Do you:

• feel like your poi are getting away from you?
• feel like you lack control of your planes?
• get tired easily when spinning poi?
• feel like you can’t spin your poi as fast as you would like?
• want to look more polished?
• feel unbalanced when you’re doing turns?
• feel like you’re tripping over your feet?

I did too! Then my first session with my personal trainer involved an explanation of the function of the transverse abdominus muscle which she affectionately calls your TVA. This muscle runs from your spine around the front of your body at your center and is responsible for helping you maintain an erect spine. No small task.

A strengthened TVA can help you feel healthier, stronger, centered, grounded and more powerful. In addition, a toned core adds more balance and helps you tap into energy reserves inside the body for stamina when necessary.

Subsequent development of this muscle has revealed that it is the same muscle at the center of poi balance. That is, by engaging that muscle, practitioners are able to maintain more control of the poi and balance themselves more effectively, particularly when working with more challenging moves.

I highly recommend that everyone, especially serious poi artists, get in touch with their TVA. TVA Exercises include many of the exercises you see on those nifty yoga balls, as well as various floor exercises. If you’re interested in more details on TVA exercises, click here. You can also consider attending our Core Conditioning class to improve your relationship with your core.