With a pair of luminous spheres spinning in the air while attached to strings, poi spinning is mesmerising to watch and liberating to practice, say experts. Poi combines dance, coordination and rhythm with the art of spinning and it is a great way to get in shape while unleashing your artistic zeal.
This art form has its roots in the Māori tribe of New Zealand. Over time, tourists and artists were inspired by poi spinning. With their styles and innovations, poi spinning gradually evolved to the way it is practised today as a part of the flow arts.
Poi refers to any weighted object attached to a rope or a string. Tennis balls, rice and sandbags can be used in place of the weights while metal chains, socks, and stockings can be used in place of the cords.
Rewards of poi spinning
Unlike regular fitness routines which lead to immediate physical changes, poi spinning has wellness rewards that you experience gradually.
“It’s not like a traditional workout where your body fat percentage or muscle growth shows immediate changes,” says Yacobeh, flow artist and co-founder of Indie Flow, the flow arts community organization based in Bengaluru. “You can feel your flexibility and agility improve gradually as you spin the poi. It improves hand-eye coordination, motor coordination, spatial awareness and many other intangible benefits.”
Learning to use poi
The simplicity of poi – weights attached to strings spin freely – sets it apart from other flow arts props. However, this can be challenging for a newbie.
“The uniqueness ends up being a challenge in learning poi spinning,” says Swaroop Shetty, a Bengaluru-based flow artist. “The moment you start with poi, you observe the lack of coordination between the dominant and non-dominant hands. Additionally, there is an initial struggle to maintain uniformity between the two spinning poi.”
After the initial effort to learn the prop, muscle memory develops which helps you flow with it easily.
“Around a hundred hours of practice would make you proficient with the basic muscle memory required to move gracefully or move in a way that is visually appealing,” says Javed Hassan, a flow artist from Malappuram, Kerala.
Poi and motor control
Plane control, or the ability to keep the poi spinning on the plane it is in, is a significant component of poi spinning. It involves keeping the poi in a fixed position without bending or shifting.
“Getting equipped with plane control requires a lot of slight changes in the wrist and fingers. That is how it improves motor control at the initial level,” says Yacobeh. “Additionally, once you start using two pairs of poi, you can manipulate the poi around the other by employing plane control. That adds a lot to one’s body coordination as well.”
Through poi spinning, the body learns to maintain balance and control by increasing awareness of the body and moving in a fluid and coordinated manner. Focusing on the patterns the poi creates improves the spinner’s understanding of timing and rhythm, modifying their movements according to the poi’s movement.
High-impact mental exercise
“Poi is a low-impact physical exercise and a high-impact mental exercise like yoga and taichi,” says Hassan, who uses poi as a form of meditation to help him stay focused. Practising poi every day for the past three years has helped Hassan improve his focus, attention span, dexterity and reflexes.
Poi spinning involves numerous small, intricate movements that call for fine motor control. Repeating these movements improves hand-eye coordination, grip and using fingers and wrists. These abilities are useful for tasks like writing, typing and playing musical instruments.
Shetty has learned more about his body, mind, and the connection between them by practising and enjoying poi over the last five years.
“All flow-arts-related props result in a state of absorption and a naturally-induced euphoria,” says Shetty. “During meditation, only prolonged attention or concentration on a single object is required. Poi spinning is a form of movement meditation in which the poi serves as the object of meditation.”
Exploration through poi
“Once you get the hang of it, it starts evolving into the territory of dance with total freedom of movement,” says Shetty.
Practising poi can help those who are timid or have trouble performing (dance) overcome their shyness and express themselves with their bodies.
“Earlier, I didn’t play sports often and wasn’t physically active,” says Yacobeh. “But now, poi has inspired me to explore more, and I actively participate in highlining, slacklining, diving, dancing, and more.”
Takeaways
- With roots in the Māori Tribe of New Zealand, poi spinning is a popular flow art that comes with many wellness perks experienced gradually.
- Building muscle memory after making the initial effort to learn the poi makes it easier to flow with it.
- Poi spinning is a low-impact physical exercise and a high-impact mental exercise. It helps with flexibility, motor control, concentration, body awareness, dexterity and more.
