The hula hoop taught me to love my body again.
It taught me to let go of the imprinted societal shame that I carried with me.
It taught me that I was capable of so much more than I ever imagined.
Hula hooping used to be something I paid very little attention to. Sure, growing up I had one that sat in the garage, but that is where my commonality with it ended. One night, a group of my friends and I decided to go downtown to the city to an electronic music party we knew was 18+. I didn’t go out much, so I was excited, but I didn’t quite know what to expect.
Right away, my eyes met the star of the stage. A dancer who was wearing sequins and feathers as she entertained the crowd with a sparkling silver hula hoop. The dancer used her entire body to make it wriggle up and down her torso. The magic hoop spiraled around her body and danced around her head. She made this happen with such ease and grace that it looked like magic—like it was floating on its own. When I watched her dance, I couldn’t see anything else. Her costume was gorgeous. Her smile was huge.
She was fit, bold, and confident. Things that I aspired to be, but felt wildly out of my reach.
There’s a time in most people’s lives when they look in the mirror and they aren’t happy with what they see, and at the time, I was someone who felt that perpetually. My thighs were too fat. My stomach wasn’t toned enough. I wasn’t even close to graceful. My relationship with my body was horrible. I abused it with amphetamines and alcohol and sometimes didn’t eat for days. At the time, showing my body love was basically unheard of.
Learning to hoop transformed me slowly. First, I just bought one from a street fair.
Then, I practiced in the safety of my own home. Over time, I brought my hula hoop to the park. Sometimes people would come up and ask me how to do it. I would teach them and make new friends that way. It wasn’t long until I became my own version of that woman dancer I admired. Within a year, I found myself performing on stage at all kinds of events, like a beautiful wedding, pictured below.
As an adult in society, we are taught that play is for children only. This belief is no more than a lie that we are encouraged to perpetuate. Society says that if we are playing, we are childish, thus irresponsible. That if we are playing, we aren’t working.
I concluded that if I wasn’t playing, I wasn’t living.
I OWE it to myself to play every single day.
To look at my smile.
To enjoy my mistakes and to look foolish and not care.
I have learned to laugh at myself.
Some days my depression still got the best of me, and that is when I forced myself to pick up the hoop and practice. Even when I didn’t want to, some of my best practice videos happened when I hurt from a broken heart or had a rough day. When I watch those videos, I don’t feel sorry for myself—I feel proud.
I learned to cope.
Without even trying, my body got into tip-top shape. My stamina and lung capacity increased. Somehow I also developed a tiny hint of four-pack abs!
My physical transformation was phenomenal, but the best part about it was that I never had to starve, binge, or purge to get there. All I had to do was play every single day.
I have learned to respect myself.
Hooping had become a new tool in my toolkit—the best one of all. It was a “child’s toy” that helped me uncover the power of play and, more than that, the power of self-love. After six months of hooping, I became a hoop dance teacher. I taught out of yoga studios and in parks.
My love for this circle has continued to connect me with amazing people across the world. I have been lucky to hula hoop all across the east and west coasts of the United States, in San Jose, Costa Rica, and even in Bali, Indonesia. I have had the blessing of being able to teach children and adults how to dance, play, and have fun with only the hoop, some funky music, and themselves!
Hula hooping isn’t everyone’s “thing.” Your thing might be roller skating, hiking, or even making and wearing costumes. Think back to your childhood—what sort of games and activities did you love?
Allow yourself to explore some of them again.
To dance. To play. To enjoy the outdoors. Heck, learn about your favorite dinosaur all over again.
I highly recommend that little plastic circle…but dinosaurs are super cool too 😉
Stevie is a hula hooper currently located in the Los Angeles area. She teaches private classes, entertains at children’s birthday parties, and performs at events. She hoops with regular hula hoops, LED light-up and fire hula hoops, as well as poi and other entertainment. Connect with her regarding bookings on Facebook today, or reach out via our contact page.
