Yesterday was day one of the level 2 HoopGirl teacher training in San Francisco! I felt honored that so many remarkable women created time and set aside resources in their lives to join me! Beautiful, laughing, brilliant hooping businesswomen!
As it was level 2, a big part of our focus focus is on learning the 40 new moves of the intermediate HoopGirl Workout program along with hoopdance principles and an mind/emotion focus for each day of class. The moves are very challenging and allow teachers to meet the needs of even the most skilled students who show up to their classes. I was so impressed that everyone just rolled up their sleeves and jumped into the back-to-back master classes. This will actually be the last class who takes the training without the benefit of seeing the instructional DVDs beforehand....
I LOVE level 2! It is the "mind" training in the BODY-MIND-SPIRIT continuum which provides the focus levels one, two and three of the HoopGirl Workout teacher trainings.
In addition to learning moves, teachers at this event also learn the alchemy of how to transform their own mental and emotional states to assist students in doing the same. It is a joy ride from optimism in day one all the way to love in day 12 of the Workout, with each day containing exercises and activities to assist students in letting go and having fun. Teachers encourage students to be more theatrical, using vocalization, gestures, facial expressions and visualizations to access their "happy place" in the hoop. We have training which prepares HoopGirl Workout teachers to explore teaching for personal transformation and how to act as empowerment coaches to their students. Laughter yoga, bodyscanning while hooping in the Buff (blindfolded) and other yummy additions make our program dynamic and completely original. I am always delighted to see how the Level 2 magnetically attracts the perfect attendees with an interest in the human energy system, the role of beliefs in creating reality and an interest in holistic and healing aspects of hoopdance....
I love the spontaneous conversations that arise. The topic which most intrigued participants yesterday was what to do with feelings of competetiveness or fear which arise when other hoop teachers set up shop in the same town. Many attendees talked through their experiences and shared insights with each other on shifting the paradigm from one of competition to co-operation. We revisited level one HoopGirl Workout foundational philosophy around co-operation, abundance and autonomy. Success for one means success for all! Success for all means success for each of us. We also revisited the foundational tenant of HoopGirl Workout community ~ the perspective of teaching being a sacred service to students and the world. When you teach from a place of service, there is no conflict with others because you are all working towards the same goal of enriching lives...
More about our wonderful attendees...
Cassandra came all the way from Florida, in the midst of a national tour to research alternative educational practices.
Krissana came by way of LA, via Montana and previously Italy where she has been teaching English in a small village.
Allison M. from Davis where she has been teaching lots of classes ~ she is hungry for more inspiration!
Morgan came from Reno, where she just moved, seeking hooping information to quench her thirst for more. She is an educational program designer.
Jenna came all the way from Berkeley hoping to gain inspiration to deepen her own hooping practice.
Ann came from Colorado seeking spiritual and practical inspiration to help release the hold of the ego while consciously building her business. She is also a massage therapist and yoga teacher.
Lisa also came from Reno, seeking to improve her hoop skills while also healing from a recent surgery. She owns a pole dance studio where she teaches those skills as well as hooping to empower women's sensuality.
Allison T. came from Canada wanting to gain skills in articulating the body-mind-spirit aspects of hooping and also to inform her expressive arts therapy studies.
Susan, our office manager, also attended, seeking to deepen her hooping skills and meet the growing HoopGirl community.
Shawna assisted and shared brilliant insights with students from her coaching practice and from her Allstar training.
I can't wait to see what unfolds today...