Pull Ups - Pre Class Nerves

So I said I would do something and now I am freaking out about it. 

I said I would go to a pull ups class tonight!!! A couple of weeks ago I tried hooping whilst hanging (see below) and I realised I can't actually do a pull up. So yesterday I asked the guys at my local gym if there was a technique and of course there is, there is even a pull ups class and it is tonight. 

I was like great, where so I sign up but as I was doing it the instructor warned me that there are a few showy men in the class. So now I have this image in my head of little me with all these massive gym junkies and my gosh am I intimidated. I've already started making excuses, it's going to rain, I have too much work to do.. gotta wash my hair. 

But I have to stop and remind myself, I felt this way about going to my first hoop class and my first hoop retreat. My first hoop performance I couldn't even speak for a good hour beforehand... now that is real nerves! And these are some of the most important experiences of my life. It's only when you push your self that you really grow. 

So please wish me luck, this could be the start of something. I could be a pull up champion of the world or I might just be able to hoop and do pull ups. Either way these nerves are good.... breath just and go to the freaking class. 

x Bree

Determination vs Natural Talent

A few weeks ago I was teaching some kids how to hoop and I over heard a father telling his daughter she wasn't doing it right. There was something in the tone of his voice that was really critical.  I don't want to make this guy out to be a horrible person, I am sure he is a great father but he was completely missing the fact that she was trying, really hard too. 

I went over to the father and daughter and I told them to swap hoops. So now the little girl had a big hoop and dad had a little hoop…. If you’ve tried using a kids hoop you already know what I was doing. Maybe it was a bit mean of me but big hoops are a lot easier and I knew that the father wouldn't be able to use the kids hoop. So all of a sudden this little girl was a great hooper, showing her Dad tricks and everything.

The reason this little interaction bothered me so much, was that as a child I was never great at anything really. I wasn’t exceptionally academic, exceptionally sporty or exceptionally creative. I was pretty shy and average at most things. While others had natural abilities what I had and what I will always have, is exceptionally determination. 

When I was in high school I got Bs and Cs. One time though… I got a D and I was mortified, completely devastated and embarrassed. But I worked my butt off and the following term I got an A- (applause here please). Do you want to know what subject this was in?? It was in accounting and I went on to have a great career in accounting for over 10 years now.

I wasn't great at hula hooping either, I dropped the hoop a million times in my first class but I I wasn't going to let a piece of plastic get the better of me and now I have a freaking world record! Honestly I have a world record in something that I was rubbish at. Determination is everything, if you want something you have to go after it and you can’t give up if it doesn't work out the first or the second time or even the tenth time. 

Go take action! Whether its a career change, starting a business or just trying something new. Just try over and over and over. 

x

I've Been Breaking Things in My Lounge Room

I've never thought of myself as a competitive person. In fact I've avoided sports all my life.... especially team sport! But yesterday Talia one of The Majorettes sent me a video of herself doing the box split, and ever since I've been in my lounge room breaking things with my hoops. 

I just have to get it... Especially now that she can do it, I'll stop at nothing! I will hoop until everything in this lounge room is broken (please don't tell my flatmates). 

The last time Talia send me a video I spent 3 weeks working on this (above) until I got it. So I guess I need to admit that I am competitive and even more shocking, that being competitive isn't always a bad thing.... This doesn't mean I'll be playing any team sports but some friendly competition can really drive you to achieve more and more! 

Box split video coming soon... I hope! Otherwise my flatmates are definitely going to evict me.

x Bree Kirk-Burnnand

Hanging Up My Heart Pants

Who wouldn't want an excuse to wear a big red glitter love heart on their bottom! Honestly I can can feel the your green eyed monster through the computer scene. 

I left The Majorettes in December and although its been over 6 months I'm only just handing over my Heart Pants today! I love these girls and although it was the right decision to leave and focus on HoopFit I'm more than a little sad to be letting go of these pants.

That's my 30 year old bottom front and centre in my heart shorts....

I'm so thankful to Marawa The Amazing and The Majorettes for all the experiences we shared!! 

Just to list a few.....

The International Majorettes Festival Italy

Skate Kings X Opening - Yep we skated and hooped at the same time!

Bestival - lets be honest I'm not sure I'm really cut out for camping in the UK weather but performing in front of thousands of people was something I couldn't miss. 

India - Where we spent most of out time dressed as zebras

And saving the best to last the WORLD RECORD for Most Hula Hoops Spun Simultaneously!!!

I've made some amazing friends in The Majorettes and had so many once in a life time experiences. A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM xX me

What did you used to do that made you happy?

So it is midnight on Wednesday night and I can’t sleep. I know why I can’t sleep, it’s because I decided to watch my favourite hoop video before bed and now I can't stop thinking about all the things I want to perfect, new tricks, movements… my brain is full to the brim with ideas. It’s annoying I should be sleeping right now. 

Ever since I started hooping this has happened. I lie awake at night with ideas running through my mind. Imagining hoop routines, tricks, planning classes. I am so passionate about it sometimes I forget that there was a huge chunk of my life where I didn't have passion like this. Not that there was no passion at all but nothing on this scale.

But I do remember being passionate like this before. As a teenager I always wanted to own a cafe, I had this idea in my head that it would be a combined thing a cafe/shop/florist. I also loved drawing, I can literally remember getting out of my bed in the middle of the night to go draw.

Not long before I discovered hula hooping I was stoping around the office in a bad mood (I used to be an accountant if you didn't know). One of my work colleagues, the lovely Louise, saw my foul mood and gave me a set of coloured pencils and this picture and told me 'colouring in makes everything better!'

And it did! Colouring in below by Bree age 28. It was very therapeutic for me.

Maybe we should revisit the things that make us happy every now and then?! The beauty of hula hooping is that it helps us revisit our child hood and play but what else made you happy?