It is amazing to me how distant I've become from myself... Let me start from the beginning.

I moved to college last January, before I moved I spent time with my hoop teaching me the art of hoopdance an average of two times a day. Once I moved I found I could really only do it once a day for a few reasons, the dance room I practiced in opened at 6:00am and I wanted to be able to do it earlier; but my more prominent reason was because I was now at college and if someone saw me hooping outside I honestly felt embarassed. Now, I've never been afraid of being unique and not conforming but I wanted people to like me and I wasn't sure that hooping in front of the campus was the way to do it. So I went to the dance room and was only able to hoop for about a half hour every morning before classes.

Then I slowly stopped waking up early enough and before I knew it, my hooping practice was cut out of my daily routine. For the most part I felt like I was too busy to 'miss' it, but I would catch myself listening to some music or dancing and I would wish I had my hoop with me.

Tonight is the first time I've picked up my hoop in about eight months and it felt like coming home. I didn't want to stop. Now, sitting here I feel more centered, relaxed and just -myself.- I didn't realize how much of myself I had set aside along with my hoop. I always knew that hooping was more than just a physical activity but I never -felt- with such clarity how much of an impact being in that circle makes me feel. Whole. Strong. Peaceful. Are just a few simple words that come to mind when I try to label my feelings.

Hooping is not just about dancing and perfecting your moves, hooping is a way to ground yourself with your feet firmly planted on the earth. It's a way to let your spirit soar as you send your hoop spinning into the sky above your head and it's a way to find the stillness inside the eye of a tornado. It allows you the space to connect with yourself and be completely present. I didn't know that what I was missing and craving so profoundly was this feeling that the hoop gifts me with.

I now know and I promise I won't forget. A wise character once said "There is no try, do or do not." this is how I feel, I am not going to try to make space in my life for my hoop; from now on, I will. The distance that I allowed myself to travel away from me is not something that I'm willing to compromise again. I know the difference between the feeling of being in the hoop and living without it, and I choose the way of the hoop.