Category: Articles
Poi Spinning: Easy Crafts for Kids
December 5, 2020Looking for fun things to do with kids at home? Poi spinning is an easy craft that will keep kids engaged for hours on end. Poi spinning is an ancient tradition that dates back hundreds of years to the Māori of New Zealand. It is said that Māori men used poi to train strength and flexibility, […]
Poi Helps Rehab Patients at Middlemore Hospital
November 25, 2020Poi is helping rehab patients at Middlemore Hospital and has become one of the most popular activities on ward. The poi group at Middlemore Hospital has been running for just over a year, and has become one of the largest and most accessible activities on the ward. The programme has helped deliver 200 additional rehabilitative […]
5 Ways Poi Can Help You Relax and De-Stress
August 20, 2020A simple ball on a cord is helping people across the globe find calm and relaxation. Ahhh 2020. The year it felt like the world was imploding. With stress and anxiety becoming frequent guests in our lives, one begins to wonder if relaxation is an achievable goal or some kind of mythological creature that we […]
5 Science-Backed Ways Playing Poi Improves Quality of Life for Seniors
August 19, 2020A clinical study shows that spinning a weight in circles around your body improves quality of life for seniors. Poi is an art form that dates back hundreds of years to the Māori of New Zealand. The act of practicing poi involves spinning a weight on the end of a cord in circular patterns around […]
Early Research on Poi and Parkinson’s Shows Promise for Improving Quality of Life
August 16, 2020Spinning a weight on the end of a cord in circles may be the next Parkinson’s physical therapy treatment. More than 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a neurodegenerative condition that affects the brain and nervous system. There is currently no cure for PD, but we know exercise and movement play a […]
Ein Interview mit Rose Poi
August 6, 2019Während eines Krankenhausaufenthaltes im März diesen Jahres kam Anja auf mich zu. Da sie von meiner Liebe zur Handarbeit wusste, bat sie mich ihr beim kordeln der Maori Poi zu helfen. Ich sagte sofort zu und machte mir viele Gedanken über die Herstellung der perfekten Maori-Poi. Wichtig war es mir auf den Plastik-Kopf zu verzichten und sie auch robust und gut bespielbar zu gestalten.
An Interview with Rose Poi
July 29, 2019Rosie chats about her Parkinson's diagnosis and how Rose Poi is helping an entire hospital in Germany spin their health around.
Poi from a Tai Chi Perspective
July 10, 2019There is an amazing feeling when the thing is spinning, just going around, it becomes alive. And when you get it all synchronized it feels like you are taking medicine almost, it feels like your brain is growing properly some how. With Tai Chi it’s the same, when you are doing a certain movement, or you do the 24 steps in perfect harmony, you feel that.
Focus, Fun and a Good Laugh: Poi in a Residential Care Home
March 25, 2019Especially in Parkinson’s patients, it is sometimes unbelievable to observe how their stiffness dissolves during play, how their focus is directed towards the poi and how accompanying symptoms – such as trembling in the hands or restlessness in the legs – steadily decrease or simply fade away. I’ve also noticed how the mood of the patients rises through the movement to the music, which in turn leads to the stabilization of the general condition.
What poi can do for your health
March 20, 2019Originally published in NewsRoom, July 2018 Most kiwis know that poi is a Māori tradition. You may have seen dazzling displays in kapa haka, or even done poi yourself in primary school. But did you know there are many different styles of poi practiced all over the world? And, that twirling poi can improve your […]
My Experience With Poi and Parkinson’s in a Geriatric Hospital
March 20, 2019Especially in Parkinson’s patients, it is sometimes unbelievable to observe how their stiffness dissolves during play, how their focus is directed towards the poi and how accompanying symptoms – such as trembling in the hands or restlessness in the legs – steadily decrease or simply fade away. I’ve also noticed how the mood of the patients rises through the movement to the music, which in turn leads to the stabilization of the general condition.