Every day we fight against our bodies’ stress response. The stress response is a natural instinct when threatened. It tells you to do one of the four F’s: Freeze, Fight, Fawn, or Flee. This is a life-saving instinct. When you touch a hot iron, your body’s stress response immediately tells you to “get away!” But sometimes, your stress response is too active.
Difficulty sleeping, decreased immunity, and feelings of anxiety are some things we might experience when we are too stressed out. That’s why it’s so important to engage in self-care, like hooping!
For most of us, the hoop is our sacred circle, a refuge. But when we spend the rest of our days in a stressed-out state, we can’t always tap into that juicy flow state. Over the next few weeks, I will teach you some techniques to reduce your stress, using your hoopdance as a tool.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is simply when you are conscious of your experiences, both internally and externally. It allows us to take a step back and look at our feelings and surroundings without judgment and to live in the present.
It is important to acknowledge the generational and historic wisdom of all communities who practiced mindfulness before it was called that. Many mind-body practices are actually cultural practices found around the globe. The western medical world generally renames these practices and researches them. Having research to support the benefit of these practices is helpful. But it is wrong to erase other cultures for the sake of “science”. The inherent colonialism of western medical research is demonstrated through this because when you google mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn, who launched the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program in 1979 is the first name you will read.
Research has established the positive effects mindfulness practice can have in our lives. It can boost our immune systems, increase positive emotions, improve memory, and even promote your self-confidence! The only cost to mindfulness is taking a few minutes out of your day, but you can reap serious benefits within the first few months.
There are many ways to practice mindfulness, and you never cross a mindfulness finish line. It’s something we can cultivate every day and, with persistent care, it can grow.
One way we can practice mindfulness is through meditation.
What is Meditation?
Meditation is a mind-body relaxation technique that can help with a myriad of stressors and health problems. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health, a part of the National Institutes of Health, meditation can assist with anxiety, depression, insomnia, pain, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, and more. There are TONS of types of meditation out there, but almost all of them have four things in common:
- A quiet, not distracting place
- A specific, comfortable posture: This is usually standing, sitting, or lying down.
- A focus of attention: This can be internal (your breath or physical sensations) or external (watching a candle or repeating a mantra)
- An open attitude: This means focusing on the here and now and accepting things for what they are, without judgment.
Do You Hoop Mindfully?
If you’re like me, sometimes you pick up your hoop and go on auto-pilot. I don’t mean you find that flow state and bliss out. I mean, you turn off your brain and do the same moves you always do, semi-bored but convincing yourself that you’re practicing. You’re hooping, and that’s what counts, right?
This can really make us feel like we are in a rut. But by hooping more mindfully, we can tap back into a sense of inner peace and connect to the purpose of our movement. Let’s try.
5 Minute Hooping Meditation
I created this 5 minute hooping meditation just for you. Begin your hoop practice with this today, and see how you feel. In fact, I encourage you to do this meditation before your hoop practice, then write down an intention for your practice that day. See if beginning your practiced centered and with intention can level up your flow time.
Do you feel more chilled out now? I hope so!
xx
Ellie