Flow~NW Hoop Gathering
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!