So this was the second thursday I was invited a secret hoop jam. Two hours of music, moves, sweat and inspiration. It was in downtown San Francisco in a dance studio with the heat cranked to a simmering 73 degrees -- a lovely tropical heat.
I was thrilled to get a repeat invitation. So happy, in fact, I made a mixed tape for the two facilitators with some nasty fast hoop tunes guaranteed to made sweat explode off their bodies. We rocked it. Fast, zippy, powerful moves. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, building muscle memory gradually through repetition. I felt so tickled to be in this environment, among fanatics focused enough to rent space on a weeknight and blaze through their personal practices at quantum speed and with total focus and presence...
One started with silent prayers in his hoop before beginning, eyes closed in connection, hands clasped in a steeple. Another ripped off his pants to launch off in his customary underwear-only garb. Another pushed her hoop around, watching closely to notice the angles and rotational speed. Watching. Watching. Watching. And away we went. Sweating, breaks, jumping, launching, combining, teaching eachother, laughing.
I played with adding the dance moves I have been studying with some martial arts style movements and the hooping and felt airborne. Faster, quicker, more responsive. It was a sweet challenge to play with the energy of acceleration and control at the same time and just hum along with the zip. Honestly, I haven't had this much fun hooping in a long time.
These are sweet moments. Hard to repeat moments. There are no expectations to live up to. Just the galloping movements of devoted hoopers all around. It was the total passionate presence of everyone in the room to bust it! It is a feeling of being met in a wonderful way, even though our eyes rarely did. Pressure cooking our bodies to build new synaptic pathways, new cosmic connections, and yes, new callouses.
Thank you!