I Sing The Body Eccentric

Last weekend at festival I overheard a woman discussing her struggle with body image. Her complaint is a common one: feeling fat in a world that values only thinness. However, her solution struck me as brilliant. She explained that every time she walks past a mirror, she jiggles her belly. She pulls up her shirt, grabs two luscious handfuls of fat, and gives them a shake. She went on to explain that it makes her laugh, which makes her feel good, and that acknowledging her non-industry-standard body in a positive way makes her more comfortable in her skin.

Now I consider myself a curvy gal. True, I’m thinner now than I was in my immediate post-baby years. But I still have floppy tits, stretch marks, and jiggling arms. I’m making peace with that. My tits and belly both sustained my children. My arms carry heavy grocery bags and bust out some bad-ass hoop moves. So while my body may not reflect the conventional beauty standard, it’s functional. I like it. More than I have in a long time.

Like the woman at festival, I’ve found small ways to make myself comfortable with the sensual, fleshy vessel that carries me through life. I practice yoga, which makes my body stronger and more flexible. I dance. I find transcended moments in motion where mind and body are united in gestures of strength and grace. I wear revealing clothes.

There are, of course, heated debates about the politics of women’s clothing. I won’t touch on those here. However, I do hope to make a case for occasional exposing the valleys and mountains of the body to a little sunlight. In my opinion there is nothing more lovely than stripping down to short shorts and a sports bra to sprawl in the sun while my kids play in the yard. There’s nothing more sensual than hooping topless in my living room or in a swimsuit at the creek. There’s nothing more comforting than child’s pose in the nude.

Showing some skin, especially in the hot, humid Missouri summer, isn’t about sex appeal. It’s about making contact with the body as-it-is when there’s no one to impress or criticize. It’s feeling the sun, grass, breezes, and cool sheets on skin that usually hides behind clothing. The mass media bombards me with polarized body images every day. If I’m not careful to reaffirm my body and notice the beauty of women around me, it’s too easy to believe those images are both real and ideal. When I strip back my clothes and inhibitions, I strip back the layers of media-inspired misconceptions. In their absence, I find a body worthy of love.

The Hooping Body

Groovin Megz, founder of the Hooping Body, strives to remind hoopers that “we are athletes of the circle.” As athletes we have an obligation to strengthen and protect the bodily vessel that carries our dance. Megz has experienced first hand both the bliss and drawbacks of a life sustained by ecstatic dance. She’s rocked the stage alongside musicians like EOTO, Sphongle, Beats Antique, and Keller Williams. She’s traveled across the continent teaching and inspiring with her unique, high energy hooping. Unfortunately, for Megz, “January 2008 was a major wake-up call. My hip pain hit me like a bag of bricks... throbbing, stinging, jabbing, grinding pain in my right hip joint. I hadn't felt anything like this before.” She spent a year in search of healing. “I tried Yoga, exercise and lots of stretching but I was in so much pain nothing was tolerable. […] I tried various massage therapists and chiropractors, but no one could tell me exactly what was wrong or why I was in so much pain. I felt helpless and depressed.” Finally Megz found a personal trainer who “used several innovative techniques which relieved the pressure in my hip joint and taught me many basic exercises to strengthen my glutes and core.” Now a stronger, pain-free Megz hopes to pass her knowledge on to others.

Drawing upon her hoop dance history, as well as her training as a corrective exercise specialist, a certified personal trainer, and group exercise instructor  Megz launched the Hooping Body “to educate hoopers on proper hooping practices.” If you’re in the Portland area, you can attend her weekly classes. For global hoopers, you can access useful information on her website. She’s created a questionnaire to help hoopers identify their trouble spots. Perhaps even more immediately useful are two video guides that walk hoopers through a series of strength and flexibility building exercises. However, Megz cautions there’s no substitute for working with a certified healthcare professional. Megz urges hoopers to seek out a posture assessment “to make sure they are in correct alignment before engaging in practice. Also, hoopers need to be mindful of how they feel before they hoop, if there is any particular tightness or soreness, those muscles should be stretched before and after hoop practice.”

The Hooping Body’s message is simultaneously cautionary and uplifting. Megz celebrates all that is athletic, fierce, and beautiful within the hoop, while urging hoopers to never compromise their health. With more videos in the works and dreams of taking her program on the road, the Hooping Body is an essential resource for healthy hoopers.