If it wasn’t for Hoopnotica being featured on Good Morning America back in 2007, I would not be a hoop instructor or even sitting here writing this blog!

Seeing a beautiful hoopdancer on television IS, after all, where my hoop journey started. This is a clip of what I actually saw that day. The fact that we just happened to be heading to Los Angeles a couple of weeks after seeing Hoopnotica on GMA was a great opportunity and I couldn’t pass up the chance to go take a lesson IN PERSON with THE woman I saw hoopdancing on my TV!  I keep this picture on the door of my office as a reminder of my very first lesson at the Hoopnotica studio in California…my beginnings with a hoop happened so much by accident. I wasn’t looking for the hoop…it just found me one day, randomly, as I watched my morning dose of morning news.

Fast forward to 2013…I’ve been teaching Hoopnotica since 2009 and they were featured again on Good Morning America earlier this week! That’s great exposure for their company and for so many hoop instructors like me, sharing the benefits of hooping in cities and towns across America. I can’t help but think of ALL those individuals who just happened to be watching GMA on Monday morning and think about how THEY are simply where I was about 6 years ago! Like I said, I just feel like things have come “full circle” and I have this little smile on my face…plus, I’m feeling just a tad nostalgic and I can’t help it…

At the same time, I am feeling very proud! For those of you who were not aware, I was part of the entertainment at SMU during the Block Party after the Dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. It was an honor and a very interesting job, to say the least!

I can’t imagine where I’d be or what I’d be doing if I never saw Hoopnotica on television…and I know with all my heart it changed my life. I just hooped at a high profile, historic national event! I could have totally missed seeing that segment 6 years ago and missed seeing hooping on GMA, but I turned my TV on at the exact moment the story was starting! I am sure the exact thing happened to many people this week on Monday…and again, that makes me smile…how many more lives will change after seeing the hoop for the first time this week? I actually think about that each time I meet someone new and share hooping with them. It’s a beautiful thing to anticipate and watch happen, I tell you!

aRoundJoy focuses primarily on the Hoopnotica curriculum as a basis for all hoop classes at The HoopShack…and at the very core, without their foundation, I would not be as successful training clients. I know this with all my heart.

I can honestly say as well, that hooping at home with a DVD is NOT as effective as coming to learn from an instructor in person. It’s a great way to START, but nothing beats getting direct “hands on” help! THAT is what I want everyone reading this to know.  Trust me! I had to study ONLY with a DVD in the beginning, since there were only a handful of instructors when I got started, and it was HARD, even after I had a private lesson in person!  It took me months to learn things all by myself at home. Notice, I discovered hooping in 2007, but it took me until 2009 to become confident enough and serious enough to become an instructor! There’s a reason for that!

Now, there is such great energy in my classes, that new students are getting things SO quickly. I am blown away! The fact that I have a few years of experience teaching HELPS me work with my students better, too, so I know that is part of it. Additionally, students assist each other in class, sharing tips and advice. The spirit of giving and caring in class is a HUGE factor in the experience of a hoop class. The point is, being WITH others is what is one of the best things about hooping! It’s fun with friends and that energy helps you succeed! I am blessed to have built a community of hoopers locally that are all about helping others succeed.

I love helping those of you out there who think they can’t hoop. You might think you are too old, or too big, or not coordinated…or you could never do it as a child…or you have too much pain in your back or shoulder. CONTACT ME  if this sounds like you. Hooping is NOT only all about spinning the hoop on your waist. There are many ways to use the hoop no matter your age, size or gender. The average age of my student roster is about 57, and many come start hooping in their 60′s…and this year, I have more men than ever before! In fact, I have noticed a trend in my hoop classes…they are becoming more generational, allowing even adult family members a new way to connect and experience quality time together, being active!

If ever there was a time to get started hooping, it is NOW! It’s more accessible than ever before and there are willing teachers ready to assist. I offer weekly classes at The HoopShack, make custom hoops and sell hoop related merchandise, including t-shirts and Hoopnotica DVDs. I have other options coming this year for those who don’t live close to The HoopShack, but would like to work with me personally, so please sign up for my EMAIL UPDATES to stay informed!  Just complete the box over to the right of your screen at the top of this post! Also, here’s a link to help anyone find a Hoopnotica instructor in your area…

http://hoopnotica.com/start-hooping/find-a-teacher.html

Just because it’s being touted as something that’s the latest weight loss craze in Hollywood, it’s not a flash in the pan or fad. Using a hoop, properly, after getting some solid instruction, WORKS! If you eat smaller portions, cut out as many processed sugars as you can from your diet, and even take a few carbs out of your diet, even better! Getting up and moving needs to happen first, I feel. Just allow yourself to have fun! Enjoy what  you are doing! Then, dip your toe into making one food change at a time. THAT is how you loose weight. Moving and burn calories. Hooping ONLY will not allow you to lose an extreme amount of weight. Hooping WILL help motivate you to move, and when you see results from something SO fun,  you want to stay focused  in the right direction! You can ask any one of my students here in our neck of the woods, or even hoop enthusiasts in middle America…hooping is here to STAY, y’all…firming, toning, cardio that makes you WANT to keep playing…it’s very addicting…it’s a social THING! It’s recess for grown ups! THAT is what hooping is!

Focus on what you’ll GAIN from hooping…that’s what I did and I encourage my students to do the same! Keep it POSITIVE…focusing on LOSS puts some negative ju-ju in there right from the start, that I’d prefer not to think about! FUN movement and something special just for yourself…practicing something you REALLY want to get better at! I wanted to master moves, so I did it a few minutes each day. NOT to LOSE weight, but to GAIN a NEW SKILL!  As a side benefit, I dropped about 15 pounds, several inches and have been able to keep it off…and ultimately, it changed my body and my life. I really didn’t even think about wanting sculpted arms, but by the way, I got those, too!

TRUTH IS, hooping is SO transformational, good for not only the body, but the mind! If you want to learn more about ALL that, please consider coming to my event this Saturday, The Hooping Life Movie Screening, at The HoopShack. You’ll see the stories of several hoopers…it’s amazing. Read more about the screening I hosted last year HERE and you’ll understand more about why I had to show it again to allow more to see this movie.

What you didn’t see on Good Morning America, you’ll see in this film. It’s perhaps even more important than simply the fitness aspects of hooping…

THE HOOP CAN HELP MANY PEOPLE IN MANY SITUATIONS…and it WELCOMES everyone in…if you welcome it.

Yes, April is Autism Awareness Month, something near and dear to me, since I have an adult son with autism. If you have met me or been following me for any length of time, then you know how passionate I am about raising consciousness about autism and what successes are happening in the community! You might also remember that I hosted an event last year, SPiN OUT for Autism, and it was a wonderfully fun and successful evening supporting NonPareil Institute, where my son works!

This year, I have a couple of things I’d like to tell you about which I will be doing at The HoopShack. For starters, there will be a 2nd Annual SPiN OUT for Autism and THIS year, we can actually have it at The HoopShack! We have lots of space now, so it just feels RIGHT to host it at home! Plan on bringing your LED hoop, because we’ll be having this event FRIDAY NIGHT, April 26th 7:30-9:30pm, so please SAVE THE DATE!! We will be able to GLOW for a good cause! I sure HOPE you can join us to help HOPE!

Isn’t this GREAT? It’s my latest  pleasure that I purchased last month as a custom design supporting Autism Awareness!

Then, much to my surprise,  the artist and owner of online shop where I purchased it, Sunshyne Silverwear, offered to make MY personal custom autism cuff available to others, and for every one that sells, she will donate a portion back to my h.o.p.e. …j.o.y. initiative …it will be another way for me to raise some funds to donate more hoops to my community!  She has also offered a discount on all her items, and she has BEAUTIFUL, recycled, eco-friendly ones! Please feel free to use the Coupon Code “aroundjoy” at checkout to save 5% off of your purchase, too!  I love supporting others in small business, especially when we are all trying to help others in the spirit of GIVING!

We’re having a Hippity-Hoppity hOOpJam tomorrow, Sat. March 30th, in Pantego during the Easter Egg Hunt at Bicentennial Park. Come support us and other community businesses that were invited to attend! Weather permitting, we’ll be heading over to the park a little before 2pm, after class tomorrow. I’ll bring the music…you bring your hoop! Please check out the CALENDAR for details on this hOOpJam and other classes, and be sure to click on the day, so you can view more details about specific offerings.

Have a wonderful weekend…and please stay tuned…lots of exciting things coming up…you’ll want to learn more. In fact, YOU WILL…more videos are on my list, videos that will inform and inspire. aRoundJoy will be here to offer you options.

On Sat. 2/16/13 we were halftime entertainment at the UT Arlington Women’s Basketball game!

Part 1

Part 2

JOIN US in the hoop! It’s SO fun! Link to more pics on FACEBOOK…and check out  The HoopShack page for other fun updates about all last week’s events and other new, upcoming hOOpenings!!

Today, on the planet, a billion women – one of every three women on the planet – will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. That’s ONE BILLION mothers, daughters, sisters, partners, and friends violated. V-Day REFUSES to stand by as more than a billion women experience violence.

One Billion Rising is a promise that we will rise up with women and men worldwide to say, “Enough! The violence ends now.”

We invite you to come, hoop and dance with us and let us raise our spirits high to overcome and abolish violence against women in our world. ALL are welcome, men and women, brothers and sisters, boys and girls. This is a great opportunity to give hooping a whirl if you’ve wanting to try it. PLEASE JOIN US…it’s FREE!

It’s an Open House event, so come see our new larger space, and bring a friend! Be sure to RSVP on our Facebook event and find all the latest details there! You can also check out the CALENDAR page here on my website! Let’s RISE UP and HOOP!

Come dance…in fact, learn the steps by watching the videos posted on YouTube…Debbie Allen teaches you how! YES!  Then, come add in the hoop a little to make it more fun! Well, you can try…sure you can!! I’ll show you how on Feb. 14th!  Hope to see you there!

Here’s some helpful videos you can view here or on YouTube:

Yes, I would love a little help winning some new shoes…and if I win them, I am proclaiming them my HOOP TUTORIAL SHOES! The video below explains it ALL!

There is an event which I supported last summer in Mansfield, TX called the Splash Dash 5K…I went to it, did hoop demonstrations and had all kinds of fun! Seems they are having a little contest…please watch my video and then help me by doing the two easy things I need…but hurry…we only have until 12 noon Thursday, Feb. 6th!! I am close behind the person in first place, with less than 20 “likes” to take the lead….so I really would appreciate your help!!!
You can also visit aRoundJoy Facebook page or The HoopShack Facebook page and click on the COVER page to link to more contest info…but make sure to visit the Splash Dash 5K Facebook page so you can do the 2 “likes” if you are wanting to help me win! Again, the video explains how!

So, what should my first HOOP TUTORIAL be about??? Any ideas??

Starting with an EMPTY JAR…fill it in 2013 with all of the good things that will happen during the year. On New Year’s Eve next year, open it and see all of the AMAZING things for which you are truly grateful.

My sister added a twist…pre-cut some slips of paper (25 or so to start), 1″x4″, hole punch each one and tie them on the jar rim with a ribbon and pretty bow. Then, when ready to use, just rip off a slip and Wha-La! Write, fold and place in jar! There ya’ go!

Winter News:

We’ll be taking a break for the first part of January…behind the scenes, things will be taking place, however, getting our new space ready for classes, which resume January 19th. While inclement weather might be threatening this winter, please continue to register for all classes, just in case we have to cancel and reschedule. There are already students registered for January classes, so please get online and sign up now to join them. There could be a couple of special events coming up this winter, as well, such as  hoopJams, an open house and/or a workshop, so be on the look out for those in the coming weeks. During this time, we will also make more improvements to our location while continuing our regular schedule of classes. When the climate begins to warm up, by late February and early March, the work should be complete, and we can have some official kick-off  events to welcome our larger hooping space with a Grand RE-Opening,  some new class offerings and more!  I look forward to seeing new and familiar faces at The HoopShack in 2013!  

Hooping IS a very good thing! I guarantee you, when you allow yourself to take part in it, you will be filling out a few slips of paper for your JAR of JOY! Trust me on this!

Happy New Year! May your jar be overflowing!