There is NO such thing as a ‘beginner hoop’! The best hoop size for you is dictated by your height, weight, mass around your middle and by your spinal and pelvic mobility. If you lose weight, you can buy a hoop that is a bit smaller. If you gain weight, you can buy one that […]
Grounding seems to be a trend these days. A hoop student recently asked me if I’ve ever done ‘grounding’. Living in the mountains, this is kind of a funny concept because this is all we do. Many of us go to outdoor concerts and dance barefoot. We raft on rivers, climb up mountains, hang out […]
In 2005 on a dare from a gym teacher, I set the first World Record for non stop hula hooping while running the Bolder Boulder 10k in Colorado. This was an exciting challenge for me as I always remember the time in 1992 when I was kicked out of a step aerobics class for lack […]
If you look at the skilled hoopers who perform tricks, watch their alignment. They rarely hoop on the core and when they do, they push their chest and head forward and elbows back. This compresses the whole spine and back of the ribcage, which limits flexibility and range of motion and creates chronic compression and pain in the L4, L5 region, as well as pinches nerves and discs.
The more we connect to the forces of nature, the more we develop that strength and higher consciousness within ourselves. I live in the mountains of Aspen Colorado because it nurtures me with a constant flow of vibrancy and serenity. I developed my 4 Rhythm Hoop Dance program to share with others who don’t get the chance to live close to nature. It has instilled Strength, Flow, Passion and Peace into thousands of people who practice it.
I’ve always been somebody who likes quick fixes. Chocolate, bourbon, working out, buying nice gear, complaining, withdrawing, ignoring issues. The human condition I guess. Living in an ashram, spending time in 3rd world countries, hooping for 4-5 hour sessions, and challenging my mind and body on rock walls, I’ve had glimpses of my higher consciousness, of A higher consciousness. God/ source energy, Great Spirit, whatever. I developed some connection to, and with unconditional, limitless love, compassion and connection to everything. And although these brief glimpses have reshaped my reality in a good way. I struggle to want them to last longer.
Everyone has some degree of bad posture and body mechanics. You might not know this and it’s pretty interesting. We all move our bodies in the same 5 common ways. Whether you are a top athlete or couch potato, the body in gravity, equals the same kind of compression, misalignment, weakness and pain in everyone.
The market trend is to either use a heavy hoop, (between 2-8 pounds) a small light hoop (under 1 pound) which is mostly for doing tricks off the body or a handmade, rigid hoop.
