Yesterday I stopped by a local Circus jam in the park where there were people playing with hoops, poi, staff, juggling, and more. I was feeling tired and just stopped in to drop off some items with a friend, not thinking I would stay and hoop. However, there was a hooper I had not met before present and I was mesmerized by her hooping style, which incorporated many of my favorite hoop elements: spinning, stalling the hoop, multiple hoops, and graceful hoop flow. Pulled in by the hooping energy I found myself taking a short spin with a hoop before leaving. This hooper asked how long I had been hooping, and I replied since 2003. She then asked if I ever hit plateaus in my hooping and how to move past that. At the moment I thought sure - I'm feeling one right now.

Today, I was listening to music at home, and a favorite song came on that inspired me to grab my hoop and start moving right there. I realized how different I felt hooping to my favorite music that makes me want to dance. I feel that music is essential to energy of movement and inspires more dance, flow, and creativity to come forth from the movement artist. As I danced to the music, I began to try some new ideas and saw how the joy, inspiration, and energy from the positive music was infusing my hooping with new variations and creativity.

So here are my ideas for how to enliven your hoop practice and recharge your hooping:

• Put on your favorite dancing music!
• Get some new music and energize your dance music collection!
• Trade favorite hooping music with your hooper friends.
  
• Try moves on a different part of your body: arms, legs, knees, feet, elbows, neck, back, chest, shoulder, etc...
• Try moves you normally do with the hoop horizontally and do them vertically instead, and vice versa...
• Try hooping slow.
  
• Spin while hooping.
  
• Hoop blindfolded.
  
• Lie on the floor and hoop on your feet.
  
• Watch videos of dancers, hoopers, and performers and let the inspiration fuel your ideas.
• Hoop with a friend.
  
• Hoop with many friends.
  
• Attend a hoop workshop or retreat. 

I hope this inspires you to pick up your hoop and try something new! What do you do to keep the hoop mojo flowing?