The Power of Play

I love these Juggling jesters :)

As I think about my England trip, (yes I am STILL thinking about it...it had that much of a profound effect on me) I think about what else I want to write about. I already talked about some of my favorite experiences from the first couples weeks in my last post, but haven't really touched on the rest of the trip. There is so much more to share!

One of the main things I think I gained from the experience is a new outlook on how I want to structure my life...and my time. What's important to me? I think that my value system has shifted slightly. That's why we travel, right? New perspectives on life...stuff like that :) 

I am a Type-A personality, I have a slight case of the overachiever syndrom. This can be both a good and a bad thing! I have been taught from a young age how important it is to work hard. Do good in school, and do so by working hard. Study, spend time, read. Reap the benefits of that hard work! It can be rewarding! I have transfered this approach into my daily life and into my business. Self-employment means that you do have to work hard, very hard. Especially in the industry that I am in. A self-proclaimed performer and teacher in the circus/dance arts seems like a fun route, but it is not always the easiest. As a self-employed entrepreneur, you can ALWAYS be working. There is always something you can be doing for your business. I think I have allowed myself to get sucked into that and have put too much importance on spending time being productive. Sounds silly but it's true. I can be my own worst critic and I can really push myself, sometimes too much. 

Playful Bags at the beach!

Being in England and having free time to JUST PLAY showed me how important playtime is. Playtime is just as important as productive time! Lots of my days in Bristol consisted of spending hours in the practice space at Bags, Nick and Gail's house. I did have some obligations like workshops on the weekends and a couple shows, but for the most part I had more free time than I usually allow myself to have in San Diego. I felt myself grow tremendously. Not only did my hooping skills grow, my psyche was bursting with freedom. No constraints! Having such an amazing play partner around like Bags didn't hurt either. The balance between play and work is super important! It has been so easy for me to get wrapped up in the work side of things, I think I forgot how important it is to play!

When I was learning to juggle, I experienced a meditative state that I had never felt before. I was able to have an out-of-body experience where I could look into my own brain and see my thought process pathways. Whoa! Nothing like that had happened before! I think I haven't given myself proper meditation time up until now. A similar thing happened when I went to my friend Monica Grave's meditation class last week. It was my first structured meditation experience. I was able to see what I think about! Having a mantra to continue to repeat in your head allows you to see what your thinking about that's NOT the mantra. So funny. I actually kind of laughed at myself when I thought about what it is my mind wanders when left to it's own devices. A lot of it was about hooping, some of it was about guilty pleasures like fashion, clothes and costuming. I'm such a girl! Definitely some worries, insecurities and anxieties came to the surface too. I think meditation, weither it be through movement or not, is a good way to see what your voices are telling you in your head. Awareness is the first way to stop some of the negative ones.  

Playfulness with 2 of my besties :)
WHD, Nov 2011

Well the reason I finally did start writing this blog post today (I have been putting it off until it felt like the right moment) is because I am so blissed out from my day. I spent about 4 hours hooping and juggling on the grass at the end of Saratoga in OB. I nailed some super tricky tricks I've been working on. Finally stuck the foot hooping headstand! YEAH!!! I do also feel like I am officially a hoop juggler. Got it on lock down! Also feeling solid on a couple 4 hoop tricks. Today in between my little mini training/flowing sessions, I found myself just dancing and jumping up and down. Literally I was just jumping around. For no reason at all. Well I guess there was a reason...purely for the sake of joy. PURE JOY! WOW endorphins are the best drug in the world! Thank the goddess who invented endorphins. They rock!

So my current outlook, mantra, mission, power-word, whatever you want to call it...is PLAY. Another concept I am really feeling right now is collaboration. Collaborating with a partner or with groups of people, many people...to make something bigger than what you can do on your own. The power of collaboration is most evident to me right now because of all of the partner circus fun I've been having lately. Partner poi, partner juggling/passing, partner hooping - GROUP hooping! Yes it's possible and I have been playing with some super rad group hoop awesomeness (a la Bags) with my troupe. I really love the feeling of partner work in circus, it's addicting. To have that connection with someone else, get on the same wavelength, the same rhythm as someone else. It's magic. Especially with hoops!   

Hooping Headstand!

I dedicated today to me! I carved out the whole day to do things that are fun and that, in itself, is productive. I am building the skill of play. I am building skills in hooping, in bonding with others and in nourishing myself. Nourishing myself with things that I enjoy and that feel good. It's important! It makes me happy and makes my work better if I'm happy while I'm doing it.  

HERE's a video my friend Ringo made about Flow.

Halfway Through my UK Tour: The Gift of Breakthroughs

Giant's Causeway Hooping

I am not even halfway through my UK workshop tour adventure and I am already reeling! Soaking it all in. Feeling the inspiration and new environment do it's thing in my brain. My body is constantly sore, I am sleep deprived (insomnia is a bitch when life's exciting), I have been living out of a suitcase for months and spending LOTS of time in airports, buses, trains and taxis. But it's worth it. Sooo worth it.

This trip has allowed me to surrounded myself with people that truly inspire me. People that are artistically and creatively pushing the envelope. I look around and see absolute rockstars and marvel in any possibility that I could complain about my life. Ever. Again. 

This realization of sublime gratitude came when taking pictures and shooting a hooping video at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland with such badasses as Gail O'Brien, Revolva, Tiana Zoumer and Catherine Simpson. 

Giant's Causeway Rocks

The Giant's Causeway is a beautiful and unique natural land formation on the Northern Irish coast. There is a story that is was created by an Irish giant who wanted to battle a Scottish giant so he started building a "causeway" or road to Scotland. It is actually created by a specific dance between the ocean, rock and moving tectonic plates. 

We hooped on the hexagon shaped rocks and I vowed to remember the moment with fondness forever. There really never should be a reason to feel disappointed with life after you've hooped with epic legends in such a beautiful, naturally dramatic place. Check out the video HERE! And HERE are all of the pictures from my whole 6 week trip.

Even the people working there were keen on the whole thing! We walked up with our hoops and they were instantly interested, asking us if we would perform on the Visitor Center stage for a tour group. For a modest fee of a free entrance into see the Causeway (only £8.50!) we rocked out for the tourists and the staff. They loved it. That kind of thing would never happen at home! America is too afraid of law suits.

My Hoop Burlesque Workshop at SWHoop!

Before venturing to Ireland, I was fortunate enough to teach and perform at SWHoop in Bristol. That event and it's organizer, Kenna Hoops of Hooping Mad, is one of the main reasons I came out to tour the UK! SWHoop was pivotal for me on many different levels. I learned SO much! Friday's highlights include nailing an epic new double foot hooping move thanks to Karin de Wit who was featured on "Holland's Got Talent." I also taught a Hoop Burlesque workshop and some of the ladies (including Tiana Zoumer!) from the class joined me on stage later that night for the informal open stage show. It was the first time some of them had ever performed! Saturday night was the teacher showcase and might have been the best Hoop-based show I have ever been in. The variety and level of talent was mind blowing! HERE is the video of my Belly Hoop Fusion piece. After the show, the Bristol Samba Band brought dozens of drummers and intense, amazing beats for LED hoopers and dancers to get down to! It was the best after-show party I have ever experienced. There was so much energy realized from the show and sometimes it can be hard to channel that after-show energy. The samba band harnessed it wonderfully and everyone at SWHoop danced and hooped like crazy! I danced my ass off!

This is not my first group wedding! 

That night it became clear that I need to create my own Southern California Hoop Gathering. It's something I've wanted to do for a while now. It's on my "Long Term Goals List" and I think it's now going to shift onto the "Short Term Goals List". I'm going to make it happen with the next year or so! The community that Emma created is inspiring and the way she leads it is selfless and admirable. I can't wait to bring that project into fruition. There are surely important challenges and satisfaction the experience will bring.

Sunday morning at SWHoop, I taught a Belly Dance workshop and then landed myself in a 6 way all-woman marriage including Gail, Revolva, Zoe, Beth, Catherine and myself :) Emma married us and Bags gave us away. If that doesn't scream dysfunctional family, I don't know what does! Something I really cherish about the UK Hoopers is their lack of seriousness. They are not afraid to try new things or be absolutely silly. Sometimes it seems like they have less holding them back than we do at home... 

I am not sure I have ever laughed so hard! So much laughter-medicine on this trip :) 

4 Hoop Split after Revolva's workshop in Dublin

I have also had some truly amazing hooping breakthroughs on this trip. I have unlocked moves that I have wanted to get for years and some I didn't even know were possible! For weeks, every time I picked up a hoop I nailed something new and absolutely epic...hooping headstand, the 4 hoop split, the fountain, juggling...the list goes on! 

I owe it all to the change of scenery, the amazingly inspiring and talented company I have been keeping and the ability to spend time honing my craft. At home it is easy to focus on other aspects of my career - the business end. Organizing, promoting, producing events, teaching, making hoops. It has been awhile since I have given myself time to just practice. Practice for the sake of practicing. I am going to give myself time to continue training at home. I want to re-focus and allow myself to really level up :) If you ever find a plateau in your hooping practice, I suggest traveling. Just putting yourself in a completely new environment is enough to open new passageways in your brain and your body. 

There is so much more to share about this trip that another blog post is on the way!