hi claudia,
i think the biggest influence for me is the music. when i listen to certain sounds, i get lost... and its amazing. for some nice, soft swaying motions, i like a lot of zero's instrumentals. or when i am feeling like super-woman-rage-hooper i like a lot of cheese and eoto. sometimes if i am burdened with a heavy heart, i want something more soothing and i pull out some nice, moody allman brothers or the dead or something like that. also with the turn of seasons, i have found a lot of let-loose inspirations from tribal, mila, and world tunes.
find some music you get in tune with best and that may let your spirit soar, which in turn helps your hoop to embrace you best.
the other thing i have had to overcome as i hoop in my yard a lot and i have "surburban" neighbors who are quick to give quizzical looks... make sure you feel that it is only you and that wondrous circle of release. really get anything else out of your head, dont worry about how you may appear of gtting a move down just right. for me, i think some of the best times i have had is in the park, with no one else around and i turn up some funky sounds and let my hoop take my body where it wants me to go.
good luck hooper sister!

I recommend putting on music you really love, very loud, preferably with a blindfold, and just FEEL it in your body. Forget about your hoop and dance. Let the hoop be an afterthought instead of the first thought.

also i recommend starting out hooping on your waist for a while just dancing an moving around and grooving there, then after a while you will start naturally incorporating other movements with your hoop. you might also try the same thing but just holding you hoop with your hand and spinning around with your hoop in a similar manner to how you might do with a person. don't worry about how you look you'll find your groove and the movements that you have praticed will come in to play naturally. just have faith in your self and try to say things to yourself like does this look good? cause that type of attitude will ultimately be limiting. well thats what i do when i feel 'stuck' and i works for me to loosen up.... good luck!

Hi Claudia

Michelle and Caroleeena are in a different league of hooping to me, but even so I wanted to say that what they are saying is just right, it works on any level. Forget tricks and forget what you look like. You need to connect with the music, whatever that is, it can be anything you like from Classical to trance. I find my flow really gets going when I am thinking only of the music and of moving to it. Sometimes I surprise myself by how good it feels, but if I then try to replicate it, ie think about what I'm doing, it goes.

It's great advice to just waist hoop to music. Introducing current changes and perhaps moving the hoop up and down the body, but basically treating it as if you are in a tight space. The reliance on being able to do all the tricks is always going to stultify the flow element. You can flow with zero tricks.

Hi Claudia,
WOW, Everything happens for a reason. I am so glad I am catching up with my tribes today many posts that I can relate to. I am noticing that I feel more out of sync with my flow now for the same reason lately, and have resolved to make an active connection back to flow upon the realization this week. It is interesting how one can 'loose touch' with something (flow) that seems 'gifted' to you upon learning a form of dance. I remember when I was first learning hoop dance the moment that flow had finally 'found me' that I had finally 'got it' I was ecstatic. I think, with all dance forms, flow stems from connection with our muscle memory. And I believe that this connection is purest or flow-like when we act on that muscle memory by following our inherent IMPULSES to express movement. I hoop dance as a form of meditation, many of us do. Some of us use music to connect to our muscle memory and to find the natural impulse to move on. I can only share my own experience; this only works for me when I am in a good mood, otherwise I find music can clutter my thoughts and therefore my movement - this is always caused by lyrics. I find then, that music without lyrics or with enlightening lyrics is the most inspiring - gives me the bravery to move honestly. Still, I prefer no music. I introduce it once I feel more connected. Some of us connect by using blindfolds or closing our eyes. I find this helpful, but blindfolds are distracting to me, again I think to much about the object instead of the connection. So, I close my eyes. This way I feel more natural. It also helps me to be barefoot. The closer my feet are to the ground the more rooted and grounded I feel because again I am putting feeling INTO my body rather than being distracted outwardly by something. The more released I feel from distraction of what I am wearing / listening too, the more connected I am in my body, therefore the more I can connect with my 'feeling'. Focusing on this helps me relate my 'feeling of expression' to the 'feeling of my movement', my muscle memory. I start to hoop around my waist. And I only move on my impulse from there. There is no wrong movement when you move on impulse. Truth and honesty of movement comes from those impulses. Not thinking your way to movements but expressing your thoughts with movement. Everyone has their own way of centering and removing any distraction/self obstructions to be connected. This is what works for me. I cannot wait to do it again it has been far too long. Oddly enough, a lot of really great 'tricks' and 'moves' come out of that because it is honest expression of movement & feeling - censoring becomes obsolete. Some really beautiful transitions have been found doing hoop meditation for myself. I hope that helps you on your journey of hoop flow.

Michaila

All of your responses giving advice and inspiration are so welcomed - thank you!

My flow, I believe, has been slowly growing - all of your feedback has helped guide me during my practice and it is so greatly appreciated.

OMG!!!! THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED....I'm fairly new and doing tricks...well..it's tricky. I'm concentrated more WITH THE IDEAL, of learning, hoopdancing with tricks, and that interfer with my natural flow. I love to dance, and I think, I move quite nicely, with a nice flow. It can be bellydancing, even though, don't know how, reggae, hiphop, or just a natural flow. I have a unique way of dancing, but can not convey it into the hoop. Actually, this is why, I wanted to hoopdance. I just got caught up with tricks and such. I think that will come in do time. This is what I need to hear...FLOWHOOPING...

I agree with everything that's been said...and ... there are ways to get the flow into your body more technically. Some people don't want this kind of detail, and some loooooooooooove it

Transitions!
Instead of doing one trick, then waiting, then doing another trick, make sure you incorporate some in-between part. So... if you are going from any turning movement to any standing still movement, do a little head roll when you stop turning, or let your arms carry that spinning motion out. Or, before you step to the left to do some trick, try faking to the right first, or take a big step to the left just before moving the hoop.

Pick 2 moves or positions and dance for one song to see how many ways you can prepare/transition.... making faces, moving hands, moving hips, big steps and chachachas... play around!

Also, I find NIA soooooooooooooooooooo full of flow