As I reflect on the last few years of the still furiously-burgeoning world of hooping, I continue to be impressed (but not at all surprised) by the sheer positivity and power of the circle.  Communities filled with love and peace and connection are springing forth literally all over the world~ including our oft-hardened hometown of the District of Columbia. In this time of destruction and war and economic crisis, having a pastime and wellness practice as joyful and mind-body-soul integrated as hooping can be just the right medicinal ticket to expedite our collective healing process.

One of the mothers of the global hoop community, Annie O’Keeffe, has been instrumental in spreading the hoop~love by founding World Hoop Day a few years back. Despite the amount of people who are already in the “hoop-loop,” many folks still do not realize that there exists an annual World Hoop Day on which to celebrate the hoop across the entire Earth. This year’s WHD will fall on the 9th of September, or 9.9.09! It’s official mission is to “bring dance, exercise and toy hoops to under-privileged children living in extreme poverty and underdeveloped neighborhoods of our world.” However, in addition to focusing on sharing hoops with underprivileged youth of the planet, World Hoop Day inevitably also serves to expose people of ALL ages, lifestyles and economic brackets to the joyful revolution~ through the loving efforts of WHD hoopers, ambassadors, and organizers all around the world.

This year folks in the DC hoop community are making plans to gather downtown near the Washington Monument and add a strong dose of much-needed spinning smiles to our nation’s capital. I’ll continue to update this blog as more detailed developments unfold regarding the DC World Hoop Day celebrations. If you live outside of the DMV, consider joining (or organizing!) a local celebration in your own town~ or if not, make sure to hoop it up yourself wherever you are on 9.9.09- as you’ll actually be joined in joyful communion with hundreds and thousands of folks all across the land~