I am absoluetly beaming from the Burning Man experience! I have so many things I want to share and people to thank... but for now, I must limit this to a mini miracle practice since the RV is awaiting cleaning, the bins are begging to be unpacked, and I have to make lots of flight reservations and re-pack for another mini tour I embark on Thursday morning.

So... in short... WOW! Thank you for the wonderful gift of being able to attend Burning Man!

Today, Tuesday September 4, 2007 is a clean slate for me to enjoy! As long as I can CHOOSE my thoughts, I can CHOOSE what I attract and create in my life. Starting today, it is my goal to find easy and pleasurable ways to stay centered in peace and joy during any outside situations.

I appreciate all my wonderful friends because they open my mind to new ways of viewing the world and share inspiration and love with me which softens my heart. I especially am grateful for the angelic Hoopers from Heaven who I played with so much last week --- Jasmine, Carlos, Ann, Baxter, Ali, Ace, and Elaine -- because their combination of light hearted genius was a wonder to *behold*! Thank you for the gift of having an RV at the festival because it provided supreme comfort, privacy, and a wonderful sense of protection from the elements. I am so glad to have communed so deeply with Mother Rhythm, soulfulness, funky get-down booty-shakin grooviness on the dancefloor with and without my hoop because it provided me with a delicious sense of connection. I am so grateful for all the wonderful resources I was able to come home to -- the sweet luxuries of a playa-free house, a wonderful shower, unlimited water, a spacious home to meet all our needs and the sheer abundance of appliances, clean sitting surfaces, the washer and dryer, computers, phones and the internet and all other manners of modernity and convienience because these things make life so easy and effortless! I am glad for the new meditations which awaited my return in the mail because they have already brought a renewed sense of energetic balance and calm into my day. I am so grateful for my own happiness, which is often so great and expansive it defies logical explanation! Thank you!

I love it when I feel giddy. When I feel this way, I laugh uncontrollably in streams of good-feeling giggles, which makes it easier for me to relax, love life as it is and enjoy the journey.

I now laugh deeply every day and feel my body flood with healing from the power of joy.

I spend time every day connecting with loved ones on the phone and in person and it is easy for me to relax, listen deeply and express myself with ease. I love connecting with family and friends!

I feel my body filled with so much radiance and light that it saturates every cell and atom of my body, even my DNA, and radiates positivity and good to everyone around me.

My body is able to move in new and amazing ways as I connect with Mother Rhythm through dance and the hoop. It feels amazing to channel Divine beauty through my body and I surrender to the flow of goodness.

I have total clarity about my life purpose and how every single action I am taking now contributes to a larger plan of positive planetary evolution.

I take time everyday to envision the world becoming better and better, sending peace and love to those in need and contributing light to the lives of those around me.

All my financial needs are beyond met with an endless source of wealth which pours in with ease.

I love our new spacious house which is a divine playground for us and our community, providing space to play, celebrate, dance, love and create with joy and ease. It's beauty astounds me and I am inspired every time I walk in the door.

I love how clearly Kramer and I communicate and share our ideas with eachother. It is so easy for us to talk about anything and we love spending lots of creative time together doing healthy fun things.

I now have plenty of free time to devote much of my time to personal development and spirituality and I love the community of lightworkers who has come into my life and who are expanding my consiousness.

I am surrounded by bright, postive and inspiring friends who show me how I can embrace my own higher self with ease.

I now feel completely nurtured, inspired and joyful! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I completely trust Divine Source to take care of all the details, and I know that everything is naturally falling into place with amazing ease. With enormous gratitude, I now agree to RECIEVE these and even greater gifts in just the perfect time and in delightful ways that bless and benefit All of Life Everywhere. Thank you!

hugs and kisses,
Christabel

(today's image is from www.heartsoulvision.com)

Finally! Here is a bit about my experience at Burning Man.

The sweetest batch of angels ever! I loved my friends at Hoop Heaven Camp! Who I spent the most time with... Randy and Elaine were the heartbeat of our camp... always laughing and smiling and sharing their sense of fun. Randy was SO much fun, always provoking us all with his hilarious comments and honest observations. What I loved most about Elaine and Randy is that they are so real and they really helped me take myself less seriously. Camp mama and papa, Jasmine and Carlos were just so shiny and happy and fun. I loved how playfully Jasmine would dress up every single day, usually several times per day! I loved our talks and walks and hooping playtimes and performances for eachother.... I loved watching her hoop and how beautifully she carries the Elegant Golden Empress energy! A true role model. It was awesome to have Carlos with us as well, holding a wonderful sense of playful shaman energy as well... I particularly remember the evening we all travelled out together and led our impromtu circle of intention. And the closure at the Nia class we dropped in on was so sweet. And what can I say, Baxter and Ann! It was such an honor to share space with two of my hooper heros who are truely devoted to the generous, heart-felt sharing of their Hoop Path. I was tickled pink just watching the spontaneous moments Ann or Bax would break out hooping, fascinated by the precision, ingenuity and presence they each demonstrated. Many other friends were there two! Heather Crosby and Heather Troy and Heather Rose, Lucien, Nanette and Srini, Satise and Eric, Brandon from Portland who had some super sick hoop moves and supper yummy pancakes (I wish we hung out more!) and others.

The most laughter I have ever shared with friends... we spent a lot of time at Hoop Heaven just laughing together for no reason, inspired by a non-stop laughter CD I have called, "HA" with ongoing tracks of real laughter, we just sat around and laughed. It was awesome! Especially when we went out at night along the Esplanade in a line and just laughed for 20 minutes non-stop for everyone walking and riding by. So much fun! And just hanging out together in the shade connecting... playing UNO and watching Dale draw henna on everyone for hours.

The best Burn ever! From atop Jasmine's RV some of us watched the Man burn and it truely was the most dramatic one I have seen in 8 years. There was an actual nuclear-style explosion which took place, complete with a firey mushroom cloud which made us all sit forward in our chairs with wide eyes and say, "Holy shit!!!!", wondering if that was actually supposed to have happened. Later upon speaking to others who were closer, they said they didn't see how dramatic it was up close. But from where we were, we talked for a few minutes about what in the world could have caused that kind of explosion, which was so unlike all the previous ones we had ever seen. Abosutely stunning.

When not playing with Hoop Heaven campmates, I spent much time alone, especially since I arrived the friday before Burning Man started. Kramer spent most of his time building and hanging out at the Deep End, his true Burning Man home. But I was clear that I wanted to explore new terrain among people I shared even more in common with at a new camp. So while I was alone for a couple days I meditated with various journies from orindaben.com, which were completely delicious. It was incredibly windy and sandy so I couldn't practice hooping outside much, except for early morning at that time. I did my 15 minute miracles, blended up raw green drinks, read my books about Auras and contemplated.

My routine was pretty standard once the burn started... I would get up around 3 or 4am (usually when Kramer was coming home for the night), cruise to a bumpin music scene... usually Philadephia Experiment, and dance through sunrise, get my hoop on, back to our camp to hang. Go to center camp with friends and rock out for a couple hours on the hoop, hang talk, chill, have fun, adventure throughout the day, hoop at sunset at Deep End, attend any friend's hooping jams, hang out with campmates and go to sleep around 10pm.

Philadelphia Experiment was truely my home away from home at the Burn. They had funky soulful Chicago style house music playing which was so upbeat, happy and real that I found myself magnetically drawn there again and again. Compared to the dark and dirty breaks and blipy electro and generally dark vibe at some other locations, they literally had sunbeams shining on their dancefloor, even in the middle of the night. When I got on their dancefloor, I found my shoulders and head uncontrollably bobbing forward and back, a smile from ear to ear and an "oh, yea!" resounding in my head to the soulful gospel-like lyrics.

While on their dancefloor, I literally felt superconnected to the All that Is! The positive lyrics, celebrational vibe and bumpin beats just inspired my body to keep going and giving, devoting through movement prayer, celebrating the rhythm of life. It was kind.

It was easy for me to choose where to be ... I would do a driveby of about 10 or more dance floors and look at the facial expressions of the dancers. Remarkably, many times I did this and PE had the only ones smiling and looking happy while other floors had scowls, serious looks and people moving their bodies in hard driving ways. So I just got on the joy-train and celebrated being alive. Even better, PE was usually almost empty! So there was plenty of space to move around, hoop and enjoy. Plus they had a sweet shaded lounge area to recharge. And even better... the djs and camp leaders were outgoing, generous and so welcoming! And... Arayam lived there too! So around sunrise I often got to see her do a hoop performance. It was so lovely.

I stayed out all night only one night... Thursday, which was practically a religious experience for me on the dancefloor. I was taken by the Mother rhythm in a complete full body way which was completely out of my control. My hoop animated itself in my hands and moved like lightening, electrifying my body and leaving me breathless with excitement. And yet, though fast my movements felt more precise and "in the pocket" than they have ever been. It was a true visionary gift of what is possible for me. Thank you!

I saw some incredibly inspiring hoopdancers who rocked my world of what is possible! In addition to my campmates, Babs from Canada, *name forgotten* circus hooper from Europe, Jeff from Canada and Spiral, of course! I compiled a huge list of fun techniques and hoop ideas I want to play with over the coming year (I'll save that for another entry). Overall, from a hoop perspective, I was completely inspired, my enthusiasm was renewed, I was dazzled and thrilled.

So much more to share!!! But I have to go... more later.

Hello friends! I will be on the "KTLA Morning Show" around 9:45am on Monday morning, September 10th! Tune in and help me celebrate getting the word of hoopdance out to the masses...

Also, I will also be on the KMAX-TV CW 31 "Good Day Sacramento" show on Tuesday September 11 between 7 and 8am.

If you can tune in and watch, send some good vibes my way! I am so excited...

I'll post an update later this week with some more shows I will be on in September as well...

xo!
Christabel

First, a disclaimer. This may not make perfect sense. These are notes I wanted to make into a blog and left as a stickie on my computer desktop while getting quite busy.... but if you are up for a bit of a ride, read on.

I wrote this blog this past saturday....

I am at the Inner Idea Conference in Palm Springs... a phenomenal gathering of 450 leading edge body-mind-spirit fitness practitioners meeting to share the latest information in seminars, classes and presentations. Inner Idea is the mindbody wing of the largest fitness organization in the world called IDEA Health and Fitness Association. I've been having lots of fun exploring this new community lately and really wanted to come learn, absorb and network. It was quite a mind-blowing experience to get back from Burning Man, do the laundry, and pack again for this conference and a mini tour around California directly afterwards! But here I am. The resort is sprawling grass with fountains and 40 pools and acres of bungalows surrounded by rocky gorgeous dry desert and mountains.

It was 120 degrees when I arrived. So all my hopes and prayers for warmth and solar radiance were answered quite generously!

I started off immediately with a Nia class from Debbie and Carlos. What can I say? It was amazing. "The Body's Way: Bringing Anatomy to Life" was the topic. In this event, we mindfully built up our awareness of our bodies and and our ability to visualize with our mind's eye as sacred gifts. We started with the 5 stages of healing. Then, Debbie explained we can use the awesome power of our imagination to energize and mobilize our bones within our body. In Nia, moving form the bones is emphasized over moving from the musculature because the bones give us a solid foundation and their shapes can teach us about how they are designed to be moved. With a full size skeleton, Debbie and Carlos would point out several very specific parts of the human skeleton and then ask us to intuitively geuss what that meant about how the body is naturally designed to be moved. Then, we energized these ideas through visualizations, imagining that each bones was actually some other visual object easy to relate to.

First was the toes. We played with the idea of our little toe bones being nipples and explored the sensation of squishing out milk while taking steps. We played with emphasizing heel lead walking and how it makes a difference to walk with the big toe leading in or out. We walked around exploring how our movements changed if we imagined our feet to be massive in size. We also worked with the balls of the hips, walking as if we were trying to mobilize those balls, or hold them rigid. While swaying the hips, Debbie reminded us that the woman's entire pelvic basin fundamentally differs from men's because it's shape is designed to work from the bottom up, whereas men's is designed to work from the top down. She said that women often complain about their asses, saying they are too big, but that these powerful muscles are our strongest mobilizing force, similar to a horse and it's powerful haunches. She emphasized instead of growing a big butt, we can energetically expand it using our imagination. So we walked around imagining we all had these massive powerful haunches and it was thrilling for me to notice how that caused my shoulders to sit back and my hips to move forward so I was no longer slouching. These are the ongoing mini miracles of Nia... these microadjustments in posture and movement which lead to naturally healing reorganization of the body. So amazing.

We played the image of a massive feather growing out of the back of our necks and brushing the clouds above and walking around that way for a while. Astounding to see how that opened up my posture even more. Imagining headlights at thr front of my pelvis and walking with palms open and forward facing also created a sense of energetic availability. She asked us to consider if we naturally looked down or straight ahead while walking, encouraging us to really look straight ahead, make eye contact with others and take everything in. We played with the tip of our spine (which is actually located between the eyes at the third eye), and Debbie mentioned how important it is to mobilize the head while moving so the entire length of the spine is articulated.

We did this for over an hour and I have to say my whole body was tingling and walking in a powerful, majestic way afterwards. As I walked, I imagined different parts of my body bigger, or specific visual images for certain bones, and I found when I let my mind's eye participate in the movement, it changed the very nature and range of the movement. Really for me, this is why I use so much imagery in my hoop classes... the visual can help break me out of habitual movement patterns.

In Debbie's words, we built new "energetic connective tissue" around our bodies so we could expand our energetic selves and become more confident and powerful.

Another thing that Debbie mentioned which I totally jived with was the fact that Nia is a life practice, not a "workout". I really do feel the same way about hooping. She mentioned a workout is something you can do and leave behind you, where as a life practice becomes the substance of your lived experience... hoopdance is that way for me. So interesting to feels all this clarity.

Following this class I went to the keynote address by Pamela Peeke, MD, MHP, FACP. All I can say is WOW. I was not expecting to be completely blown away, but this woman did it. Her remarkable achievements in medicine and fitness are astounding, her presentation was witty, hip, provoking, original and full of shockingly important information. And she was just darned cool. There is no way I can convey her moving personal anecdotes about spirit here... so much was in how she delivered it, but I can share some of her cool information.

The topic was integrative fitness -- the new field of fitness which incorporates the physical, mental, spiritual, environmental and holistic self care aspects. This field has three fundamental tenants. First there is no mind body connection because the mind is the body. Second, the bodymind is changable throughout life -- not static as was once thought. We can actually build a better brain. This is called neuroplasticity. Third, healing is a constant and continual process right up until the moment of death (a process called, neurogenesis). The following are some notes I took because it was so darned inspiring.

A psychosomatic network of 75 trillion cells makes up the bodymind. It is called psychosomatic because cells can actually communicate and change their structure based on our psychological states. Stress hormones flood the body instantly when one experiences a stressful situation, and natural killer cells can be repressed. In other words, stress squishes our protection (duh!). While this may not be new news, the detailed stores Pamela shared made it seem like a fresh and very real revelation. Just getting miffed at loosing ones keys can immediately effect our chemical balance within and effect our bodymind.

Also, interestingly enough, it has recently been proven that fat cells are an active and dynamic endocrine organ which can effect hormone release, thereby causing inflamation in the body. Since inflamation is the leading cause of most disease in the human body (cancer, heart disease and anything that ends with "itis") this is a cause for concern! Basically, stress and fat can change our bodies in ways which are literally self destructive.

Exercise, on the other hand, is proven to create a stronger, faster brain. The hippocampus is the part of the brain we most want to preserve since it is associated with brain function, memory, etc, and those who regularly exercise 3x per week have 2x the blood flow to this area, demonstrate regular significant brain growth and students have better test scores.

Also, the ability to constantly APAPT and ADJUST to whatever life throws our way helps maintain chemical balance and health. Pamela repeated these two words many times, because they were the hallmark of those who have lived long healthy lives ... those with the ability to simply change their ways of reacting and simply adjust seamlessly to life. In short, positivity reduces inflammation.

You can create a new neural pathway in the brain by doing a new activity for one month. No one is stuck being the person they are because everyone has the ability to create new habits.

The importance of a new fun concept with a playful name, called Withinity was introduced. Taking time to connect to the infiniate within.... a sense of inner spirituality. It was quite sweet....

I met lots of amazing pioneers and had great discussions.

I spent a lot of time solo contemplating.

For me, the highlights of Inner Idea were all the Nia Classes and the introductory presentation. Other Nia classes introduced concepts of Self Coaching and the Sacred Athlete... phenomenal hoop-related topics I will write blogs on when life slows down... but they were deeply transformative and super fun. I am so grateful to have had this experience! I can't wait to share some specially crafted mind-body hoop classes with this community next year!

Dear friends! I love you all! I am getting all your messages and emails and can barely read or listen to them all before needing to run to my next appointment. I am sending BIG love to everyone and can't wait for my life to slow down. I am pulsing back to you even if I am not writing or calling.

What was I thinking? I realize I honestly have a tendency to overdo things. I had the brilliant idea to shift things into overdrive upon returning from Burning Man. It's less than glamorous here on the road. I know all this work will pay off amazingly, but it is night time here in this hotel room with a car alarm going off outside. A shrunken, barefooted, humpacked Indian man took 20 minutes to check me in at the econolodge here in Sacramento where I am cooling my heels tonight. I should have taken much more time to prepare for this journey, but here I am. I just got back from Thai dinner I had while reading, "Change Your Aura, Change Your Life". When I get wound up it has been helpful for me to visualize light saturating my body and nourishing me. I have been trying to draw my mind back to the positivity of my journey... sharing the love of hoopdance. When I am on live, I will just pulse out light, light, light.

This is one of those plans that spiraled a bit out of my control. Part of me wonders, "what the heck am I doing? Why aren't I home sharing some loving with my husband? Am I nuts?"

I miss Kramer.

My schedule
9/3 arrive back from Burning Man
9/6 fly to la
9/6 drive to palm springs
9/6-9/9 attend 4 day conference
9/9 drive to la
9/10 arrive at CW LA morning show only to be told I was bumped to wednesday
9/10 fly to sacramento
9/11 appear on Sacramento morning show
9/11 fly back to la
9/12 appear on morning show I was bumped from
9/12 fly to san francisco
9/12 teach my first two classes at crunch, empty suitcase, repack, leave directly from second crunch class to airport
9/12 fly to san diego on late flight
9/13 appear on two morning shows in san diego
9/14 appear on another san diego show
9/14 fly back to san francisco
9/15 celebrate kramer's birthday with him
9/16 celebrate our anniversary
9/16 fly out late night to pheonix
9/17 appear on 4 tv shows in pheonix
9/17 fly to dallas
9/18 appear on another tv show
9/18 fly back to sf
9/19 teach second 2 classes at crunch
9/20 fly to portland to do a teacher training
9/21-23 teacher training portland
9/24 appear tv show portland
9/24 fly home

transcend time and space after this???

After this I think I will need a superduper vacation. For now, I am remembering to take deep breaths, smile and be in the moment. All I have to do is take one day at a time. One moment at a time. I can do this.

Well I have to say I got lots of great sleep last night which made all the difference in feeling great on the show. The producer was super sweet and everyone from the camerapeople to the anchors were all smiles and so easygoing that it was impossible to feel intimidated. Of course, I had the racing heartbeat every now and then while speaking, hoping that my words would come out fluidly and clear, but in general, they were all being so playful it was easy to keep smiling and having fun.

The segment has lots of teases with cuts from "HoopDance for Beginners" and lots of cuts of the entire staff hooping with my hoops. It was fun and they were hilarious, swinging hoops around their necks like wild banchees.

My time started with a bunch of "bumps" as they call them -- when they flash to an image of me hooping while they tease the audience to stay tuned for more.

I wore something I never would ordinarily have the inspiration to don... tight short shorts! Originally I planned on wearing Lululemon, but a comment from Amy, director of the hoop movie, swayed me. "Show more skin" she said. My thighs are usually something I only bare naked at Burning Man or in a bikini on a beach... even when I perfom I usually wear dancer tights to keep myself all sleek.

For whatever reason, I decided to follow her advice, even though I haven't been to the gym in ages. Why not? I always show up wearing the same thing -- flowy pants or yoga pants... why not try something new? Watching the video.. it worked out okay. An odd form of self therapy in fact. What am I hiding? I look great!

The anchor I hooped with, Mike, was awesome! He was so excited and outgoing and asked me lots of questions, really wanting to understand more about what I do before going on air. This is actually extremely unusual in the tv world where often you just get ushered out by a producer moments before you are on because the anchor is just transitioning from another story to you. So it felt very personal and sweet. Plus, he was such an outspoken advocate for HoopGirl! It was awesome.

I also want to give myself a little pat on the back for remembering a soundbyte I have been trying to get in since I was on The Fox Morning Show in New York over 6 months ago! The bit about integrative movement. Hoopdance falls into the latest category of exericse called integrative movement which means that in addition to providing physical benefits, it uplifts the emotions, calms the mind and centers the spirit. Having just been at the Inner Idea conference this past weekend, my mind filled with "bodymind" ideas and experiences... so it was fun to be able to share this bit of information in a sophisticated way. Horaay!

Originally the station had this brilliant idea that Mark and I would hoop together for an entire hour following the segment and they would feature us in a small box in the corner of the tv, but thankfully that didn't happen. While it would have been good air time, people may have been seriously distracted from anything else being shown. They actually thought it would be like a contest to see if I could manage to keep it going for an hour straight .. very sweet... little did they know I can keep that puppy going for hours!

Every segment is an opportunity for me to see all the little unconscious things I do when I get nervous... in this segment, I noticed that when they wanted me standing in one place hooping (instead of dancing which feels much more natural) I kept shifting my weight. I think next time I will focus on standing tall and rooted like a tree.

Such a great opportunity!

Not sure how long it will be online, but you can watch the segment here:
http://cbs13.com/gooddaysacramento
(scroll through the video library on the upper right hand side of the browser window)

After I was bumped from being on Monday's version of this show, I flew to Sacramento yesterday to be on Good Day Sacramento, and flew back to LA to be on KTLA on Wednesday. A bit of a stretch since I had to teach my first two Crunch classes later that night in San Francisco and then grab a late night flight to San Diego from there... but hey, why not rock out?

For whatever reason, I did have some serious butterflies with KTLA. Their entire compound is way more high end, huge and well... LA! Danica McKeller from the Wonder Years was on right before me and there was a buzzy kind of excitement there that felt *big*.

It is so interesting. Before every TV segment I take a lot of time to prepare what I am going to say and how I will say it, but the truth is when doing a segment with hoops everything can quickly go into total chaos. Being able to answer off the cuff questions and support anchors who keep dropping their hoops can be a challenge to rise up to! When the anchors kept dropping their hoops my heart was racing a bit, but I just tried to stay lighthearted and playful.

You can see my unusual nervousness in this segment on my face, specifically my forehead. My face is so animated with enthusiasm that my wide eyes are creating furrows in my forehead. Hmm... kind of strange looking. Good learning on the bizzare body habits, for sure. Also, there is this one point when my back is to the camera. It was odd because the anchors were fanning out behind me, but the cameras were in front... so how to instruct someone behind you while looking straight ahead. Luckily, they switched the angle on that pretty fast.

Overall, however, I was really pleased with this piece as it really conveyed what makes my approach to hoopdance unique... an emphasis on pleasure, fun, what I called "gorgeous fitness". Even though they dropped their hoops a bit, they kept smiling, speaking positively and having fun. I loved that they showed so many segments of my Hoopdance for Beginners DVD and just splashed my logo and contact info up too... so generous of them! Thank you! It was also really honoring that they added my degree after my name, M.A. I have two master's degrees and it is really rare that I get to share that with people in the context of hooping. What a dazzling experience. I really feel thrilled that they invited me on the show because KTLA is huge and they could have had anyone they wanted! blessings abounding...

You can watch it as long as it lives on their homepage here:
http://ktla.trb.com/

Scroll down on their MUST SEE video to "Hoopdance" with Christabel Zamor.

Wow, after having gotten into the hotel at 1am, I wasn't sure how today would work out. I had trouble getting to sleep and rose at 5:50am to get ready for my first show today... but you know, it was great. I think that what made the difference for me was the Eco Teas Yerba Mate tea that I had. I usually avoid caffiene now a days, but every now and then before a performance or something big, I'll have some. All I did was mix the bag with cold water and drink some, and I felt more focused, calm and clear than I have in days. What a sweet medicine! I should have had this before every morning show... and I will from now on.

Last night before I left San Francisco, Kramer gave me the most remarkable love gift ... he decided to give me an early Birthday present (it's not my birthday until 9/26) of a portable GPS!!!! Oh my gosh, I was and am completely thrilled!!!! No matter where I travel, no matter what rental car or whatever that I am driving, I will NEVER be lost again. I can't tell you how many mapquests I print out for so many trips. I was really blown away by his sweet nurturing gift and I feel like he is always with me now, telling me how to get where I am heading, no matter where I go. So anyways, the voice of the GPS chirped in to direct me to my hotel last nightand from the hotel to my first show this morning.

There was a wonderful homey, happy vibe at this station. Even the receptionist was cheery, smiling and happy. Segment wise, perhaps not my most powerful... I felt like a million bucks and I am sure I looked composed and I know I said some things in a very articulate way, specifically about our new HoopFit program being approved by the American Aerobics and Fitness Association to provide continuing education units to fitness professionals -- so glad I squeezed that in. And also lots of good info about hoops... but the anchors did have a few challenges with those hoops. The dropping situation again! And this time, some negative self talk and long faces to go along with it that was a challenge to support live on the air. I felt it was difficult to say that HoopGirl hoops are easy to use when they kept falling so much. But here is the thing... we didn't have any practice time together beforehand. When I get that time, I can usually have someone going in a few minutes... but to try for your first time live and broadcasting... well that is enough to make anyone feel on the spot! So it will be interesting to see how that one comes out. I did leave feeling like I did a great job, though, and saturated with a sense of appreciation for having the opportunity to be there.

Today, it is like a whole new level of relaxation has settled in on my body and mind, even with less sleep. I can't wait to do tomarrow's show and then celebrate Kramer's birthday and our anniversary together!!!

I haven't seen anything posted yet from this show, but here is the website:
http://www.fox6.com/

Eventually I will get copies of all these segments, but this will take a few weeks.

Right after I was on the first show I headed to the second, guided by my new trusty portable GPS system.

Again, a totally different studio experience... I went through the back directly into the filming area and had some time to chill before hand. By this point, being on shows suddenly started feeling like "old hat", and I found my whole body relaxed and at ease the moment I walked through the door. Lots of smiling happy anchors and I loved how playful and interactive they were with the whole production crew, even getting them to jump through hoops and play with the hoops!

This was a good segment. Both anchors were willing to give it a go and they were fantastic! With only a little coaching, they were able to maintain hoop orbit.

I really liked doing the hooping demos for them, but it seemed like when I got down onto the floor they were completly flabbergasted and immediately moved in to change the scene up. It was kind of hilarious, actually, as if they had no idea what I would do next. I was able to glance at the screens every now and then and it looked really good, though, so I'm glad I went for it and stretched the boundaries (I say until I see it on screen... heh heh!)

Of course, as with all segments, there was so much more I wanted to say! But that's they way it goes. You get in what you can, and appreciate the good parts. It was a fun opportunity and neat to see so many people there enjoying the hoops and learning more about hoopdance.

For whatever reason, they posted all the other segments that came after me already on their website, but mine is not featured ... :( perhaps it will go up in a while?

http://www.kusi.com/news/insidesd

One of the most provocative presentations at the Inner Idea conference was by Carlos and Debbie, the founders of Nia. the topic was embracing being an athlete as a sacred path. As a hoopdancer, I found this idea very resonant. Carlos said even if we have never considered ourselves athletes, simply claiming that as part of our identity can be very transformative.

I am an athlete.

I am a sacred athlete.

Carlos spoke about how embracing the identity of being a sarced athlete can heighten our focus in every aspect of our lives.. leading us to always consider all choices in terms of how they can help us reach our highest potential. Food choices, friend choices, activity choices, how we speak, how we use our body and nourish it.

Debbie spoke about how one of their Nia teachers is an olympic athlete and how much she admired how this person moved through the world. Movement was totally decisive, no hesitation, and powerful. She said that even when this woman was ordering a cup of coffee, her entire presence was alert, focused and present. Debbie said she was also fascinated when hanging out with this olympic athlete while she was with other team-members .. that the group seemed to have some quality about them that set them apart, in how they spoke, interacted and moved their bodies. Total presence.

In this class we did a walking/dancing meditation for some time, walking in a Tai Chi inspired way... total awareness in how we switched balance from one foot to the other, awareness of which part of the foot was applied to the ground first. From this very slow, consiously shifting place we moved to a simple forward and back dance movement which was done for a while with total awarenes of shifting balance from one foot to the next. Unfurling the foot slowly, breathing. From here we went to adding qualities of movement to this simple dance step and making it our own by finding ways to make it more pleasurable. Swooping lower here, lifting higher there, letting the neck turn, adding flow or focused martial arts-style precision and stopping. And from here we went onto the whole dance class, but with the same level of presence.

I really wish I had writen this account sooner because the class had so many subtelties and such a sweet evolution that I can't catch the exact progression of what we did anymore in my mind... I really think it was one of the most powerful classes I have ever taken and the applications to hoopdance were so obvious for me.

By this time i had taken 5 other Nia classes, one of which was floorwork, and I found myself easily transitioning to the floor in a very organic, body-satisfying way. The carpet made it so easy to surrender down and then rise up again, over and over, in very round fluid movements.

As with an earlier class, Carlos told us "not to crush the bug"... an image of there being an bug in the carpet underneath us and that we can choose to step so lightly and with such awareness that we can keep the bug safe and sound underneath us, even when we are dancing strongly or fast.

We worked a lot to develop agility... the ability to move rapidly and shift balance in intense, explosive movements, and then consistantly shifting back and forth between doing the same dance moves with agility and then with what felt like flow ... and exploring how maning powerful sounds like "ha", "ho", "he" or "haaaaaaaa" effected the quality of movement. So much fun.

Words that I remember in relation to this presentation .. choosing to dance and move with-
intention, focus, precision, breathing, making sounds to enhance your quality of movement, self coaching during movement to seek more pleasure, modifying to seek grace and beauty, exploring, seeking the joy of movement in every action, presence, balance, giving everything, not holding back, attention...

While doing all the exericses and by the end of class, I felt as if I was in a hyperaware state of focus and relaxation, while also being centered and energized at the same time. As with almost every class, I had a longing to move to Portland so I could take daily Nia classes from Carlos and Debbie to continue this process for myself... Nia opens up my awareness on so many levels.

There is something sacred about how an athlete devotes themself to something wholeheartedly... passion drives them to focus and a level of attention which provides something wonderful and mysterious in return, at least for me, something that is physically pleasurable but also transcends the physical to spiritual. A sense of connection.

I really liked that Debbie and Carlos said that anyone of any ability level can simply choose to declare themselves an athlete and let their path begin from there. That there is no hierarchy .. that you can "fake it till you make it" .. since that is a very famillar experience for me when I was just learning how to perform with confidence on stage. It is true... anyone can choose to be a sacred athlete... the affirmation itself sparks presence that will help the path unfold.

For me, hoopdance is a body prayer which heightens all my senses, quickens my body and elicits movements from me which I didn't even know existed. It is a fascination of the subtelties, fascination with balance and feeling sensations. And yet I still feel I can push myself to another level entirely with it. My daily practice has lagged a bit .. it has been 4 days since a concentrated 1 hour daily practice ... For my own sanity I need to bring that back into focus. At this point in my life now, my daily practice is what gives me the most joy in hooping. I am curious to see how I can explore this idea of being a sacred athlete. I really felt that way at Burning Man, when I could let my entire life revolve around hooping, practicing and seeking extreme dance and hoop experiences .. no computers to distract, no worldly obligations, no nothing! But I realize of course that the true sacred athlete for me is the ability to still have this level of devotion despite worldly obligations... to organize the worldly obligations around the hooping instead of the hooping around the worldy obligations. Yes. That feels right.

I have somewhat been on hiatus over the last several months... I slowly transitioned all my classes and performances to the Allstars in San Francisco, feeling burnt out and ungrounded. This workshop showed me that I was doing that for a good reason... to discover and reconnect with the sacred athlete through real daily practice. One thing that has happened is serious change in how I hoop and in what ways I hoop. Even the hoop I used is radically different. For one, I want to teach radicaly different things than when I started. I am much more interested in teaching only advanced classes then beginner and intermediate. We will see how this unfolds....I am excited to continue exploring and I know clarity wil visit me when it is time.

I am an athlete.

I am a sacred athlete.

This morning I appeared on my last show in San Diego. Unlike the others, I didn't have to show up until 10am, which was nice (usually I have been showing up around 7 or so). Also, instead of being in a random industrial park, where many of these stations seem to be located, it was in the heart of downtown San Diego. It was an adventure finding my way there since they didn't provide parking information for this show, so I circled until I found a place. Also, this show was outside instead of inside, on the NBC patio. At first they wanted to feature me with this strange construction crane behind me. I finally got up the nerve to ask them about it and requested having the plants as a background, which they easily agreed to. I'm glad I asked!

I was being featured in a segment alongside two chefs, a designer, a university professor and a band. Kimberly King, the anchor, was super sweet and actually already knew about me because of a trainer she works with who got HoopGirl hoops from me at the IDEA Health and Fitness Conference, so that was really neat... a point of connection.

The segment flew by really fast, only 2 minutes or so, and she asked the usual questions about the hoops and what I do. It was fun and easy and I gave all my hoops away afterwards to the eagar people who were there.

They haven't posted anything on their website since September 7, but here it is in case they do:
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/streetside/8319742/detail.html

Afterwards I completely forgot where I had parked and I walked around for some time looking, but finally found it and caught my next plane in time. Phew! Thank goodness for the portable GPS Kramer gave me! I don't know how I would have found my way without it.

Morning hooping was good today. I realized that I can do palm down back and forth one-handed reversals (instead of only palm up). I also played with linear arms as I saw Ann do in the Hoop Path, breaking with the outside arm as linear as the inside one, catching the hoop on the inside sqeeze pocket of my elbow and keeping as straight as possible, while also trying ot keep the inside arm totally aligned with my heart. A challenge!

Another thing... I have been having fun with these breaks and reversals but today was one of the first times I watched myself closely in a mirror and noticed that speed has been the illusion of mastery for me... when I accelerate the hoop wobbles tremendously and looses that mystical level plane I am seeking. So I am slowing down, breathing into the precision of push and pull.

Improtant for me to remember to continue the break into a spinal twist -- continuing the ripple of movement so I almost look back over the other shoulder. That feels really pleasurable to my body.

Another realization, continual breaks and reversals with the upper body while leaving the lower body still feels stagnating to me. So I have been working with always moving the opposite legs out or up in a reactionary movement whenever I break or reverse on the opposite side. For me, that makes the entire spinal twist and movement into a more true dance.

My inner arms are aching after only doing this a little while, so I can tell this will be a long, gentle process of being okay with a little progress at a time. So many delicate places on the arm for me... my inner wrists and the entire area on my inner arm leading up to the inner elbow. It's cool. I only worked a half hour because of this... but I will try to do another half hour later today to see how my arms are hanging in there. This is a good lesson of moderation.

So much has flown by so fast this week... 4 tv show appearances in Phoenix, 1 in Dallas, at home to teach, lots of revelations and now I am here in Portland training 14 new HoopGirl Workout teachers! Obviously my blogs have falled behind but I will have some time to catch up next week. For now ... I'll share my now.

What a dynamic and diverse group we have here at the training. First of all, it is a total gift to be able to offer the training at Nia Headquarters. A gorgeous, palatial learning space with a huge wonderful wood sprung floor, dreamy white walls and curtains and lots of natural light, and a cozy seated learning studio with overstuffed chairs, spiritual images and warm rugs.

The dynamic leaders who have joined us...

Lynn from Boise, Idaho who wants to build a local community where she lives and learn how to be articulate while teaching.

Sabine from Quebec, Canada who has been hooping 1.5 years, having originally learned in Hawaii and who wants to teach with more structure and format.

Yvette who I actually met at my Zumba Teacher Certification course who would like to learn hooping as a sensual, empowering fitness class to bring with her to El Salvador where she is heading for the next 4 weeks to 6 months.

Nathan, a 13 year old boy from Portland Oregon who wants to teach hooping to teens.

Lori from Ontario, Canada has been hooping only one month but wants to gain confidence teaching and the ability to be smooth... especially since she has her first class of 15 students this coming Tuesday!

Ali from Vancouver, Canada who wants to empower others and inspire with the hoop.

Karly from Sisters, Oregon who wants to teach and loved that a Hoopgirl Workout teacher in her small town was excited at the possibilty of another teacher locally. For her hooping has been a miracle, "bellydance for the lumbar impaired".

Lacy Lee from Portland, Oregon for whom hooping has changed her life. She wants to help others dicover joy through hoopdance and share the "I Can" philosophy

Anne from Steamboat Springs Colorado who wants to get comfortable expressing herself in the hoop and be a pioneer in her new city where she is moving to -- Boulder.

Jennifer from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, who started hooping 5 years ago at Bonaroo and wants to lead a hoop movement in her area.

Rachel from Portland, Oregon, who wants a formula to teach with more regularly every week.

Ericka who lives in Portland, Oregon who has been making hoops for years and wants to gain confidence to teach.

Leslie from Seattle, Washington, who already teaches bellydance and wants to teach hooping and hold hoop events at the Seattle Circus School.

It is honestly the largest group of students I have ever had in the training since I like to limit it to 12 students so each student has lots of one-on-one attention. But this time, we had the lucky opportunity to teach in such a beautiful, massive studio, that I decided to restructure the program a bit and see how it felt with 2 more. So far, so good! I am co-teaching with the amazing Candice, for which I also feel very blessed. And we have a master trainer in training who is assisting... Taj form Chicago. Together the 3 of us are holding space nicely and all is flowing.

As usual, there is just such a huge volume of information to share that it feels as if the training could easily expand to be 4 days instead of three... but I think the reality is most people probably couldn't get 4 days away from their lives. We will see how that evolves over time.

Words I would use to describe the energy of this lovely group (every group is so different) are: expansive, enthusiastic, empowering, very skilled, clear in intention.

While here in Portland I am staying with my dear friends Jasmine and Carlos. I wish there were more hours in the day to spend with them. Last night after the training was done I took a Nia class which wiped me out. What a gift to be able to drop in on a Nia class with Carlos!

On to the day!

Just back to Jasmine's home after a truely inspirational day. My voice is going, but throat lozenges and immune boosting herbs are coursing through my body to bring me stability for the final training day tomarrow, so all is well.

The second day of the training is magical for me. While on the first day, I sometimes feel odd at hearing my own voice speak so much, hoping that everyone feels they are in the right place at the perfect time, by the time the second day comes bodies are moving even more, smiles and laughter erupts spontaneously, and we joyfully get to witness brand new teachers putting on the headset mike and teaching class like pros.

Of course there are moments of sensory overload as new teachers try on their new role as facilitators... moments where they may forget what they are "supposed" to say, where they may be thrown off by a difficult learner experience .. all perfectly natural for a first time teacher. But the bottom line is that they are all having fun learning how to stay centered in even the most trying of teaching circumstances, surrounded by a supportive team who is sincere about helping them succeed.

What is especially unique about this class is how direct and forthcoming they are about providing constructive critcism to eachother after the teaching practicums. Sometimes new teachers in training are shy, hold back and are quiet, or simply offer praise of what was great and worked. These new teachers have keen observation skills to see where things have been forgotten or could be improved, they have the courage to call everyone's attention to these items, and the gentleness to voice these things in ways which empower and uplift. Wow! Each training just gets better and better ... and I think what we provide gets more cohesive and deep as well. What an absolute honor and privelege to be able to share this material with people from around the world who travel so far and invest so much into the experience!

Another great experience today was the photography session. Every time we have a training, I hire a professional photographer to take action shots and pro portraits of students which they can use to begin building their business on cards and websites and that we can also use to promote the training. I provide some modeling coaching to whomever wants it as they each pose for their own shots. I hesitated this time beacuse of budgetary reasons, but went for it on a whim. Today's group was exceptionally playful with the camera, and the gorgeous dance studio was especially perfect for action photos while we learned the different cycles of the class. I am so glad I made the extra investment because having this live photo experience really helps me feel like we are providing that extra mile of resources to students.

Candice is simply amazing. It seems every time we teach together, she has developed even more awareness and skill. I honestly feel blown away by the depth of her keen perception, her ability to articulate the body's movement, her playful real approach to teaching and her clarity of instruction. I am honored and blessed so deeply to be able to co-teach with her... a teacher whom I continually learn from merely by being in her presence. Thank you!

Ms Taj has definately made this training unique as well. She flew all the way from Chicago to assist and train to be a master trainer. At any possible moment of need, she has shown up and quietly held everything together... leaping into discussions at the perfect moment to contribute her perceptions and ideas, and as always, speaking with a keen awareness of presence, gentleness and strength. I am so excited to watch her emerging skills in holding space at this new level and and so grateful that she extended herself so enthusiastically to be a part of our training team. Really, it is a profoundly touching experience to be directly approached by someone who totally believes in what you are doing and from the bottom of their heart is willing to support and particpate in any way possible. I feel like Taj is an angel in disguise and I can't wait to watch her fly as a master trainer.

Well, off to take a soothing bath! I need to rest.

I am so grateful!

I was just blown away by this group. Day 3 held most of our practicums and the opportunity to see all of the trainees in action, teaching and holding space as facilitators. It is remarkable to watch each trainee already teaching the actual material and infusing it with their own style and flair which makes each mock class a totally unique experience.

Again, everyone in this group was forthcoming with eachother in providing such great feedback that what Candice and I had to share at the close of each session was much more manageable than in the past. It was great to watch other students comment on many of the items we each had on our lists to talk about.

There is a surprise in every group.. a student who stands out all the rest of the amazing gems as uniquely noteworthy. In the past I have taken special time to comment on Meryl because she taught while deaf, Justin and Mario who taught partly in Japanese and because they were men who embraced the feminine so heartily, Rikki because she is over 60 and so enthusiastic about sharing HGW... this time I really need to take a moment and commend Nathan.

In Taj's words, "Nathan is 13 going on 40". The way he holds himself, full of calm confidence and self assurance, the tonality and word choices he used, which were so consciously chosen, and his overall presentation style, which was well thought out and dynamic, by far exceeded anything I have ever imagined a 13 year old capable of delivering. Nathan really taught me that age is NO barrier to being an effective teacher and he reminded me again that gender is NO barrier. A male or female can equally deliver an instructive hoop experience while honoring the feminine aspects of flow, centering and empowerment. While Nathan announced at the outset that his goal is to teach teens, I have to say with absolute sincerity that he has a LOT to teach adults, and even groups of all adult women if he ever chose to. I would take his class in a heartbest. Throughout the entire seminar, wether we were covering seated material or active sessions, he seemed completely at home in his body, relaxed and focused about his intent and his place as the solo guy among 16 adult women.

It was an emotional closing ceremony. My voice had held out until the last lecture right before hand, so Taj and Candice handed out the certificates in the ceremony while I just stood between them with an ear to ear smile and a some tears. I am not sure I have ever cried at any ceremony since the very first, but this time I think not being able to speak held in all my emotions which I can usually share with the students through words. Being forced to be silent during this part of the event really made me stop and look each participant deeply in the eyes for some time and appreciate all the unique aspects of everyone and it was pretty wonderful. The time had flown by so fast.

I am so grateful to be a part of the empowerment of new teachers. I really learn so much so deeply from the experience. New teachers offer really fresh perspectives and ask great questions which helps me get crystal clear about the ways to be the most effective teacher possible... this often helps me identify things I have been doing without conscious thought and express them clearly. Just like making the transition from being a hooper to a hoop teacher, learning to give voice to every component involved and also holding a great space is very rewarding. I am so excited to provide the Level 2 training! The time is ripening and I sense it is time to complete the manual and set the date. With over 100 graduates from level one, the time is now.

I put off release of the HGW level two teacher certification, which I was had anticipated to begin in San Francisco in the fall of this year, to complete development of another level one hoop teacher certification program which I will be announcing more about in the October newsletter... stay tuned....

Over the past week I have had some major realizations!

--I see that I have held in my emerging truths and experiences out of fear of being viewed as a fruitcake. Specifically, I have held back from initiating potentially "risky" spiritual conversations with people who I percieved as having different values.

--I also realize that I need to move to Marin county, out of San Francisco, for more of a daily connection to the green earth energy and a new lifestyle which is still revealing itself to me. My truth actually would prefer me to live in Maui or one of several other places... but i am willing to compromise to Marin county for my husband.

--I also realize that I have not spoken my truth in total clarity and honesty in my marriage with my husband... again, holding back a very spiritual and metephysical aspect of myself because we don't share that in common. As a result, I have had seperate lives... but it has been getting increasinly hard to keep up the separations as I have been having more and faster "ahas!"

-- I see that I have been, in essence, waiting. Waiting for the one day when I would have flocks of friends or my husband to walk a deeper, more mysterious path of light questing... but I suddenly realized it is MY path to walk and NOW is the time! I have dabbled and dipped my legs for years.. but now is the time to dive headfirst off the cliff and trust the oceanic depths...

--Finally, I also see that I have held back from my own expansion because my identiy has been so wrapped up in HoopGirl and I have been worried that fundamental changes in who I am as a person may make people think I am not as deeply committed to HG. (bizzare!) Fear of change, in essence.

It is almost like I had an explosion of truth happen, where I realize I simply cannot contain who I am anymore because who I AM is expanding out beyond the confines of consensus reality. My awareness is moving through kalidescopic changes, the ideas I am reading about are pushing me through to new understandings, my meditations are freeing dark clouds of emotions from my body ... I am opening my consciousness to connect with beings of light and angelic energies at a level beyond what I have explored before and trying to unravel where my imagination ends and the material world begins.... still lingering moments of self questioning...

While in Portland having lunch with Jasmine and Candice, we were chatting about this and I shared that I didn't even feel like I could blog about these things. Then Jasmine suggested, (duh), why don't you start another blog for this other emerging aspect of yourself? Candice seemed to take this all pretty easily, smiling and mentioning that she had seen this emergence happening for some time and sensed my work would expand out in many new ways...

So I picked up www.lightbliss.com (which is parked at the moment) and felt this rapturous sensation of liberation. Like just buying the domain was owning a bit more of my emergence. Ever since, I have made an effort to just talk about these new thoughts and insights with whomeever is interested, no holding back. What are these thoughts and insights? I can hardly explain it all yet in a cohesive way...

I guess I will just name some quick statements which feel absoluetly true to me now...

I am an immortal divine being incarnated on earth with a divine mission.
My job is to hold and radiate more light, and show others how to do the same, for personal and planetary healing.
I have flocks of angels, beings of light, ascended masters and a direct connection to Source to support my expansion.
As a lightworker, I am compelled to spend time amongst others who are shining with vitality, love and a clear sense of purpose so I can remember who I am faster.
I AM.

More is emerging but I have to run off to a dentist appt...

Books I am reading all at once are which are accelerating me...
Soul Lessons and Soul Purpose by Sonia Choquette
The Sacred Yes by Rev. Deborah L. Johnson
Harmony Angel Cards by Angela McGerr
A Harmony of Angels by Angela McGerr
Heart and Soul Angel cards by Angela McGerr
An Angel for Every Day by Angela McGerr
God Among Us: Inside the MInd of Divine Masters by Caroline Cory

While using the Millenium Series of Meditations from Orin at www.orindaben.com

We will see where this all goes... for now, all I know is that there is a wonderfulness in every moment ...

Today's image is from an amazing visionary named Amoraea... learn more at www.thelightschool.com