Grumpy (Looking) Hooper's Easy Fix

This won't be annoying all day...

Do you ever look back at practice videos or pictures and think, "man I look grumpy when I hoop." I notice this often. The funny part is that I don't feel particularly upset during practice, but I can get a bit too caught up in my head - wondering what to do next, if everything looks good, or if the timing was right on a move. While these thoughts are important if choreographing a routine or practicing a performance, they are sort of annoying when I am trying to just chill and hoop. I can't be "working" all the time.

I needed a reminder to chill out. I decided to tie a black head band around my arm as a reminder to relax, just like tying a string around your finger to remember something. It didn't interfere with my hooping and whenever I would glance it or feel it I would sort of chuckle, both from reminding myself to relax, and because I thought it was funny that I needed such a reminder.

See look, I'm smiling

If you ever feel like you are having trouble clearing your mind when you work, try putting on something specific. When you are wearing it you'll know that this is a chill-out practice. It may seem simple, but it was all I needed to stop my mind from getting caught up in itself and running wild.

My sister once told me that she loves pictures of me hooping, but that I am never smiling in them! I think with this simple little step, I may remember to smile more often.