I can FEEL it…can you? Christmas is IN the air! For some reason though, it feels a little too familiar to me this year, like I can’t really understand what all the fuss is about. This IS just NORMAL to me…THEN…it hit me. A realization came to me yesterday that explains so much. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on…but then, it came to me…it’s the HOOP! I instantly thought of 5 Ways Hooping Makes It Feel Like Christmas All Year!

It’s true! The spirit of Christmas is alive all year for me and it has been since I started teaching hoopdance in 2009. I suppose this feeling has been building over the last few years, but it wasn’t until the other day that it hit me profoundly….and it’s NOT just because of the lighted LED hoops you see here in these videos…I go into that a little more later in this post. I mean, SURE they ARE a lot of fun, but that’s really not it, although, I know it’s fun to watch the pretty lights spinning.

As for the FEELING of Christmas and the hoop…well, THIS is how I see it – and I hope you’re in cozy, warm pajamas sipping on hot chocolate while reading these…

1. Joy – I have the opportunity to share joy with people every day through hooping. Whether it’s through teaching them or performing for them, they smile. I smile. It’s joyous.
2. Peace – Hooping offers me a place of soft comfort and I can share this with others, too. As wonderful as hooping is for my physical body, endurance and strength,  I teach everyone how the hoop can also be their refuge, their big, warm blanket of calm when they need a place to run to. It’s transformational and a method for restorative peace.
3. Giving – Here’s where I really had the light-bulb moment! I finally realize that I give gifts to everyone I meet via the hoop! Friendship, concern, care, time, new skills, laughter…and more. To give myself open & honestly each day feels amazing. My heart is so full. The more I give, I get more grateful for the feelings it brings me. It’s my own personal fulfillment circle-of-giving that continually keeps me motivated and inspired. Again, all this is shared with whoever I teach and the effects are never ending.
4. Celebration & Spirit – All those cozy feelings and sensory stimuli that surround Christmastime ….excitement, anticipation, sparkling lights, shining things, festive songs…I FEEL LIKE THAT BEFORE A HOOP SESSION any day of the year…it is the biggest blessing to participate and share this with everyone! I mean, WHO feels like it’s a holiday each time they go to workout or go out for a walk? Right?!? Well, I sure do! I have a form of exercise at my disposal that absolutely makes me feel like it’s a special day,  no matter WHAT day it is! Also, as anyone who hoops will tell you, songs and shining things (yes, I mean hoops and even ones with sparkling LED  lights) simply ARE part of each and every day for us! Just start spinning or swinging a hoop around and it’s an event to be enjoyed and spent with those we love, just like Christmas!
5. Childlike Wonder – Bottom line, THIS is The Biggie, so listen up! Hooping has given me that rare feeling again, the one we tend to lose as we get older. It was gone for me and somewhere in my 40’s, I could feel a tug in my heart to find it again. Thank God I discovered hooping. I now see the world in a more “eyes wide open” way. I play more for no other reason than because it feels good to do it. I allow myself to go there. I am amazed as I accomplish new things with my hoop, and that same amazement is what I see in my students ALL THE TIME. For this reason, EVERYDAY, I can wake up excited to see what’s going to happen…what will I find, see or experience? What GIFTS are in store, not just to GET, but what will I GIVE today? Who will I help through hooping? That’s just the nature of hoopdance….ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW…to learn, to see, to do…I get to explore in the vastness of wonder…within myself and outside in the world around me.

Living each day as if it were Christmas is easy for anyone, even without a hoop in hand. I just happen to notice it more acutely because of what I do. Another bonus for me is that I get prepare “gifts”… “wrap” hoops with colorful tape almost every day, year-round, much like wrappin’ gifts, y’all! RIGHT??? So, these actual PHYSICAL tasks always has me in a “elf” mode…and don’t EVEN get me started how I make “toys” each day…see what I mean? It’s a real spirit lifter all year, I tell ya, and even the actual “hands on” movement benefits part never lets me escape it…but I digress.

I challenge you to think about how you might could add more peace, joy, giving, celebration & wonder to your life. Anyone can…just start with doing your job as good as you can, focusing more on what you can give to others and less on what is in it for you. SERVE OTHERS. Share your strengths and talents with the world, if not in your job, then in your community, by volunteering.  Do things that fill you up on the inside so that you feel a sense of joy.

Next time someone asks me what I do, I can reply “I use a hoop to celebrate the spirit of Christmas all year and I help others do the same.”

Looking back over the last 10 years, we’ve had fun out in the community with our festive, lighted hoops…yes, in the parades at Christmastime, but also using them all year…I have such fond memories of all the LED fun, too…we may all be a bit older now, but I thank God for the memories! Here’s a look at just ONE of the many events we participated in…

How do you celebrate Christmas all year? I’d love to hear! If you ever want to take a ride on this “hoop train” with me, I’m ready anytime you are! It leaves the station each day…no stops at the “polar” North Pole…this lil’ round Choo-Choo train just takes you wherever YOU want to go…unlimited possibilities on an open track…ALL ABOARD the “HOOPER EXPRESS!” All you have to do is just BELIEVE!

Come play with me!

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