People all over the world are experiencing the power of poi, from physical to mental to emotional benefits and everything in between! Check out the amazing stories below for some intimate truths about the positive influence of poi, or click the button to share your own story.
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I used poi to cope whenever I had a bad day. It freed my mind and allowed me to just exist with these two bits of fabric and bean bags. I had my own space and the more I moved the more the depression lifted. It makes me feel special that I can flow on the 'cosmic tides' that is life now. It allows me to discard my mood, worries, hunger, sadness, everything.
I have a highly complex congenital heart defect called transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA). As a kid I was very clumsy, had a speech impediment and very poor fine motor skills. My hand eye coordination was pretty much nonexistent. Now after 16 years of flow arts I'm far less clumsy and my hand eye coordination is better than ever. If you get discouraged just remember it's all about taking baby steps, all those little victories will get you where you want to be.
It was at a low point in my life that I discovered juggling, staff, and poi. Even with all my troubles, I still progressed. The motion and satisfaction of getting a move down filled my heart with joy. These skills came with powerful "magic", indeed. Playing with poi and the flow arts can make "magical" changes in you too, and I encourage all no matter where you are in life to give it a go.
Feeling the poi create its path as a new extension of your body, it opens up your mind to be more aware. More aware of your own body and the muscles needed to complete a move. Also more aware of my immediate surroundings. I had found a way to escape this confusing world and enter one that made complete sense to me. I felt in control, and this feeling gave me confidence. As a shy kid, I couldn't speak in public or give a speech, but put some poi in my hands and my fears dissipated.
Poi has the magical power of helping you to synchronize both sides of the body, the two hemispheres, alining inside and outside, up and down. It's a very powerful instrument to teach you about life, and has shown me that it is not a static thing but a continued process of synchronization and duality. While I was pregnant my belly wanted to dance all kind of rhythms, moving and shaking. I felt that poi gave me this power with an excellent exercise that I recommend 100% to practice on this special period of a woman’s life.
I discovered retreats and other poi artists online and quickly picked up this incredible art. I noticed that my thinking had changed to a more positive tone and felt my depression, stress and anxiety disappear. I noticed my coordination improve, not to mention all the exercise I am getting on a regular basis. Poi has also helped greatly build up my self confidence - helping me channel away negativity.