If you are anything like me there’s one apparatus that you usually avoid. We all have our favorites and find certain ones extremely difficult. For me, hoop is my nemesis. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love watching people preform using the hoop. I find it so mesmerizing and beautiful. When I get up in the hoop I feel awkward and out of place.
I always told myself if I’d just take it more often I’d improve. But, alas if I saw another class option at the same time I’d always take that one instead. I’d always do everything I could to talk myself out of signing up for a class. Maybe there was “something going on at home.” I always found an excuse.
Eventually I talked myself into taking one hoop class a month, just to keep myself doing it. That worked for a time, and then old habits kicked in and I went back to avoiding it. Maybe next month I’ll squeeze a class in… but it never happened. I had basically given up on ever getting better at it, so why try?
Last year rolled around and I hadn’t taken a hoop class in a very long time. It was pobably at least a year since I’d touched a hoop when I noticed an ad in the marketplace from a fellow student. They were selling their aerial rig because they were no longer using it. I’m not sure what went through my mind. I always avoided hoop but for some reason I jumped on the opportunity to own my own rig!
I got it home and set it all up and sat in the hoop for a bit and that was it. Why did I get this? I’m never going to use it.
Boy was I wrong! Slowly I noticed myself going outside more.. even if it wasn’t for long. I started taking my phone outside with me and putting together a few combos of moves I could remember. After that I started taking hoop classes again! At one point I even went two weeks in a row! Now I can get myself into the hoop so much easier. I’m having an easier time understanding moves. I’ve done a couple moves now that I’d previously never imagined.
I’m not saying get yourself a rig for home, I’m saying if you stick with something it will get easier! I also think it actually helped me taking a break. I continued to build my strength and confidence on other apparatuses and it has made it so much easier to accomplish things using my “nemises” apparatus! Never give up, it will get easier!