Sunday 16 September 2012

Nourishing.

Late night hooping. Photo by Claire French.

I haven't done a lot of hooping since I returned from Under The Spinfluence. I learned a lot of new stuff which I want to keep practising ... but while the spirit may be willing, the body is flat out exhausted and needs a wee break.

I began hooping within 10 minutes of arriving at Spinfluence [after a three-hour drive] and for the rest of the weekend I stopped only for meals, for the evening concerts, to read for a bit [when the weather was bad] and to snatch a few hours' sleep. Most people at the festival were hippies or circus freaks - I'm neither, but I did find some other dedicated [obsessive] hoopers that I connected with. Together we probably hooped for a minimum of around 10 hours each day we were there.

I had intended to take workshops in poi, fire fans, acrobalancing, yoga, and so on. But once I got there all I wanted to do was hoop. I took two amazing hooping workshops - one was a tricks lab with the dynamic Frenchy, the other was a breaks workshop with the stunningly talented Natasha. Natasha's workshop was responsible for the horrible bruise you can see here. In fact, everyone who took Natasha's workshop got variations of that bruise ... so I've dubbed it the Natasha bruise.

It was a truly nourishing weekend and perfect in every way, despite the stormy weather! I needed a break from my routine at home. I needed the time and space to dedicate to hooping. I got all of these, and while I've come home tired in body I'm feeling refreshed in soul.

1 comment: