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How Do I Find My Hoop Dance Flow?

How Do I Find My Hoop Dance Flow? Hoopdance with Deanne Love

My first reaction is “stop searching for it” instead I would recommend trying to understand it and become aware of what activates your flow and the actions you can take to achieve the state.

Join the 21 Day Hoop Flow Challenge

 

To truly get what you want it is vital to know what you are aiming for.

 

Dr Csíkszentmihályi, a Hungarian psychologist who created the concept of flow, describes the state as “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”

 

Ultimately when a hooper asks, “how do I find my hoop dance flow?” they are asking how to attain the feeling of focus, be immersed in continuous action, feel enjoyment, make the most of the skills they have and overcome the challenges.

 

So “how” are those things achievable?

  1. Set aside a designated, distraction free time and space.
  2. Enter the practice prepared by being hydrated, ready to play and with a positive frame of mind.
  3. Set an intention for the play time or goals for the practice.
  4. Gently witness your emotions, allow them, shift them if needed but stay focussed on the intention or practice.
  5. Keep going, take action, MOVE into flow.

Below are 11 practical ways to actively feel hoop dance flow. Action is key. Watch the video examples and try them out for yourself. Or you can join me on the 21 Day Hoop Flow Challenge and unlock your hoop dance.

Warm up your body and soul by giving yourself the luxury of a single focussed hoop time. Waist hoop. If you cannot yet waist hoop keep trying for the length of one whole song.

Create shapes with your hoop, set this as your only intention for one whole song. No need to worry about nailing tricks or remembering sequences simply fall into the flow of painting pictures and creating shapes with your hoop.

Take your focus into your body, specifically the muscles that make your movement. Focus on particular muscle groups and how they are moving or take your attention to the muscles that are moving your hoop.

Flow Tips : Feeling “bummed” about your hoop dance, your flow, your personal practice? Release resistance to tricks and dance by taking your attention to the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your beautiful body. Let energy, sensation and dance ripple through them from the small parts in your feet (we have over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments in our feet alone!!) through your powerful legs, give some special love to your gluteus maximus (your largest butt muscle😊) while wiggling around, loosen and expand through your upper body muscles, groove the 43 muscles in your face 😍, the muscles in your neck and shoulders that hold tension and resistance pump blood through them releasing and healing and most importantly activate your heart muscle radiate brilliance, energy and love into your movement. Your hoop will accompany you if you allow it, take it on a journey of dance and play. We feel “bummed” when we have expectations and resist, we feel ecstatic when we play 💗 #play #flow #hooping #hooplovers #love #dancetherapy #norules #letgo #workitout #hooplove

A video posted by Deanne Love 💜 Hooplovers.tv (@deannelovexo) on

Create a short (or long) hoop dance sequence that you are familiar with and practice it to different types of music. Make yourself a varied playlist.

 

Hooper tip: when you are feeling stuck in a hoop rut take a short hoop dance sequence you are familiar with, something that comes natural, and give it new life. Put a playlist on repeat and improvise giving new energy and variations to the same flow session. Something new will come out every time! ⚡️⚡️ Just about to upload this week’s flow session tutorial to my YouTube (will put link in insta bio soon) but I thought I would add a few videos here to show you how you can take one hoop flow session and go be it lots of different flavour by changing music, pace, energy and adding variation into the moves. ⚡️ go check out the tutorial, have a play with it then tag me to share your variations. ❤️😍 . #flowsession #variation #hoopdance #hooping #hooplovers #hooplove #rhirhi #rhianna #rehab A video posted by Deanne Love 💜 Hooplovers.tv (@deannelovexo) on

To enhance focus by practicing the method of “trick restriction” for one or two songs.

Did you know that even if you knew zero “hoop tricks” you could still find gorgeous flow and dance with your hoop?!? I wanted to show you what my hoop practices look like from the moment I pick up my hoop. I walk into my hoop space with a blank canvas (my body and mind) I switch on whatever playlist I have created and I practice “Trick Restriction” as a warm up. I simply spend a song or two moving with my hoop, at first slow and simply making shapes with my circle and my body. This technique helps to discover the unique and beautiful lines and curves of the body and hoop together. No tricks required just a willingness to dance and be free. In this practice there is no judgement, no right or wrong, no goal. It is a time to allow the body healing movement, a fun and freeing way to warm up and for me always the ideal way to make space for dance and find a sweet balance with tricks I might practice later on. So many Hoopers ask me how to find dance flow. Allow it. Let it out. It’s there already. If the tricks are hindering your flow then pull back a little to find that sweet spot. As in Yoga when the asana is too strong the breath is weakened and it is a perfect sign to soften the practice, in hoop dance when the tricks block the flow it is a beautiful reminder to move in new ways, pick up the feet, glide with the movement of the hoop. #hoopdance #flow #hoop #circle #movement #practice #play #hooping

A video posted by Deanne Love 💜 Hooplovers.tv (@deannelovexo) on

Celebrate your mistakes. Don’t let drops and mishaps with the hoop shatter your flow and focus, continue to move and creatively dance while rescuing your hoop, make it part of the flow.

Create playlists that motivate your moves, fill them with songs that inspire you to dance.

Pick up your feet as if on hot sand, feel a sense of weightlessness. Create patterns or freestyle with your footwork.

Find your inner fierceness. Take charge of the moment and hold strong to your intentions.

Dare to take up space. Whether you have a small practice space or a wide open area utilise the space, move into it, be bold and deliberate with your expression.

Stop searching for it. Flow is not a destination, it is a way of feeling that requires action and letting go of resistance.

How do you embrace your hoop dance flow?

Share your break throughs and brilliance with me on Instagram @deannelovexo #hooplovers

Some other ideas that you might like if you are in a dreaded hoop rut or need some new hoopspiration:

30 ways to get out of a hoop rut
Creating Hoop Dance Flow
Never fall into a hoop rut again

Try my 12 Week Flow Session course or find over 30 Hoop Dance Flow Sessions in this YouTube Playlist.