Poi Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Caroleeena's Circles Of Joy

Mastery and the Beginner’s Mind

By Caroleeena December 13, 2011hoopdance, Hooping, Poi, Uncategorizedbeginner mind, beginner's mind, caroleeena, mastery1 Comment

Sometimes I hear a new hooper who is rushing breathlessly to learn the next trick say, "I've mastered everything but this..." and I have to smile. Mastery? Really? I've been hooping since 2003 and I don't feel like I've come anywhere close to mastering any aspect of it. I just keep…

Cultivating a Gentle Smile

By Caroleeena December 12, 2011hoopdance, Hooping, Poicarikeeeba, cultivate a gentle smile, face, neutral face, smile1 Comment

As part of our hoop practice, it can be helpful to cultivate a gentle smile while hooping. It is more than the antidote for "ugly face". There are health benefits, community benefits and hoop benefits as well. When we concentrate, we have a tendency to frown. Frowning locks the jaw and…

Winter – The Time of Roots Growing beneath the Soil

By Caroleeena December 7, 2011hoopdance, Hooping, Poi, Uncategorizedcaroleeena, growing, growth, hoop, hoopdance. hoop dance, hooping, hula hoop, movement arts, poi, roots, time, winter3 Comments

When we look at trees in winter, we think of them as dormant. But they are not dormant. Even if, to the naked eye, they do not appear to be growing, they are growing. After bursting forth with new growth in springtime, trees bud and blossom, burgeon and bloom, branch out…

The Subtle Dance of Musicality

By Caroleeena December 5, 2011Dance, hoopdance, Poi, Uncategorizedbeat, dance, hoopdance, hoopdance. musicality, melody, musicality, rhythm1 Comment

Musicality is a major aspect of all kinds of dance, including hoopdance, but absorption in tricks, technique, choreography, even costuming can get in the way of dancing musically. Even people who have taken dance classes often struggle with the concept of musicality. It can be hard to define and even harder…

Cultivating Non-Comparison

By Caroleeena December 2, 2011hoopdance, Hooping, Poi, Uncategorizedcultivate, non-comparison5 Comments

There are a lot of great hoopers in this world. We see them at festivals, in the park, on YouTube. Watching other hoopers can be helpful if we use our observations to learn and become inspired and try new things. It can be hurtful if we compare ourselves and judge either…

Arnica for Bruising and Pain Relief

By Caroleeena December 1, 2011Hooping, Poi, Uncategorizedarnica, bruise, Hoop Bruises

Hooping comes with the occasional bruise. I am a big advocate for using topical Arnica cream to treat bruises. It is a homeopathic remedy that can be traced back to many Native American Indian tribes here in the United States but has even been found among the medicines of the Ancient…

Fire Poi on the Super Moon in Jacksonville FL 2011

Fire Safety, Fuels and First Aid

By Caroleeena November 28, 2011Hooping, Poi, Uncategorizedfire safety, first aid, fuels, license to burn

Contrary to what you may have read in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, we humans are not very combustible. We are mostly water. With the exception of our hair, there is not much on us that is predisposed to going up in flames. What is flammable is fuel. Once you know…

Overcoming Plateaus and Releasing Inhibition in your Dance

By Caroleeena November 27, 2011hoopdance, Hooping, Poi, Uncategorizedovercoming. plateau. release inhibition3 Comments

Plateaus happen to everyone. They happen in terms of excitement, motivational energy and that joyful high feeling that you get when you dance. Be comforted in knowing that they happen to everyone, in every hobby, throughout life. Then pick up your hoop and get back to hooping. Plateaus are good for…

Power-Full Posture

By Caroleeena November 27, 2011Hooping, Poi, Uncategorizedcaroleeena, posture

When you slouch, your shoulders roll forward, your head droops, your general appearance becomes that of a person who is afraid of taking up space. Physiologically, the diaphragm becomes compressed, breathing becomes constricted, energy is restricted. Yoga teaches us that our chi, or energy, flows most effectively when we extend and…

Playing with Beat Punctuation (and Pah!)

By Caroleeena November 25, 2011hoopdance, Poibeat punctuation, caroleeena, dance, hoopdance, poi dance2 Comments

When I dance with my hoop, I emphasize different places in the music with my hoop or my body. If the tempo of the music moves from fast to slow, my movement moves from fast to slow. Where the melody rises and falls, I also tend to rise and fall. And…