Full Circle: Reflections From The Third Ring

Note To Reader: I wrote this in June. I found it recently and realized the importance of posting it. Forgive the delay, and enjoy the day!

HPIII- My Creativity Comes Full Circle

I am simply spilling over with Love. As I write, my mind is struggling with my heart to express the appropriate words. “Love, enlightenment, perfection!", screams my psyche. “Cliché”, my heart responds. So this is my best effort to document the transcendence that I experienced with 140+ others at The HoopPath Retreat 2009. (Also known as HPIII!)

I am a part of the Third Ring. This is the third year that Bax and Ann have envisioned and delivered this amazing gathering. (The first year attendees are the First Ring, second year Second Ring, you get the idea...) It started with the tastiest Welcome I have ever experienced. The adventure began in a lovely spot in the wise hills of North Carolina called Snipe’s Farm. The grass was lush and green, the barbeque perfectly tangy, the tea sweet and southern, and the company incomparable. The Meet-Greet-N-Eat was full of life as hoopers from around the county converged and felt the energy of the coming days. The Flowcase was the most super-righteous performance I have every witnessed. Laurie graced us with the beauty of the Goddess, Ann and Beth with their Angelic voices, Cassandra with rhythmic rhymes, and of course, there were some of the most amazingly talented hoopers of our time performing their hearts out. Spiral made cameo appearance and blessed us with the Divinity that is her performance. Miss Rosie livened the crowd with a rockin’ Shamanic cheer. “If you want to be enlightened then you’ve got to lighten up! Relax, chill out, be here, NOW!” Christabel moved with authentic grace as she opened her heart and danced outside of her hoop for just as much of the performance as she did inside of her hoop. She actually kissed her hoop. It was a beautiful public display of affection for this tool that we all use to get higher. I loved her music. Tina Malia’s ‘Sound of the River’, was the song. It’s an amazing album that I also love to groove to. I could have left after the first night and been completely full, happy, and full of hoop love. Three more days of this? I am in heaven <3

Friday through Monday is all still swirling around in my head. During the orientation we were split up into Mini Tribes. The tribes were composed of the people you were staying with plus some others. My mini tribe rocked so hardcore. I stayed with a super cool guy named Vaughn. When I arrived at Vaughn’s house, a family of deer and the most charming mountain house I’ve ever seen greeted me. I walked inside and Vaughn was busy making ice cream. I’ll be blunt; his homemade butter pecan aroused me it was so friggin’ tasty! Anyway…
The house was amazing. Jess and Emily had already arrived and picked their sleeping spots. I was left with this cute and cozy loft that I shared with some hanging plants and a bamboo tree trunk. Perfect ☺ I had never met Vaughn or Emily or Jessica. Emily was from Richmond, VA and had a flight time (hoop experience) of 1.5 years. Jess was from Arlington, TX and has been hooping for 8 months. Both of these women were so beautiful in their own right, and are officially my sisters. Together, Me-Vaughn-Emily-and Jessica formed Camp Ice. And a lovely quadrangle we were!
At orientation we were paired up with the rest of our mini tribe. There was Gina from Columbia, SC (synchronicity!) Kelly from Winston-Salem, NC, & Kathleen from Maryland. Together, we formed the Sacred Seven. We shared our stories, some laughter and some tears. Each mini tribe was given the task of creating something to burn as a group at the Kava Fire Ceremony that would be held the following evening. We met up a couple more times and together created the most beautiful offering. Jess taught us how to make paper cranes. We wrote on the inside of the cranes all of the aspects and virtues we loved and accepted about ourselves, along with things we wanted to embrace but had not yet. On the outside of the cranes we wrote all that we wanted to release into the fire, for those aspects we felt did not serve us anymore. Then we made one big huge crane and as a group wrote on that one in the same style. On one side of the crane all that we embraced: our bodies, sharp minds, elevated consciousness, self-love, patience, acceptance, and trust to name a few. On the other side all that we burn in love: guilt, shame, attachment, image, false truths, distractive and abusive thoughts, and anger were definitely all on there. We attached the big momma crane to a stick and hung all of our baby cranes underneath her. Gina started a piece of writing, and asked me to finish it. I was honored. She is a beautiful writer and inspired me to take mine to the next level. Together we wrote a magnificent piece of writing that conveyed the united purpose of each tribe member. We gathered our hoops, and headed to the Fire Ceremony, being held at Beth’s, on the Summer Solstice, exactly one year to the day that I picked up a hoop for the first time. It is amazing that at a Summer Solstice Fire Ceremony in 2008 I saw and honored the hoop for the first time, and one year later I am here, at the Hoop Path Retreat, inundated and overflowing with love an gratitude that I am in the presence of so many amazing, beautiful, connected individuals with this magical ring being the connecting link.
The Ceremony moved me beyond words. Each group individually, uniquely, and with gratitude presented their offerings to the fire. There was laughter and tears, poetry and song, dance and drums, and the eternal rhythm of Life was so strong in presence. Bax honored a former Hoop Path family member that had passed recently and suddenly. His name was Kevin. As we were holding silence for Kevin, a baby that had been nestled quietly against his mother’s bosom, started to coo and cry. It was the most beautiful sound, at the most beautiful moment. In remembrance of a life lost, we were so divinely reminded of the life that is here, now, new and blessed. Tears streamed from my eyes in immense gratitude for all of the Love I could feel flowing through every single cell of every single being in the circle, and in the World.
The Workshops. Wow, the workshops. It is hard to describe the teachings of Jonathan Baxter. Let me set the scene…
We sit in a circle. No hoops. Just us. Bax begins to speak about the idea of Image and Appearance. This set the tone for the rest of the Retreat. We must learn to drop the image, the ideas, the appearance of what we look like, Bax preaches. It is not about what we look like inside or outside of the hoop. It doesn’t matter what we look like, but what we feel like. After some deep philosophical teachings and references to Bax’s unique mythological Maidan, we reflect, and then begin our practice. We go blind. This means we hoop blindfolded. Like Bax says, no sight, just feeling. As we are in our own darkness, all you can hear is deep bass and rhythm from Paris (super-conscious hip-hop) and Bax guiding you through the movements. ‘It’s Ok. It’s Ok. It’s Ok. Unlock. Unlock. Unlock. You are loved. You are loved. You are loved.’ As Bax speaks his mantras in threes, the energy in the room is palpable. Though we can’t see each other or our tools, all of us ‘Hoopers’ certainly feel connected, conscious, and creative in these workshops. I was so excited to take Ann’s workshops. Ann is Bax’s long-term partner and hoop phenom. I have such an inclination for the technique that Ann has so gracefully practiced and wanted to share: Sustained Spinning. I resonated with all she said and at the end of the workshop when it was time to just spin away I found myself inside of the universe, all things physical faded away, and I was at one with myself and all creation. I had so many major, huge, life-changing, mind-elevating experiences at these workshops that I will remain grateful for the rest of my days.
Hoop Church. What? Yes, Hoop Church my friends. Bax, like myself, is a preacher’s kid. His father was a Methodist Minister and his mother, a Quaker. In a Quaker worship setting, there is silence until The Spirit moves someone to speak. This was the premise for Hoop Church. We walked into the gym in silence. This in itself was amazing to me, over a hundred people gathered without speaking. Bax held up signs he had hand written expressing his gratitude that we were there with him and how much he loved us. As we spun and hooped to amazing music, I cried inside my blindfold tears of gratitude and transformation. It was the most moving experience of the weekend for me. I have few words to truly describe the way I was broken down and rebuilt into a more supreme being in those short hours of Hoop Church.
The Hoopers Ball was the big Finale of the retreat. Everyone came dressed to the nines. If you aren’t familiar with the super-cool-awesome-Burner-style of dress, you should totally check out some pictures of this amazing experience. I had so much fun watching everyone hoop in such awesome get-ups! It was a blast. Then we all gathered for drinks and much appreciated social time together. SO MUCH FUN ☺!
My Experience at HPIII is one that I will hold in my heart forever more. I am so honored that within one year of picking up my hoop I was able to be in the presence of such conscious and connected Hoopers. To Bax, Ann, Beth, Vaughn, Mary and ALL of the Hoop Path and the beautiful, self- sustainable town of Carrboro, NC- THANK YOU. I can close with only those words. Thank you, thank you…thank you. It was so nice I must say it thrice <3