How to start poi: your first week

You do not need talent, rhythm or a big room. You need a pair of soft poi and a space where you can swing your arms without hitting the lamp.

Before you start

• Use soft practice poi. Two tennis balls in long socks work for your first day.
• Clear about two arm lengths around you. Check the ceiling too.
• Take off rings and tie back long hair.

Your first week

1. Forward circles with one hand. Let the weight do the work and keep your wrist soft. Then the other hand.
2. Backward circles, each hand. These feel strange for longer than you expect.
3. Both hands forward at the same time, side by side, each in its own plane.
4. Both hands forward, one half a turn behind the other. This split timing is what the weave is built on.

Ten minutes a day beats an hour on Saturday. Coordination builds between sessions.

The mistakes everyone makes

• Gripping too hard. Tension kills the circle. Hold the handle like you would hold a small bird.
• Leaving the plane. If your poi tangle or clip each other, your circles are probably tilting towards your body.
• Moving the arms too much. Small hand movements make big poi movements.
• Practicing only the easy side. Start with your weaker hand for a while.

When to get a teacher

Videos work for the basics, but it is hard to see your own planes. A single lesson often fixes a habit that would take weeks alone. Book a lesson with Sarah.