The first several weeks of my hooping journey have been blissful. I’ve been constantly surrounded by other hoopers…encouraged and inspired by their passion and skills. I realize that this is not the norm for most people who are starting out. Many times, you might be the only person in a 50 mile radius with a hoop (or at least it feels that way!). So I am grateful that I have a home on wheels and that I can travel to seek out hoop community.
However, upon arriving at my parent’s home in Iowa…I had an epiphany. I put on some music, grabbed my hoop and realized that it was the FIRST time I had hooped alone. There was no one to judge. No one to watch. No one to impress. It was just me and the hoop. I felt so free. I was free to dance crazier, faster, slower, you name it. I didn’t care what it looked like and it was amazing.
I haven’t had a moment like it since. I usually have Bella hooping by my side, which results in “Mama, WATCH THIS!!” before every move…or Lucy is sleeping and I can’t turn up the music as loud as I would like. I’ve found myself craving some time alone in the hoop.
I’ve also found myself combining my hooping with prayer time. Changing up the music a bit completely alters the mood and I can turn it into a meditation time instead of just exercise or fun. Just me and Jesus in the hoop. 🙂
What is your favorite time of day to hoop and where?
Do you hoop in a certain room of your house? Outside?
What are your thoughts on hooping alone?
I would love to hear…
*Photo: The lovely Rebecca | Walnut Woods – Des Moines, IA
The Happy Hoop 
new to this BUT I am intrigued…
I with ya on hooping solitary! I like to clost my eyes while I’m hooping…. seems to get me to try more things for some reason! Hubby smokes (BLAH!!) so at night when he goes outside for a cig I follow along and get some hooping in. My favorite time to hoop, though, is a little before sunset with the music playing from the jeep. Our backyard is open, facing the west over one of our ponds…. pure bliss!
I don’t know yet. I’ll let you know when it can pick out a time that is MORE fun/blissful/wonderful than others! 😉
I am loving it! And OMGss, my hips are KILLIN me this morning. So, I have the basic hooping down, but I can’t find a very good progression of skills to learn anywhere. I am guessing just kinda learning to hoop on other parts of your body (shoulders, knees ect) would be next….I could always just go with the flow 🙂
Yes…I still get sore after I hoop…but those first couple days were brutal. It feels great now though…like I had a good workout. Keep it up!
Wow, for me it’s always super special if I DO hoop with someone, I travel all the time and don’t get a chance to hang out with people much so I practically ALWAYS hoop alone. Only in the summer at festivals I hoop with others. And I love it, both alone and with others, to me it doesn’t really make a difference, but then again, it’s interesting to watch others hoop too and learn new stuff.
I just hooped alone for an hour at the National Mall here in DC, in front of the Capitol Hill. At one point my iPod/speakers thingy started playing some peace activism bluegrass music, and the whole hooping morped into a totally fun demonstration experience 😀 It gave my flow a bit of an edge to feel like demonstrating too. So I didn’t feel alone, I felt there was a whole movement going on. But I’m definitely looking forward to summer and hooping with others!!!!
I hooped for the first time yesterday!! (thank you for inspiring me) I was by my pool in my swimsuit. I have a feeling that is going to be my favorite spot…as least during the summer. I’m pretty sore today. I can feel each spot on my body that the hoop hit!