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.