My motto in life is to try as many fun things that I can, because I never want to look back and wish that I’d done something and hadn’t. And it is this philosophy that meant I found myself agreeing to an aerial hoop class recently.
I wasn’t at all worried. I mean, what could be so difficult? I’d seen Pink swinging around on silks at her concerts, and it looked easy enough. Surely if she could do that, I could hoist myself up onto a hoop and throw some shapes couldn’t I?
On the day of the class I ate a bowl of pasta for energy, did some stretching to loosen up, and put on some lycra. I was good to go.
The studio was amazing, with around six large hoops dangling from the ceiling, thankfully with a crash mat underneath each.
After a warmup, our fantastic instructor, Helen, demoed what we were going to do with the hoops. She spun herself up and around, twisting like a human pretzel, while we all watched, open mouthed.
“Your turn!” She smiled.
Taking the bull by the horns, I managed to hoist my legs over fairly easily, and I hung for a while realising to my shame that I couldn’t actually lift my own body weight up. Thankfully, Helen was on hand, and got me up into the hoop where I then sat, perched like a giant budgie, swinging back and forth.
“Now move into stag, turn around, twist, pose upside-down and drop.” Helen instructed, on hand ready to catch me, just in case.
I did the stag easily enough, turned and twisted.
“Excellent!” Helen praised, and I felt pride swelling. I knew I’d nail this. “Now turn yourself upside-down.”
I inelegantly shuffled my way back around the hoop, and let my body hang upside-down as requested. Suddenly I was very aware of the pasta I’d eaten earlier.
“Great. Hold the pose for a moment.”
Well that wasn’t going to happen. As my dinner threatened to make a reappearance, I hurled myself from my position back onto the ground, knocking my hoop into Helen’s head at the same time. I was mortified.
“Don’t worry” She told me kindly “It’s not the first time.”
And unfortunately for Helen, it probably won’t be the last, as despite everything aching, and totally embarrassing myself, I loved it, and I’ve already booked to go back.
Next time maybe I won’t eat beforehand though.
Sherry x
