Transformative Hoop Play
by Katelyn Selanders

“…I’ve come to understand that what I do with the hoop is therapeutic. In fact, the hoop has transformed me physically, socially, spiritually, and emotionally.”

I have been hula-hooping nearly every day for the past six years. My intentions with the hoop are constantly evolving, but I’ve never packed my hoop away or forgotten about it. Something about hooping—something deeper than exercise, fancy tricks, or pretty dance moves—has kept me engaged for all this time. In studying social work and expressive arts therapies while teaching and practicing Hoop Play, I’ve come to understand that what I do with the hoop is therapeutic. In fact, the hoop has transformed me physically, socially, spiritually, and emotionally. Over the years, I’ve witnessed these transformations unfold in others and I am now identifying common themes and activities that can make Hoop Play therapeutic. Here, I will share my personal experiences and observations.

I started hooping for simple reasons: it looked neat and it was great exercise! At the time, I was in intensive physiotherapy/exercise therapy after I was struck by a car while crossing the street. The tear in my hip couldn’t be mended, but with each rotation of my hoop I felt stronger. Hooping strengthened the muscles around my hip joint and stabilized my pelvis. And the longer I kept the hoop up, the greater my overall endurance. I had a hard time finding the motivation to keep up with my therapies, but the hoop inspired me to challenge my body in endless ways. After spending most of my life overweight and out of shape, I was starting to appreciate and nurture my body for the first time. As such, the hoop transformed me physically, when it inspired me to change the relationship I had with my body. I nurtured my body because I recognized and valued the joy that hooping brought it. As a result, I reached a healthy weight and gained control over my chronic pain. I started hooping every day for no other reason than it felt good, and I haven’t stopped since!

The hoop transformed me socially once I moved beyond basic waist hooping and my practice evolved into performance dance. I would speed up my hoop with the beat of the music, dance with it around my waist, shimmy it down to my knees and up to my neck and lift it off my body to showcase impressive tricks! People loved to watch me and I started to enjoy performing. This was a surprise to me, because before the hoop I would have considered dancing in public a nightmare! Sometime around adolescence, I started telling myself that my body wasn’t good enough to dance. I wasn’t thin enough, pretty enough, or talented enough. I assumed that no one would want to see my body dance. But the hoop acted like a mask or a costume, enabling me to separate from my limiting self-image, and forcing me to move my body out of practicality. I was so focused on learning the next hoop move that I didn’t even care how my body looked. With the hoop around me, I was able to push beyond my own limits and discover a new part of myself. This transformation changed the way I saw myself, and as a result it has changed how I see and interact with others.

There came a time with my hoop when dance moves and new tricks didn’t keep me engaged anymore. I pushed my limits to the edges, but when I returned to my centre, I discovered something new yet again. I started closing my eyes when I hooped and focusing on the exact points on my body where the hoop was making contact with my core. I noticed that the hoop was drawn to wherever I directed my energy and I discovered that I could fill up my belly with air and just use my breath to keep the hoop spinning. As such, when hooping stopped feeling like hard work, it became a meditation. This meditation intensifies when I practice sustained spinning. When I am spinning with my hoop, I feel connected to a source energy that is deeper and stronger than my physical body. I lose track of time, I connect with my core, and I recharge. For that reason, the hoop has transformed me spiritually.

Most recently, I have started exploring the hoop as an expressive arts therapy modality. Here, the hoop seems to resonate most as a symbol for personal boundaries. I have literally used my hoop as a holding space for symbols of what I most value, and discovered that I forgot to leave room for myself! Through expressive arts activities, the hoop has taught me to recognize and value my own boundaries. I am reminded to never abandon my self/body, and that I can’t ever get inside anyone else’s hoop and do the work for them. Now, I am bringing Hoop Play to the workplace to support employee self-care and I am collaborating with human services professionals/agencies to bring it to targeted client groups. From serious conversations about boundaries, to play and meditation, the hoop is nurturing emotional growth in myself and my clients.

What is left to discover with Hoop Play and how can it be used to help others? What the hoop is teaching me now, is to enjoy the process. Whether the hoop transforms you or not, there is value in trying something new, making time to play, and checking in with your body.

Katelyn Selanders, BA (PSY), BSW/RSW, SPRA Group Fitness Leader, is co-owner of the Saskatchewan-based business, Solstice Hoop Play. She facilitates weekly Hoop Play fitness classes and a Level One Instructor program. In addition, she offers Hoop Play to human services agencies as an expressive arts therapy modality. To book a free consultation, please visit www.hulahoopingsocialworker.ca. To learn more about the Hoop Play fitness program, or to purchase a hand-crafted hoop, please visit www.hoopplay.ca