Tonight I trained the HoopGirl Allstars in partner hooping (where two people dance at the same time in one hoop). Partner hooping is an amazing art form which is under-discussed in the public realms. Honestly I have stayed away from it for several years after finding that it "complicated" things too much. After a long hiatus, I finally felt the urge to step up and mentor the girls in it tonight. It was a blast! However, we didn't really get the opportunity to talk afterwards and we are now off going our separate ways for a few weeks. I suggested each member blog about their experience just to keep our communication going. To lead the way, here are my reflections.

If I could sum up my experience teaching partner hooping in one word, it would be SENSITIVE. I basically had all my sensors on high so I could respond in a moment to each attendee. In teaching this art, I find that there are not only physical skills to impart, but also energetic entanglements, emotions, physical reactions, thoughts and theatrical skills which all need to be addressed. I found I had to be much more present than when teaching regular hooping because there was a much higher potential for the unknown to be experienced by each hooper.

Teaching partner hooping playshop was EMPOWERING for me. Because I haven't taught it in so long, I was unsure if I could really impart the key components effectively. Honestly, I never fully taught this alone when I partner hooped... and so it was especially fascinating for me to teach a partner hooping course without an actual partner! I just kept pulling the girls up as live models to demonstrate and learn with me at the same time and it actually worked out great. I felt very confident and courageous and just followed teaching compass.

The exercises in the beginning were a fun warm up for the girls. They did some closed eye exercises where they each played with a lot of energetics around the partner hooping experience, tapping into certain archetypes and embodying certain theatrical elements. It was really fascinating to notice which women felt more uninhibited with which each exercise... I let their bodies tell me what to say next. While at first I led them on a sightless guided journey, I found that putting on some really good music really helped everyone let go and get into it.

When I first pulled Annie in as my first live model, I had some mixed feelings. I mean, Annie had been my office manager for 2+ years, so we already had a power dynamic from that work environment which is only now easing into a casual friendship... so pulling all of that into a partner hoop with the two of us was a bit intimidating for me. I noticed that I put up a bit of a wall to keep my emotions engaged so I could still teach the seminar while demonstrating with her. I deepened my breathing and focused on speaking about the anatomy of how we were pressing our bodies together. Of course getting close to her physically instantly effected my body. I got warmer, a bit self conscious, and was kind of enjoying it as well, all at once. All of a sudden I also remembered the onions I ate for lunch and then reminded the group that perhaps mouth wash prior to partner hooping could be a wise choice. ;)

I noticed that as I demonstrated with different women, there was a different energetic created between us. While hooping with some I felt more of a slightly sexual charge than others. I just kind of breathed the energy up into my heart and felt it all easily manageable in that way. I am pretty straight, although I definatley respond to female beauty and physical sensation and proximity! But I do have to say, in general, being on hormonal management medication for my endometriosis has in general reduced my sex drive...while it was exhilerating to be close and tight physically, I didn't really didn't feel the same intense charge as when I did this several years ago. Lucky me? Well, it certainly made me more able to be an objective facilitator... but perhaps some of those crazy feelings are part of the magic of partner hooping that really can make you feel so breathlessly alive...

To me, this is the fascinating uncharted territory of partner hooping... how it instantly energizes the whole body, mind and spirit. Perhaps it is something about bringing so many energy centers right up against each other... the hips and heart specifically... and also there is something about the reality of it -- two women pressed up against eachother, girl-on-girl, breathing deeply, pulsating together, joined in a way which is primally mesmerizing.

As a trainer, I noticed I experienced an edge when one Allstar kept dropping the hoop again and again. I wanted to create a careful balance of providing guidance and also space for her to figure it out based on her body's own experience. It was actually just like the extreme sensitivity present in a first time hoop class... I allowed her to feel it out, try it with different partners and experience different hoops in addition to taking her into the hoop with me as well.

I was easily able to help her experience success by taking on the "dominant" position as the leader and moving her body with my hands in ways that kept her body close to me and the hoop spinning. I hoped that this experience would help entrain her to experience what I call, "the sensation of success". Step by step, she got it. When she finally got it again after focusing on her contact points with another partner, I felt elated and got the whole group cheering!

I wasn't expecting the whole experience to be so fun. Honestly, I haven't wanted to face dealing with all the complications that arose when I last did partner hooping and as a result I basically walked away from it so long ago. I wasn't able to give voice to these things as easily back then. But being able to step up to the plate tonight as a mentor was incredibly energizing and healing for me. I realize now that if I had only had better communication skills as I learned and started experiencing challenges in my hooping partnership years ago, I may have been able to prevent just walking away.

What surprised me most about this experience was how much information naturally flowed through me about channeling the sensual energy inherent in partner hooping and flowing that in a mystical celebration of the divine feminine within us all. Transforming what some could view as a "blatent pelvic thrusting or just super hot and sexy" into a spiritual practice of personal transformation. This art form clearly brings up issues of control, body image, sensuality, boundaries, and power. Facing these complex issues and each person's response to them head on has an incredibly therapeutic potential. Basically facing fear when it arises and owning it so it can be released. So many invitations to communicate clearly, speak truthfully and explore how to work as a true symbiotic team. Literally experiencing a state of "one-mind" ... an almost telepathic connection.

Partner hooping as a path to sacred transformation was implied in my past experience, but I never really thought or spoke of it so articulately then. Honestly, I think it's potential for me was unfufilled back then. Tonight, an amazing amount of information just downloaded out of me about all of this and it was amazing to watch the girls instantly embody it. Even more has arrived since teaching tonight, involving metaphors of Twin Flames and more specific guidance about use of the heart to lift the energy, even though the hips are the powerhouse, etc. Looking forward to sharing more soon...

I'm so grateful for tonight's experience. I've been inspired to set up a Playshop training for the public in the fall! Stay tuned. Meanwhile... I hope this sharing will encourage the rest of the HoopGirl Allstars to authentically share as well.

Tune in and catch me on "Live with Regis and Kelly" this thursday morning, August 7th! I'll be on the show on my way back in from England. I'm so excited! The producers have been really fantastic to work with and are so genuinely interested in the HoopGirl Workout!

A new day... Level 2 of the HoopGirl training here in England and a new exploration of the connection between body-mind and emotion. We have four new students who have joined some of those from the last group to make 14 total... Diana from London who is an expert fitness instructor... Jessica, a spritely, beautiful dancer... Sharna, a phenomenal leading hoopdance pioneer showing the way for all of the UK and Karin from the Netherlands who is an experienced teacher and circus artist. While we did loose the vitality and expert insights of some of our previous students, I have to say, every single one of our new additions has been an prolific contributor to our conversations and a radiant talent in the room to share skills.

Considering the bus never showed up to pick Candice and I up in the morning, our phone went dead and the printer broke, I think today was a miraculous unfolding of perfection. Everything proceeded to occur magically -- easy, fun, and in total flow. Lots of master classes, active conversations, spirited exercises and more... it is such a pleasure to be here, sharing this material.

Thank you!

*Pictured here is Juanita breaking through

Is it actually possible to overdose on gratitude? If so, I'm there! I spent three days surrounded by amazing women (and one man) stepping into their absolute magnificence. It is a beautiful and precious gift to be able to live the life that I do.

So onwards about the brillance I got to play with... a few words about each attendee...

Rose: Articulate, blossoming confidence, handled difficult situations with ease and woke up to her own inner dialog...
Sue: The new UK identi-tape representative, here for personal development and realizations, brilliant business savvy
Emma B.:Hooping only 3 months but with an enchanting smile and fairy blood, she held the space with presence
Ingrid: Numerologist/Law of Attraction Specialist/EFT/Consciousness pioneer, her class was creative and soulful
Michelle: a dynamite facilitator with a great sense of humor and creative imagery that made up jump like monkeys
Audrey: Amazing attention to detail, specific direction, a contagious smile, an incredible workout leader
Anna: Concise languaging (from her Polish roots!) a solid presence and a warm smile
Rebecca: Sensually inspired teaching with body-positive languaging
Gemma: Joy being sharing her inner bright light with confidence leadership and exciting and accessible teaching
Tamara: Our youngest US woman to graduate! At 14, she exuded positivity and clarity beyond her years
John: Our amazing hoopguy assistant! Can you say excitement and energy??? Enough said.
Susan: Sensitive, outgoing, a beautiful smile, dynamism galore and from Wales
Gail: Multi-talented in medical and spiral arts, uber hooper enthusiastic, a warm and authentic teacher
Emma M.: Gorgeous eyes, experienced teacher, super confident and a wonderful laugh
Tola: Radiated the love of being alive. Held the space with calm but tangible joy and experience
Camelia: Bellydance background,shared brand new exercises and an ultra soothing wrap up to her class
Ruth: A soft and nurturing presence and amazing responsiveness as a teacher
Jodie: Mama hen energy! Extremely organized, articulate and even expert facilitation skills.
Juanita: Beautiful Columbian hooper, creative, expressive and overflowing with enthusiasm.
Kim: Claiming her voice, transforming, blossoming, owning her power in a big way!
Laura: Powerful, passionate, a joy transmitter. Fitness trainer, kickboxer and x-bodyguard. Ultra goddess! (Pictured in this blog)

I can't believe it is already over~

I also *appreciate* the organic co-teaching relationship I have with Candice. While we are here, we are constantly learning from eachother and how we each model different attributes and potentials. Meanwhile, our students are learning from watching our symbiotic dynamic about what is possible in collaborative partnership and friendship. It is pretty darn neat.

A big cosmic thank you to all the forces and people who allowed this convergence learning and fun to happen! Thank you!

Onwards to a blessed day off... phew .. much needed.. then on again to three more days of training with the Level Two group. It's midnight.

:)

y-e-s!

Phew... just winding down from a long yet wonderful day here in Nuneaton, a small burb on the outskirts of Birmingham. So much confidence and experience in this group of trainees. Today we hooped all day long, delivering essential skills. Power points, green tea, drills, and review.

The endurance of this group is amazing... their attentiveness and presence is inspiring. Always eager, on the edge of their seats and soaking in every detail. No matter how long or little they have hooped before, they have vision and clarity that hoopdance teaching is the path for them.

It is a glorious type of personality who tends to be attracted to these events -- generally women who are fiercely independent, creative, extremely artistic, insightful, compassionate and devoted to making a difference in the world. Visionaries. Pioneers. What a joy to be able to be in such a focused environment!

Tomorrow each student becomes the teacher... embodying the skills we have shared over the last 16 hours of training. I can't wait to experience all their personalities and gifts in this new role!

Off to sleep...

In gratitude...

*pictured here is Ingrid from our class, connecting~

My most sincere thanks to all of you who took the time to vote for me for the Best of the Bay Competition! HoopGirl won Best Personal Trainer. Honestly, I won this on behalf of all the amazing team of talented women who teach with me: Annie, Natasha, Satise, Shawna, Sylvia and Candice! Thank you ladies for your brilliance! Each one of you have won this award with me.

The award says,
"Shake off that flab, grind your pelvis, and work that ass with Christabel Zamor, the sexiest hula-hooping heroine in the world. www.hoopgirl.com". What a cool write up!

Here is the iHoop Mix for August 2008! Enjoy!

Continental airlines still serves food! Plus they haven't discontinued pillows and blankets, like some other airlines. I was struck my there being a formal room in Newark airport alongside the "Continual Elite Club" called, Meditation Room. Amazing. Took my life into my hands with some airport sushi, which was just fine, and then prowled the gate area for an outlet to charge my computer.

I've never seen anything like it! No plugs anywhere, and around the occassional one, groups of people camped out on the floor gorging on the electric current, surrounded by Starbucks cups, food wrappers and travel bags.

Met up with my co-teacher, Candice of www.hoopshine.com. Amazing to connect with her brilliance. Can you imagine how wonderful it is to have a best friend is a phenomenal life coach? On we went together...

The plane ride from San Francisco to Newark, then to Birmingham, UK was mellow. Watched Catch Me If You Can and Penelope, which were both entertaining.

Gas here in Birmingham, UK, is the equivalent of $10.60 per gallon! Hello Smart Car~ I am *so* downsizing when I get back to San Francisco. I wish there was an electric option that was as cheap, but I suppose that will have to wait. The only problem will be... how will I shlep my hoops around? I'll need some kind of special hoop rack.

Upon arriving in Birmingham, I was stopped at customs and pulled aside for extensive investigation. I tried to be calm but my mind was slightly racing. Was there some kind of paperwork I had needed and never knew about? I had come in previously for work saying it was to teach hooping and was always waived through. They asked me all kinds of questions about how much I was getting paid, how many students and, where was this happening, etc. Listen up international hoop teachers! It seems that we could have gotten in a load of trouble if we were here to teach students hoopdance directly. However, because we were training teachers who were local who would in turn be teaching students here (and because they could get online and verify it on my website) they waived us on through. Phew!

John, our enthusiastic host, swept us up from the airport and drove us to our hotel, the historic Longshoot (http://www.thelongshoothotel.co.uk/). We stayed there for a day, but after it was apparent there was no internet there and no much to eat but meat, and not much around but wheat fields, a supermarket and a gas station, we took matters into our own hands. Candice and I bussed into town and beyond to a Day's Inn, which we decided was much more our speed, especially since there was a movie theatre, resturants and a fitness center nearby. Not as historic and pretty, but more suited to our needs with printing and most importantly... internet!!! So we bussed back to the first in, packed our bags, and bussed back to the new inn with bags in tow, bumping and skipping with the rollies on brick surfaces all the way. Phew! We were soooo pleased to finally feel connected to the world. Later that day, our lovely host John also gave us a cell phone with an international sim card, completing our sense of connection. So wonderful. Amazing how accustomed to these devices one can become...

Bussed back to town, set up the training space, bussed back to the new inn and connected to the world online. I had a flurry of deadlines which had to be met, so I sent emails madly, arranged a BBC story for our training, and made a dozen calls to the US to book a show appearance on my way back into the US. Had to juggle producers... apparently the US tv two shows which wanted to book me were "main competitors" so I had to listen to my heart and take a chance and go with the one which felt right (knowing that the second may now decline to have me on). Keeping fingers crossed... Changed flight for $568 and rolled the dice. So now when I fly back in from the UK and teaching two trainings, I'll get scooped up by a car and taken to NYC for a live show, then fly out to SF and my husband Kramer will pick me up, we will drop bags off at home, then zip to the Best of the Bay Award ceremony to claim the "Best Personal Trainer" award for the third consecutive year on behalf of HoopGirl, Inc. WOW! And all of this getting lined up before the training even started. Phew!

So today we woke up early, bussed back to town to set up some more for the training. The group was AMAZING. I am continually astounded by the caliber of people that I get to meet while teaching hoopdance teachers! It is such a wonderful blessing. With attendees with roots in Italy, Wales, all over England and Columbia...I want to tell you about each and every one of the 21 participants, but will wait until tomorrow as I'm bushed and need to sleep and am a bit jetlagged. But at least, I need to document that:

a) I am so grateful for John for his wonderful support in helping us arrange this
b) I am so grateful to Candice for sharing her genius with me on all levels and co-teaching with me... wow! having a partner to teach with is so empowering
c) I am so blessed to be surrounded by these amazing future HoopGirl certified teachers!

Being in an environment such as this is one of the most enlivening, refreshing and inspiring things I could ask for as a hooper. To have all these people re-arrange their lives, invest their money and time and energy into this training is a great honor and it feels amazing to hold space and just pour out all I know.

Signing off for now! Gotta take some melatonin and convince my body it is time to sleep 8 hours.

xoxo

pictured here is our original picturesque inn, The Longshoot

So this was the second thursday I was invited a secret hoop jam. Two hours of music, moves, sweat and inspiration. It was in downtown San Francisco in a dance studio with the heat cranked to a simmering 73 degrees -- a lovely tropical heat.

I was thrilled to get a repeat invitation. So happy, in fact, I made a mixed tape for the two facilitators with some nasty fast hoop tunes guaranteed to made sweat explode off their bodies. We rocked it. Fast, zippy, powerful moves. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, building muscle memory gradually through repetition. I felt so tickled to be in this environment, among fanatics focused enough to rent space on a weeknight and blaze through their personal practices at quantum speed and with total focus and presence.

One started with silent prayers in his hoop before beginning, eyes closed in connection, hands clasped in a steeple. Another ripped off his pants to launch off in his customary underwear-only garb. Another pushed her hoop around, watching closely to notice the angles and rotational speed. Watching. Watching. Watching. And away we went. Sweating, breaks, jumping, launching, combining, teaching eachother, laughing.

I played with adding the dance moves I have been studying with some martial arts style movements and the hooping and felt airborne. Faster, quicker, more responsive. It was a sweet challenge to play with the energy of acceleration and control at the same time and just hum along with the zip. Honestly, I haven't had this much fun hooping in a long time.

These are sweet moments. Hard to repeat moments. There are no expectations to live up to. Just the galloping movements of devoted hoopers all around. It was the total passionate presence of everyone in the room to bust it! It is a feeling of being met in a wonderful way, even though our eyes rarely did. Pressure cooking our bodies to build new synaptic pathways, new cosmic connections, and yes, new callouses.

Thank you!

A whirlwind in NYC filming the latest HoopGirl instructional DVD. Arrived Tuesday night, got up the next morning for a two hour photoshoot, a few hours of down time and then a 5 hour shoot for the DVD. It was a wildly different experience than my other personally produced project or the one Universal Studios did in that there were not 4 takes of every single chapter segment... much fewer for most and for many, just one! While this made my perfectionistic self a bit nervous, I have surrendered to the creative process and the standard protocal of this company. When it was all done, I was left feeling the adrenaline pumping through my body. All the weeks and months of anticipation, training, scripting, practicing and suddenly the main focus of my life for that moment was done. This DVD felt like a big project because there was no voiceover... it was all spoken by me while in action. This always takes a lot more memory, co-ordination and presence than voice over. Also, unlike the Hulaerobics project, there was no rehersal in the studio with the producer... just basically showing up and shooting on the spot. Also, there was no makeup or costume person, just me, myself and I. So lots to juggle and keep in mind in a very compressed time period. Honestly, I was nervous about it, but they were thrilled and said it came out fantastic.

This DVD will bust any hoopers buns, from beginner thru advanced~ guaranteed! It was taxing me just to teach the darned thing for the DVD. There are lots of costume and lighting changes and a bonus performance track, featuring a gorgeous dance in a costume from Annieland.net. I think this section should be especially dazzling! It was the first costumed performance I have done in over a year, since beginning my sabbatical, and a sweet way to end a "stage-fast". I walked away with a fat check and warm fuzzies from working with such kind and wonderful people.

Meanwhile, I was on stage last night at the Prepare for the Playa event here in San Francisco in a superfun performance which was a delight for me! It was completely unrehearsed and the costume was put together on the spot in neat costume bits I had purchased at the event. It simply felt so good to become another person on stage- to really live into the costume and persona I was playing with and offer it up to the crowd. I felt the medicine of performance flowing back into my body... the tickling sensation of "yahoo! this is fun!". The flow of holding and radiating energy. It was an entirely different look from what I used to wear ... Elizabethan stripes, lace, ruffles, tall boots, fishnet thigh highs, black booty shorts which said "WOW" across the back, and an elegant, royal, robe which I took off after sauntering onto stage and claiming the space. What fun! I look forward to more as the divine time unfolds... what a great crowd, and of course the complete lineup of photographers at the edge of the stage were a blast to play up to.

I feel like I really had to walk away from the stage for a while to be able to come back to it with such a fresh attitude... and also to make space for the girls to rise up and take my place in so many gigs which needed to be filled -- thereby rising to the next level in their own abilities to become superstars! It has also given me space to welcome other exciting things into my life, too ... pHD studies, writing, learning to dj, home shopping, revisioning the HoopGirl company and time with my husband, etc.

Life is just so darned fabulous! I feel back in the groove... still training daily at the gym, doing laughter yoga and dance class every morning ... my body feels great! I've been falling back in love with all that San Francisco has to offer... for a while I was resisting the weather, the concrete... but suddenly the electric energy is feeding rather than draining me.

I had this revelation this morning that I used to write my 15 minute miracle practice, I was wishing for a sense of home, time daily to write, more tight girlfriends, daily dance class with amazing women and to get a trainer and work out everyday. Now, this is my life! Here's to manifestation!