4 Easy Grab Bag Tips + Tricks To Hoop & Dance Happy
What can help tweak your Hoop/Dance/Movement practice? Here’s a few tips and tricks to add to your mental note’s bag, plus a bonus!
by Ché Rippinger
1. Make Time. Yep-Craft your own clock. Well really carving out a bit of the schedule you currently over-cram with everything else-important and not. Sometimes a whole hour is unrealistic, and a half hour even still may be too much to fit in, too. But 5 minutes is doable for anyone. That’s just, “turn on the music, grab the hoop(s) and have at it for one song.” And for the best in your body…
2. Start very slow…warm up…jam and play…cool down. Sometimes we skip these simple steps, and then our bodies let us know how and why that’s not a good idea. Start simply with an over all wiggle, shimmy, or anything movement-wise, that is gentle getting the blood flowing to all the big body parts. Roll your head and shoulders, sway the rib cage, rock the hips, bend and flex the legs, feet, arms and hands. Start out with smaller motions and then progress to bigger ones, then dial it back down to small again. Simple-Oui?!
3. Keep an area reasonably clear for your dance/hooping/yoga/movement/meditation practice. If you have a dedicated space–or at least one that is easily convertible so you can double-duty the area…you will be more motivated to use it. If you cannot show it to others, or you have to close the door on it, then how much happy inspiration and sweetly calling your name is it doing for you?!
4. Just Dance! Sometimes we are so hyper-focused on getting whatever new trick or move, that we don’t connect them very well, or infuse our love of hooping and dance with our own personal style. It doesn’t matter what your background is…whatever– bring it to the table! Dance it out! If you are alone, who cares what you look like. And if you are with others…whatever you think is goofy, may appear fabulous and inspirational for someone else (it happens All the time!).
Ha! #5…A Bonus Tip:
5. Connect with people! Online and in-person groups, classes, and jams will join you with others experiencing similar issues, questions, and advice and is great for sharing your little progress points.
As always, go forth and hoop, dance and laugh yourself happy!