My Hoop Convergence 2010: Breaking Blocked Flow

So I was sitting at Hoop Convergence opening circle and I realized I was sitting next to Spiral, Shakti, and Miss Rosie to my right and to my left was Jewels, Caroleena, Stefan and OMG! Inspiration! As someone had shared in this circle, our hoop community in‘3-D’. I felt the flow of this amazing circle. I was so honored to have been surrounded by over 140 hoopers ready to geek out all weekend. So let me start from the beginning of my journey.

A few hours earlier, I found myself hooping on the side of I-40. From the airport, there were probably too many of us piled with luggage and hoops into one vehicle. Unfortunately, the AC was not working in the car, but that was not the problem. The more important concern was our tire blowing out on the interstate next to a semi. So we happily hooped on the side of the interstate. Instantly there was sharing and teaching happening. We were causing a true ‘Highway Hoop Traffic Jam.’ Then my hoop hit my glasses and a lens flew out. So, I asked a group of hoopers if anyone had tape. And after choosing a color, we did a less than a professional job to keep my glasses functional for the weekend.

We hoped our hooping by the Chappell Hill exit 24 on the interstate would attract other hoopers to rescue us on their way to Hoop Con. Shortly thereafter, in comes Deena from NC and Stefan from Groove Hoops and part of the NY hooping crew with a spare tire to save the day! Our hoop heroes. After we were on our way from fixing the flat tire, we returned again to jump a hooper’s car that needed a jump. And then we later found out she could not change gears and that is a whole other story.

Still, a few hours earlier in the day, I was attempting to carry on my precious hoops at the airport. After spending many hours preparing 3-piece collapsible hoops, the bee-ach at security said I needed to check in those ‘weapons.’ It was confirmed, she was new and clearly holding her ground in her supervisory position. So with the use of packing tape, my hoop ‘weapons’ were checked- in. I decided not to worry what will happen to them. After all, I was headed to Hoop Con!

Next, I sat on the plane rocking out to Daft Punk …I am going to Hoop Con!!!
With my next plane connection to Durham, I was united with KaytiBunny and Jeff. Also, sitting in front of me on the plane was one of my new-found Hoop Angels, Tracy, from OH! The hoop family was coming together. At baggage claim, they announced for the ‘hoopers to come and pick up their hoops.’ We were then united with Danielle from CO, another new found Hoop Angel.

Upon arrival at Hoop Con, we were welcomed by Alley ‘Oop’ and Sandra ‘Safire‘ among other hoop family…I was Hoop Star Struck.

So as I was settling in to the beautiful campgrounds, I heard a hooper say that she had been experiencing ‘blockage in the flow.’ I asked her to repeat what she said. While giggling, I told her I was also experiencing flow blockage that day. But, I could feel a change of the flow, after all, we were at Hoop Con!

As someone legally blind, it is always fun to get acquainted with my environment as well as meet lots of new friends. At first, almost everyone looks the same, but then with time I learn voices and body language. Hair styles usually help, but everyone has such awesome funky dews, so that was not a good tool to use. I felt the love of my many Hoop Angels, and you lovely ladies know who you are, who made sure I had a buddy, especially for night time when my sight goes to almost nothing. I was so grateful and felt so much Love from our hoop community.

I love when I am in a place where the energy floats you and there is no where else you’d rather be. That was how Hoop Con was for me. I had this amazing feeling of strength and Love within me and around me. I am in awe of Jewels. Jewels embodies strength with kindness. Standing around me were so many hoopers united with strength and expression of a flowing art form. I felt so much gratitude to experience so much growth in and out of the hoop with our community.

After one of the many kick-ass workshops, I found myself standing next to Shakti, Khan, Spiral, Rich, and Malcolm…. I was in awe. There were so many mind-blowing workshops and each instructor had so much to offer, and did. In the workshops, some hoop masters were straight forward, some taught us to think ‘outside the hoop’ and let go of limitations, some taught bad-ass combos, and then there was Breckon. She teaches a theory of ‘F-it’, which works really well for us hoopers. We even played ‘Simon Says’ and the ‘Hokey Pokey’ with Stefan and Malcolm. Stefan and Malcolm made themselves available to give a little extra from their trick box to share throughout the weekend as did Safire (Safire ‘live’) and many others. I was so grateful. Also, Safire was also so willing to help modify Hoop City to make my visually impaired software flow better with her site.

I finally got to fly! I have found another love with Acro Yoga with Nayeli. And I was mesmerized with poi from Rainbow Michael. Not that I need more activities, but I feel these are extensions of my hoop expression. I have been doing Rainbow’s poi fusion movements every morning and I feel an amazing flow happening.

OK, so the food deserves a paragraph here, yummy! Jewels is so conscious of our environment. We were encouraged to only put on our plate what we know we can eat and come back for seconds. And, if you could not finish, your food scraps were set aside for the local animal feed. If you were a vegetarian, you were in good hands. A delicious variety of meals prepared with love. We also had mint tea and even a papaya smoothie. I chose to eat for one of my meals a burger over the bean burger. I was explaining to my dinner friends that I normally do not eat meat out but I knew this meat was hormone free and consciously raised and then ‘bam!’, my friend to my left is sliding a napkin from my plate across the table. I ask ‘what was that’ and he replies ‘you do not want to know’. But I did. He said it was a wasp that was on my burger. Well, I don’t like my meat that fresh. I asked ‘was it alive’ and he says ‘not anymore.’ I was perplexed how a wasp flew in front of me and landed on my burger. I know I cannot see it but usually I hear them. Nonetheless, the burger was dee-lish.

The evenings were spectacular. The ‘Showcase’ night was ‘five hours long’ and worth every minute of it. Each performance was a perfection of flow. On the ‘Fire’ night, I was blessed by Jewels and Scott to try their new light weight hoop for my burn. It was the best burn ever and I felt fearless inside the fire. So then I just had to buy hoopdrum’s ‘quick wicks’, so I did. For the next night at the ‘Hooper’s Ball’. I wore my solid gold shiny shorts. I was inspired by one of Annieland’s profile pictures to find them in my 80’s costume box. I thought it would go well with hot pink fuzzies and a turquoise top. ‘Little L’ was graciously doing face painting. So, the next thing I knew I had a pink mask and blue star on my forehead and ‘VVonder VVoman’ was born! Also that night, there was a table full of amazing costumes for anyone to borrow. And throughout the weekend, there was amazing vending including Annieland’s gorgeous flowing pants and Sadie’s ‘hoop hangs here’ chonnies. The ‘Hooper’s Ball’ had a wonderful live DJ and band jammin’ while LEDs whirled around. Ironically, or not, the DJ played almost my whole playlist I use for my hoop dance classes!

So, I had begun the opening circle with the word ‘Blossoming’. And I ended the closing circle with the word ‘Blissed’. I am honored to be part of such a beautiful community that finally feels like home. A place where you can geek out on your love for hoop tubing, tape, and moves. A place where everybody feels expression inside a circle. A place where there is strength with kindness. I love the growth I have had in the past year as I come up to my one year anniversary this June 2010. May we keep our hoop community growing and serving as Caroleena inspires us to do. May hooping workshops and local jams fill our calendars. And may we enjoy our ever growing communication through our ‘Hoop City’ and ‘Facebook’. Namaste.


Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT