing of limits! Her
workshop on floor hooping and micro-hoop
meditations took each attendee into previous
uncharted territories in and out of the hoop. Go,
soul sister, go!
Khan
for his wisdom and insight as he expressed an
understanding of flow that pushed our boundaries
into quantum physics and beyond. I was especially
affected by his presentation, as I saw so clearly
how the hoop is really a vehicle for the energetic
teachings that come through us all.
Philo
of
Hooping.org
for his playful and approachable teaching style
that emphasized legwork and so much more. I am so
grateful to Philo and the way in which he owns who
he is and connects us all to one another, one click
at a time.
Anah
(aka Hoopalicious) of
Hoop Revolution
for her expertise and willingness to share it. I
felt so much alignment with her teaching, in
philosophy and technique, and I appreciate the ways
she pushed me into so many areas of exploration in
my hoop I had yet experienced. I am renewed with
inspiration!
Thank you to all of the presenters for your wisdom
and sharing. The best part about sharing a platform
with you all was truly feeling complete
authenticity in our sharing with one another and
the community at large.
And as a final thought... a very heartfelt thank
you to the radiant women in my life who support me
every step of the way. I am blessed in friendship
withe amazing women who inspire me endlessly! The
best part of my weekend was the sharing of
laughter, insight, and delight with ladies dear to
my heart:
Jasmine, Christabel, Holly, Keri, Jennaluna, and
Mollie...
you rock my world!
Cara and Sylvia...
you were both there with me in spirit. Thank you
for your invisible support. I love you all!