My goodness, I’ve been blessed to be the mother of a one child, for almost two years now. They say time flies and it sure has. While you can hoop while pregnant, I slacked off right before her birth. My husband found it weird and I was not comfortable enough to keep up my practice. Which made me wonder what would happen after she was born, of course all the new mom questions filtered my friends, facebook and family. I really wondered how I could get back to hooping practice and how my daughter would allow me to fit this in? How would my hooping grow as she grew?
At first my practice was easier then I thought, newborns for all thier cuteness, don’t do much but sleep, eat and well you know. Once are routine came into the picture, hooping was back on my list. The deal was that when I could I would get in at least an hour a day. Id break out my hoop while she slept, played in the swing, walker, and pak n play. Saftey zones were setup for that just in case loss of control on my end. Be assured no child was harmed. 馃檪 I have small space to hoop in,so i learned how much control can go into your practice. It was great, I was grooving while sweet baby was doing her baby thing.
While celebrating my daughter’s milestones outloud, (crawling,walking,learning and talking) my practice was speaking at its own volume. I started the journey to become certified, wanting to learn how to share the power of hoopdance and still be the best for my little one. She learned to walk as I started working on shoulder hooping. Whew! She got it way before I did. (still learning second current to be fluid) I must say that there are days where I couldn’t get to my hoop practice and have that time to let go and relax. As mom’s are time can be gone before we know it. I’m know I’m not alone when I say that moms hardly get time to breath before we called back to fix this, wipe that or give love(i will always stop whatever I’m doing for loves). I’ve complied some tips that I use to make sure that when I do find that time, its utilized for the best practice I can bring.
* You don’t have to get all your practice in at once. Its perfectly fine to get it in five to ten, or 15 mins blocks. Try making a playlist for those time frames, so you can get the most out of your practice time *
* Commit to your practice, really devulge in what your learning, let go, have fun and breath*
*Hooping at times when your child sleeps, hangs in the swing, walker or pak n play. As they grow encourage thier own play with the hoop. Don’t pressure them to play with it, yet give praises to all they do. Love is the greatest gift you can give yourself and your child. *
*Safe zone hooping in the house. If your able to hoop in the house, be aware of what’s around you and where your child is at all times. If you thought dropping your hoop was bad(I encourage you to drop it), wait till your child busts your groove. Its not a bad thing at all, giving attention where attention is due.*
*If you can’t get your daily practice in, don’t get down on yourself. Its okay, just hit it again tommorow. You could find a weekly jam or start one yourself, so you can be around other hoopers that will praise and welcome you to share your wins and losses, vice *
How does this transfer to those who I’m blessed to teach and outreach too? Comes back to the seed of intention, plant it, water it, give it love, light and your open connection. Flowers don’t bloom as soon as you plant them, be kind and wait. Love helps us grow.Never judging, always encouraging growth. For my daughter may not see hoopdance they way I do, I’m going to give her all the tools I have to give her my best, so she can be her best. I’ll close with saying thank you and yes my daughter has some sick moves with the hoop at the age of almost 2. She can pick it up and drop it. Try it sometime, its refreshing.
Penny Lane Hoops 