All bruised up

Back in the spring, I losened up my hips a bit and took belly dancing. I loved it! Therefore, I signed up to continue it during the summer. Unfortunately, work got in the way, and I missed the first two classes. I called up the studio and was told they could only give me credit back, which I was fine with.

The money sat in my account for a couple of weeks, and I decided I needed to do something with it. There were a ton of classes at the studio just waiting to be taken. I looked up the schedule and saw that on Saturday afternoons there was going to be a hooping class. HOOPING! I hadn't done that since junior high. And, it you signed up you got a big industrial hoop. So, I took my credit and registered for the class.

This Saturday was our first meeting. There are about 8 women in the class. We were handed our hoops and were told to start spinning. We immediately discovered who was the expert, intermediate, and remidial hoopers. Lets just say I could barely keep the hoop up at first and almost took out the woman behind me when my hoop spun off my hands, firmly placing me in the remedial group.

It was so much fun though!! Half way through the class I was really getting it and I could keep the hoop up for a couple of minutes until I had to stop because I was tired. I expected the class to be young, but I'm the youngest by about 10 years. There are a bunch of older hippy women in there, two grandmas, me and one punk rock socker mom. Punk rock is the best hooper. I swear she has done this before.

Anyway, Sunday I'm in the bathroom getting changed, and I spy on my side a small brown mark. I turn around to see it and my whole left side is covered in small bruises. I look at my right and its the same thing but worse. I knew I ached, but I didn't know I had caused bodily harm with a hoop. They are all up and down my sides. I stayed away from the pool on purpose.

This is going to be interesting. I am determined to practice with this one. Its just way too much fun. I'm still trying to master taking the hoop from over my head and walking through it, but I'll get there.