New Practice Ideas

I am not an innovator. At least, I don't think so. I know a few folks who always seem to have new bad ass hoop ideas for moves, transitions and tricks and I just - well, don't. Part of this comes from the fact that hooping is more about an emotional connection for me these days - something more akin to the beautiful Shakti Sunfire piece that was posted a bit ago. So I always set an intention before practice - 'what do I want to say in this time?" But hooping doesn't happen only in the mind. I just don't think  I was doing enough to bust out of the rut. I need more in my repertoire to 'say' what I need to say. I couldn't just keep hooping like I always did and hope for a magical change - something new needed to happen. 

Yawn. Hoop practice is so boring when
you don't try anything new.

So, yesterday I took all my energy and did a few things a bit differently when I started my practice. For starters I moved into a new patch of my yard. It's obvious that my landlord is desperately trying to understand why grass won't grow in just one circle out there, so I thought I would throw 'em a bone and mooove over to let the grass have a fighting chance. Being in the same damn place all the time certainly adds to the hoop rut and simply being in a new place added a real freshness to the session. 

Next, I decided to start practice without any music at all. Just explore a few moves I have been trying to learn, but have neglected to polish in my efforts to create flowing hoop videos every single time. I was inspired by yesterday's hoop quotes to let my hoop fall again for a change! By not I was limiting myself to my comfort zone. Comfort zone = hoop rut. So I had to run around the yard more to recapture escaped hoops? Big deal. Not knowing the endpoint of a trick meant I could make it up on the fly.

Working in silence, in a new space, with movement instead of moves made for a much more satisfying and fun practice. I let myself stop and think even though the camera was recording. I kept jumping and turning during standby moves just to see what would happen. It was like a light bulb went off. 'Ohhh this is how innovation happens - trial and error. It's not that people are all more brilliant than I am and come up with perfect moves off the top of their heads!" 

Duh. 

From now on I am going to remember my thoughts about Hoop Path when I practice: I have more than I think to give. Change up a few things. Go somewhere else. Don't worry about the endpoint. Don't worry about how it looks. Just move. Flow. Smile.

Isn't that what makes this so much fun?