Four Years and Two Hands

It is the Summer Solstice! A new season is upon us. It is a time for burning, cleansing, weeding, and creating a bountiful harvest. Four years ago on the day marking Summer Solstice 2008 (it was 6/22) I witnessed the artistic expression of Hoop Dancing for the first time. So, every Summer Solstice marks my Hoopiversary, you could say. I am celebrating FOUR YEARS inside the hoop! Wow :) When I had only been hoop dancing one year, I remember watching two women hoop who were so fluid, graceful, and confidant in their flow that I had to ask how long they had been practicing the art. Four Years, they both said. I was amazed, and remembered thinking, I will be amazing when I am at the four year mark as well. To be constructively critical of myself, I must say I have come a LONG way since the hoop found me and subsequently saved me from a directionless, monetarily driven path. The hoop, oh sweet circle, how I love and appreciate thee! It has been you that has guided me through the joys and trials of the last four years, and to you alone I bow. The circle brings me to my center, purpose, and most passionate point in existence. I am fully devoted and feel nothing but joy when sharing this amazing movement based form of artistic athletics. Many people stop me in the middle of my dance to ask me, 'What are you doing? You are amazing. I had to ask." I tell them I am playing, praying, working out, dancing, creatively expressing and being of service all at once, and then encourage them to try. At first, people seem shy, but once you simply demand they just give one hoola hoop one little push around, they submit. Everyone wants to do it, for one reason or another. For me, it's God. God is The Circle. I come from a line of southern baptist ministers, so sharing God is natural for me. I share the hoop, and it shares abundant joy, smiles and laughter! God is Good. All day today I had my hands in the community garden, Mahele Farms. I weeded and harvested an amazing kale bed, snacked on fresh spinach, cherry tomatoes and spring onions. We planted some black eyed peas as a ground cover in a sugar cane bed. For three hours of work, they allowed us to take a share of vegetables, and fresh harvest. We came home with a bountiful feast of chard, kale, Okinawan spinach, beets, carrots, papaya, onion, tomatoes, eggplant, tarot root, and more! We created the most amazing meal I have ever tasted. About two years ago, I created The Healthy Hooper with a promise to myself that I would do whatever it took to become self-reliant, sustainable, organic, local and GMO free. The dirt in my nails while I type this sentence is the proof. I DID IT! I set out on a mission from the east coast of the United States to live on Maui amongst the locals, learning from the land, living in a simple agreement with the land around me. After being almost 100% local and organic on the island of Maui, I feel that I am moving into a place where I can even be totally local in terms of produce, and eat only Hana fresh. There is such an abundance of produce here in Hana! It is fun to forage for avocados, papayas, lilikois, mountain apples, mangoes, noni, ulu, tarot, guavas, star apples, star fruits, COCONUTS, lychees, mushrooms, bananas and so much more!!! There are sweet potatoes in the ditches. This place is bursting with edible life. So, The Healthy Hooper made it to Hawaii and is work-trading for a tent spot, access to a garden and plots, a growing community and a town who is eager to put some hoop to their hula. I am off the grid, sustainable, learning about the time it takes to study permaculture and experimenting with no cell phone or land line (there is no service in the remote location I reside). I usually only leave the land to go to a hoop jam that I host on Saturdays, pizza night for some jam time on Fridays and Saturdays, and I hop over to the Mainland for the occasional Qi Revolution or Hoop Gathering. Hoop Gatherings and the Qi Revolution are a totally separate chapter in the story of my Hoop Dance four year sage. I have been a neuromuscular Massage Therapist for six years and have been making a good living at massage gatherings doing massage. The three gatherings specifically are The Hoop Path Retreat, Hoop Camp and Hoop Convergence. Hoop Path is Jonathan Baxter's company and he is one of my first and most influential teachers. I thank him and Ann very much for being who they are in my hoop universe. Carrboro, North Carolina is home of Hoop Path retreat, as well as Hoop Convergence, which is hosted by Julia and Scott Crews of Hoop Drum. Super beautiful people. I love you all so much!!! And of course, Hoop Camp is the most epically beautiful gathering in the redwood forest of Santa Cruz, California. hosted by Heather Troy. This will be my third year there and being the therapist! I set up my table in the middle of a fairy redwood circle. Gah, it is so wonderful! I love this life. I am sooo blessed to also be teaching this year at Hoop Camp with the amazing Groovin' Megz! I am simply honored to be teaching, massaging, performing, and being one with all that the hoop has to offer me during this forth year of devotion. These four years and these two hands have led me on many adventures, in and out of magical portals, loop holes and crop circles, poppin' across dimensions and leaning on the edge of existence, I have danced. I have danced across the horizon of the New Earth, the New Heaven and a New Truth. I love you all. Happy YOU DAY! <3 WAY TO BE THE SUPER YOU THAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF!!!!! Aloha Nui Loa~ www.thehealthyhooper.com