Full Circle Sadhana

For this project, I chose to use hoop dancing to demonstrate the last 4 of the 8 limbs of yoga: pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Hoop dancing or hooping is a form of moving meditation for me; once I dive into the ocean of the spiraling, pulsing, wave of the hoop, the thoughts in my mind clear. I no longer think, only feel and intuit the motion of the hoop and the rhythm of the music.
Pratyahara - In the very beginning (0:00-0:10), I begin to notice the hoop, to perceive it with my senses, though I do not devote my mind to it; I am holding it and thus can feel the texture and weight of it and I can see the colors.
Dharana - Then, from 0:11-1:29, I begin to attend to the hoop, intending to learn about it as an object from my perspective. I explore it's shape and weight and the ways it moves. I remain faintly aware of other things in my immediate environment; I hear the cars pass, and I feel the sun on my skin.
Dhyana - After that, I begin to establish a connection with the hoop (1:30 - 2:59). Here, I am not only perceiving the hoop, I am also asking it to respond to me. There is more of a reciprocal relationship than previously. In this stage, I begin to block out the world around me, not noticing the sights and sounds I was aware of moments before. I am concentrating on the hoop with my mind trained on it, though the connections are somewhat superficial. The overall feel of this section is one of practicing hoop 'tricks'.
Samadhi - Over the rest of the clip, the state of flow - of complete connection and oneness with the hoop - can be observed. During minutes 3:00 - 4:00, you can see I drop into and out of the flow, the meditative state. This is similar to the feeling of diving into meditation in savasana - sinking down to the bottom of the sea, to resurface and almost immediately sink again. Minutes 4:00 and on demonstrate a more lasting and deeper state of samadhi - feeling, moving, intuiting, and flowing into one with the hoop. I am no longer an individual with a hoop, or someone practicing hooping; I am the hoop dance.

Category:

Education

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• AwesomeHooper!

[vstromsantorini]

Piece of jewelry!

[sweetness2437]

I love it!

[jessicalwhite10]

This is wonderful.

[thecosmicbigs]

YES. oh my goodness, yes. i am so happy you made this video, beautifully executed.