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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Shortly after I started spinning I began to notice changes in my mood. I would find myself feeling positive about life and my place in this world. I found myself playing sometimes for hours with no signs of exhaustion. I no longer suffer from depression and my anxiety problems have also greatly improved. I also have noticed my hand eye coordination has improved greatly. I have now been spinning faithfully everyday.
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.
My first time spinning fire happens on the shore of the Mississippi river, the moon was full and reflecting off the still waters, I'll never forget those few minutes. The flames casting shadows against the flood walls amaze me, the sound becomes the greatest song I've ever heard, and for the first time I fall into a place of peace. The world fades away and I'm left playing with the elements.
The doctor/surgeon said I would never be able to spin poi again after they cut my sternum open for heart surgery but they were wrong. I started spinning as soon as my chest didn't hurt any more in the nursing home physical therapy room. The physical therapist there saw my progress and let the elderly spin bean bags as well if they wanted to try what I was doing. It greatly improved their progress because they were having fun. Some even came to my room outside of p.t. time to get lessons.
I learnt to spin poi when I was dealing with all sorts of changes in my life. It absorbed the fear and hesitation, and gave me courage, possibility, and the thrill of something new. Since then, it’s always been something I can lose myself in, and find myself in. It’s one of the most valuable tools I have to ground my emotions, distract from anxiety, and refocus myself - a mental sanctuary.
I'm the type of person who enjoys movement and finds importance in it, so poi has been my number 1 influence to going outside to play and move more. It's help me become better with coordination, quick reaction, focus, mobility, serenity and so on. I believe it really is healthy for the mind, body and soul. If I had to choose just one tool to use for body movement, it would probably be poi. I find it to go hand in hand with a majority of my interests as I find a connection between them, and with that said, poi will always be something I do and share with the world.