Fire Hooping vs Regular Hula Hooping – A Short Story
Since day one, we have been encouraging you to get clear on where you would like to go with your flow. As a hooper, here is why, from a tactical and personally humbling experience.
Humble Beginnings – A Fire Hooping Story
When I first began my flow arts journey, hula hooping was where I had my heart set. I didn’t have a hoop, but my partner at the time had a set of practice poi, so every so often I would find myself playing around with them, casually getting familiar with tricks I had seen online, yet never fully investing myself in mastery because my heart wasn’t in it. My heart was being drawn to hula hoops.
It wasn’t until a year later that I was gifted my first hula hoop from a friend, and it was at that moment that my hoop journey began. YouTube tutorials, Instagram hoopers, and practicing everyday became the name of my game. It wasn’t that I wanted to go pro, or even that I had a clear vision at all for where to take my flow.
All I knew is that I loved hula hooping and that I wanted to get better. Sure, there had been some pro hoopers and performers at festivals that had inspired me, yet my goals weren’t set. I had no direction. . . . until I met Jesse Hart, and discovered fire spinning.
As soon as I heard the phrase “flow arts fire spinning”, I put two and two together, had the aha moment, and had to have the experience too. At that point, I had been hula hooping for over a year and felt confident enough to fire hoop, simply because I had x-amount of experience hula hooping in general. Little did I know, I was getting myself in to a fat moment of humility, for hula hooping without fire is NOTHING like fire hooping. Here’s why:
Fire Hooping vs Regular Hula Hooping
Jumping into a fire hoop without proper preparation will set you up for an overly energizing experience. There are many dos and don’ts to consider, stay tuned for that blog to come. It might be second nature to freeze up as a beginner fire spinner. That is probably the worst thing you can do besides sending the hoop flying, or burning yourself or someone else. Fire is exhilarating, to say the least, especially when it’s in motion. And when it’s not in motion it burns larger and hotter.
Trick Capacity Changes
Fire wicks go along and around the outer edges of the hoop (typically). There are fire hoops with wicks on the inside for isolations, though this isn’t the kind of fire hooping I recommend because I enjoy on body hula hooping. With wicks around the outer edges, tricks either become more challenging or a no-go all together. Granted, its still a hoop, and you’ll be working with all of the same tricks you already know. It just feels more challenging with the rush of the flames, and the wicks literally get in the way for particular tricks. For example chest rolls, wedgies, breaks, paddles, and many other flippy techy tricks are more challenging, if not, impossible to manage with the fire wicks along the edge.
With that being said, it’s important to get clear with yourself where you’d like to take your flow. Begin to visualize your end results while your practicing so you prepare yourself for what’s to come.
Another thing to note is that with fire spinning, you’ll find that the beginning of your session will be more high energy. As the wicks burn down the energy gradually settles, until the fire goes out. From there you’ll likely want to put your hoop down to let everything cool off. Which regular hula hooping, you can start slow, gradually growing the energy, or hoop for hours! There are no limitations! Either way, you’ll be able to grow with your flow, and even go pro if that’s what’s in your heart to do.
For assistance in getting clear with your future hula hooping, visit our YouTube channel and tune in to our hoop clarity meditation.
For assistance with going pro and personal coaching, contact us directly.
Until then,
Blessings abound,
Abundance all around,
–Liora of Infinite Comings
A Sacred Flow Art Community Blogger