It seems to me that I can get very picky about just about everything.
it's not that I'm a princess 
- it really isn't! It's just that I get caught up with SO MANY options to pick from.

This carries over into hula hoops...the selection of hoops can be overwhelming! I want to break things down a bit to help you figure out what would work best for you - to help you find your Goldie Locks Hoop.

December is the month of light, peace and generosity....so it totally makes sense for this month I share some hints on what to get the hooper in your life...or you can just leave these open on your computer for someone to discover and bam...happy hooper ;)

My first idea....it's about your banged up well loved hoop...she could do with a makeover I bet! Hoop tape is not meant to last forever...you might be super careful with it but chances are if you got 1 year out of it and it's not in tatters you are amazing.

Connect with your local hoopsmith and see what tape they have in stock. Know your hooper's favourite colours? Let your hoop maker get creative and come up with an original design! Depending on how crazy your design is the price could start from $20 and up. Want to speed up the process? Clean off your tattered hoop for your hoop maker;)

Idea #2
Every hoop dancer needs some tunes...you could go with something meditative, world beats, top 40...or if you're a bit lost a gift card for music is totally the safe bet.

Idea #3
You know what a total treat is? A large open space with awesome ceilings...especially in these dark, cold wintery months. If you could hook up a hoop dancer with a beautiful indoor space for an hour or two they will be your friend forever. Supply the water and music - hoop dance heaven!

Idea #4
New hoop clothes...this could be a tricky one...what does your hooper like to dance in? Has your hooper friend recently worn a hole into her leg warmers? Big toe sticking out of her ballet flats? Tank tops looking tired? Your favourite clothes shop probably has some workout gear - your local dance shop probably has some awesome leggings too...

Idea #5
I've saved the best for last...well I can think of several awesome things but this one made the cut...a hoop dance experience is by far the best thing you could give your hooper friend (or yourself). Either a class, private session, workshop or a full on retreat! The chance to fully immerse into hoop dance even for one hour is such a treat. Your hooper will love you forever!

Find out what is happening in your hoop community and book something for your 'friend' :)

I hope you found one of these ideas helpful for the hooper on your shopping list. There are still a few days left to get their special something!

This month I'm exploring ways to make myself look better while hoop dancing. I'm not talking about hair and makeup or costumes...although those are FUN...I'm talking about grace and lines. 

​Over on my Facebook page I have a series of weekly posts rolling out this month where I pick one element for us to work on together. The challenge is to really focus on these during a song. You can add in a 2nd focus when you are ready - and if you are a total rock star then do all 5 at once...but I wanna see video of you! ;)

So here are my top 5 tips for improving your dance within your hoop:

​This month I hooped it up with some beautiful hoopers in Charlottetown - Robyn of Hoop Bloom had a special workshop for us. It was all about mindfulness and our patterns. We discovered how we have these hoop dance patterns and how they can be broken - and how much freedom we can find in breaking these patterns!

The deepest message I took from this workshop was about the beginner's mindset. The idea is when we take this approach in trying a new trick, new sequence or skill, our minds take on a curiosity and openness. I thought that was so cool.

I've been hooping for 3 years and by no stretch of the imagination do I think I'm advanced...um no...one click on Youtube will shut down that idea fast! I have my my go-to tricks and I feel super skilled when I'm in that flow state just dancing.  Well, I got to put this beginner mindset into practice during our workshop.

Here's how it all went down:

That ol' learning curve...


Sometimes it is steep, sometimes it's a nice gradual climb. It's those steep ones that feel intense! Like when I had to learn how to use my camera and make videos and edit them and holy the steps! Or that time I started hula hooping just for fun in my living room...had I known that there would be tricks and dancing involved...I had no idea what was waiting for me!

How are you doing with your learning curve? Have you plateaued? It's totally normal to hit those plateaus...and then the learning curve will start up again once you find a new trick you want to tackle. This has been my pattern - although I am only 3 years into Hoop Dance.

Here are my tips for avoiding frustration and staying motivated in my hoop dance practice:

• know that this is a journey - it's not a race...it's really not.  
  
• remember that no one is like you - your dance is perfect and your process is your own - stop comparing.
  
• get organized with your practice - make a list of tricks you are working on - your goals!
  
• don't be hard on yourself - we strive for perfection and it's in the mistakes that we learn real lessons.
  
• buddy up - having a hoop buddy can keep us motivated and positive.
• play - be silly, explore, give yourself permission to experiment!
• remind yourself of your successes - remember when you couldn't do a bunny ear pass and blew out the light trying to learn it? And now look at you! You badass ninja! Bunny ears all over the fricken place!
• leave it - feeling negative because of a trick you're not nailing just yet?  Go back to it tomorrow or next week or next month. Trust me, this actually works.

• balance out your interests - for 3 years I was obsessed with online hoop dance videos, other hoop communities, trainings and events. While it was a wonderful 3 years of immersing myself into something new and powerful I forgot about my other passions - balance it all out because all those other hoopers have other things going on too - well most of them do;)
• Engage!! attend workshops, events, gatherings and connect with your hoop community! it is the connection we make with others (online and offline) that make this hoop journey extra sweet!

Give one or 2 of these a go - tell me how you get along - remember that point about connection with our community;)
Are you getting my monthly emails of hoop love and wisdom? Better get on that!

It only comes around twice a year. The next one is in September. I can't wait to see who will join and transform! 
If you are thinking about teaching hoop dance classes...
Or maybe you already teach and wish you had something extra to offer your hoopers...
Or maybe you are hooping in isolation and want to grow your community...

I loved my Hoop Love Coach training - it was over a year ago - and at the time I thought the best thing about it was the content - video after video chalk full of content, actionable steps, practical advice and savvy strategies for crafting amazing hoop dance experiences for my community. How silly of me!

Little did I know how the most valuable part of becoming a Hooplovers Hoop Love Coach wouldn't be the actual training and unlimited access to the many many modules - it would be the group of amazing coaches that support each other through a private Facebook group. Yep - that, right there, is by far the most valuable and important piece of the training. Sure, I have over 60 flow sequences to use in classes, sure, I have over a hundred different marketing ideas to grow my community, sure, I have sample classes to refer back to when I feel like I have nothing new to teach - but the community of hoop love coaches - OH - that's where the real gold is. Deanne is actually there, commenting, sharing our content on her mega huge fb page, supporting us and offering insights to help us stay true to ourselves and our businesses. 

I love this training and this group with every inch of my hoop! I know you will too <3 If you have any questions about the training please let me know - I would love to help!

Happy Hooping,
Carron

Ok, first of all - many of you are asking 'WHAT IS A HOOP JAM?'

A hoop jam is an informal gathering for all levels of hoopers - brand new beginner hoopers right through to super fancy advanced hoopers. Sometimes other flow toys show up (poi, staff, wand for example) and that's cool! 

Some jams are held indoors which is great in winter or rainy weather. Duh. Outdoor jams have the advantage of a beautiful view and no ceilings. Attending a jam in a park often means there is no charge. 

So what do you do at a jam? Usually there is music, probably there will be an extra hoop or two to borrow. It's always a polite gesture to check with the host. It is not cool to take your borrowed hoop home - this probably goes without saying - but I'll say it anyway - hula hoop materials cost money and time to create - you can ask your host about purchasing a hoop and they will be more than happy to hook you up!

For many a hoop jam is like recess -  you get to let loose and do your thing inside your hoop! Hoop jams could be held during the day, evening or night (ooh LED or fire hoop jams are coming up at our retreat this summer!) Usually there are not any LED or Fire hoops available to borrow as these are costly investments and require safety!

In a class you can expect a warm up, exploring certain hoop moves or drills, tricks broken down and perhaps sequences of tricks. A cool down usually wraps up a class.  With a hoop jam you get to determine your pace, intensity and what tricks you want to work on if any. A lot of hoopers just go with the flow and use this time to hang out and chat while waist hooping. 

I'm a list maker - if you could see my desk you would see countless post it notes, to do lists, notebooks full of important stuff (at the moment at least). I feel like I have to get it out of my head and on paper so I can remember it better...it's just how I process information - ah the visual learner! I'm sharing this because I recently was weighing the pros and cons of hooping indoors vs. outdoors. Now that I can get outside and practice I am reconnecting with some tricks that I haven't spent any time on because I've been stuck inside. I made a little video for you of 4 fun moves I like to bust out when I am outside - no ceiling limits - perhaps some wind or bumpy terrain to deal with but oh man! No ceilings! That has to be the biggest advantage to outdoor hoop dancing!

https://vimeo.com/130220345

What do you like to do outside when hooping? Here is what my pros and cons list looks like for an outdoor hoop practice:

pro: no ceiling = big tosses, sunshine, beautiful locations, people see me and I get to spread the hoop love
con: hoop rolls away and it goes far, temperature / weather, surface challenges, strangers interrupting my practice, allergies

Have I missed any? Can you think of any others?

I hope you can join me this summer if you are in Charlottetown - so many fun things planned for our hoop community including a hoop retreat, a mindfulness workshop by Hoop Bloom,  more hoop workshops in New London and some weekly park jams all through July and August!

Come get in on the hoop fun I dish out each month by email: http://eepurl.com/T_ZR5

Happy Hooping!
Carron