Need a New Hobby In Your Chill Time?
Need a new hobby to do in your chill time? Recently, I have discovered the world of poi. And no, not the soup. Poi also refers to the performance art of swinging around tethered weights in a variety of rhythmic and geometric patterns. This type of performance art originated from New Zealand but has evolved over the years and is now done all over the world.
Poi can be crafted at home with something as simple as long socks and some weights for the end of the socks such as bean bags or rice. More complex forms of poi can include LED color-changing lights or even lighting the balls on fire for quite the spectacle.
Why Poi?
My initial reasoning for jumping into the world of poi was A) it looked real neat and B) I wanted something to do in my free time. To my surprise though, once I started I found many more unsuspected reasons to continue this hobby.
Poi is a way to express yourself while having fun doing it. It is an exercise that requires full-body movement and coordination. It is surprisingly healthy for both the mind and the body. It works on your balance, arm strength, and the mind since you need to be aware of your movements and surroundings. Once you get into the rhythm it can be quite meditative and relaxing.
To learn the best thing you can do is to follow other flow artists. LindzeePoi was the flow artist that inspired me to jump into the world of Poi. Following many different influencers and watching their videos is the best way to learn. Every artist has their own unique style and you can pick up a few moves from each that fit your skill level and style.
When you first begin it can be frustrating, the artists in the videos can make it look so easy when it isn’t. The best thing is to keep your patience and take it all one step at a time. Searching for tutorials can be very helpful and if you don’t understand one, move on and come back to it later. I have found that some tricks do not make sense but if I learn a few other tricks and come back to it I have a new perspective that makes learning the trick much easier than the first attempt. Drex factor is an influencer that I have found with some of the most helpful tutorials out there.
One of my favorite things to do now is to pick up my favorite chill from Locals, crank up the tunes, and chill out with my poi. I love having a hobby that is fun, I can express myself, and I am working on bettering my mind and body at the same time.
