Flowarts Teacher
Nick Woolsey
69
Lessons
10
Free Lessons
6.5
hours
Module 1
Lesson • Poi • Info
Introduction to Beyond the Basics
An introduction to the Beyond the Basics poi course, outlining a 13-week progression for riders who already know core poi patterns. It previews focus areas like footwork, body posture, planes, rhythm and musicality, plus topics such as flowers, hyperloops, orbitals, wraps, and behind-the-back work.
Lesson • Poi • Info
Poi and your health
An overview of how poi practice relates to health and injury risk. It highlights warm-ups and relaxed, full-body technique to avoid strain, with an example of moving the arm in large circles without torquing the shoulder, and notes stretching as a smaller factor.
Lesson • Poi • Warm Up • Poi Fu
Example warm up incorporating poi-fu
A simple warm-up for poi that incorporates poi fu ideas, using gentle rhythmic movement to raise body heat. It includes walking or jogging in place, arm swings and small circles, plus squats and balance work shifting between heels and toes with relaxed breathing.
Lesson • Poi • Turn
Turning while moving across the floor
A poi footwork pattern for turning while traveling across the floor, using steady counts and alternating steps. The movement focuses on initiating turns with the feet and keeping the heel light to reduce twisting through the knees and ankles while moving.
Lesson • Poi • Info
Circling your arms in opposite directions
Arm conditioning for poi: circle one arm forward while the other circles backward, keeping the motion symmetrical. The movement stays in a wall plane with a clear visual reference, using whole-body rotation to keep the shoulders relaxed and aligned.
Lesson • Poi • Poitruvian
Introducing poitruvian arms
An introduction to Poitruvian arms for poi, using arm-only poi-fu patterns before adding props. The lesson outlines a repeated circular pathway from the nose past the ear, up overhead, down the side, and back through a full swing to the front.
Lesson • Poi • Reverse
More reverse right left progressions
Poi lesson exploring additional reverse right-left progressions, linking alternating right and left stalls in reverse timing. The pattern is practiced across different planes and positions, including side wheel planes, front wall plane, behind the body, and with crossed arms.
Module 2
Lesson • Poi • Same Direction • Split Time • Poi Fu
Poi fu split time same direction
Poi Fu pattern in split time with both poi rotating in the same direction. The movement is practiced while turning through a repeated T position, using a person or wall reference to keep one hand "connected" at a time and maintain clean timing.
Lesson • Poi • Same Direction • Split Time • Turn
Turning full split time same direction
Poi footwork and body turning drill for a full 360° turn while maintaining same-direction split time. Focuses on smooth pivoting and arm positioning to keep the split-time pattern stable through the turn.
Lesson • Poi • Info
Introducing crosspoints
Introducing crosspoints in poi spinning, focusing on the X-shaped crossing point where the poi paths intersect. The lesson highlights keeping the crossing consistent by aiming the poi to pass through a chosen point in space while the pattern moves back and forth.
Lesson • Poi • Info
Saloon doors intro
An introduction to the poi “saloon doors” concept, where each poi bends inward and outward by changing its plane without crossing. It includes controlled in-and-out drifting on the wall plane and alternating one poi opening inward while the other opens outward.
Lesson • Poi • Info
Meet the tree 2
Meet-the-tree is an awareness drill for poi that uses a tree as a physical reference for shoulder-width planes. It focuses on keeping hands slightly outside the shoulders, especially when spinning in positions where the hands are behind the body and harder to see.
Module 3
Lesson • Poi • Poi Fu
Warming up the body and brain with poi fu
A poi fu warm-up using gentle shaking, wobbling, and swinging arm circles to wake up coordination. The pattern includes slow continuous swings that rise and fall, pausing to check hand height and body awareness while letting gravity naturally stop the motion.
Lesson • Poi • Info
Cardinal focus points
Introduction to cardinal focus points in poi movement, using clear reference positions on a circular arm path. It highlights the main directions on vertical and horizontal planes—up, down, forward, and back—as consistent points for tracking and shaping swings.
Lesson • Poi • Poilates
Introducing poilates - core conditioning for poi
An introduction to Poilates, a core conditioning approach for poi practice. The lesson presents simple floor-based exercises like plank holds and lying core engagement, and shows how these conditioning drills can be combined with basic poi movement.
Lesson • Poi • Buzzsaw
Playing with buzzsaw circles
Buzzsaw circle variations for poi, focusing on smooth, true circles driven by finger and hand motion. The lesson explores overlapping hand paths and adjusting circle size from fingers, wrists, or elbows, then taking the buzzsaw through different movement planes.
Lesson • Poi • Flower
Exploring extended poi and flowers along a wall
Explores extended poi circles and flower patterns practiced close to a wall, using the wall as a reference for clean planes. Includes forward and backward rotations with both hands, focusing on keeping the poi path steady and consistent near the surface.
Lesson • Poi • Weave • Archer Weave
Jon archer weave
An archer weave variation for poi, using the standard weave pattern with an archer-style stance. One arm extends while the other weaves closer to the body, creating offset overlapping circles and clear cross points.
Module 4
Lesson • Poi • Poi Fu
Practicing poi fu on a wall
Poi Fu practice using a wall or similar surface as a plane reference, focusing on close hand circles and split-time same-direction patterns. The lesson emphasizes sensing forward and backward planes while keeping relaxed posture and body turn during the movements.
Lesson • Poi • Footwork • Poi Fu
Combining footwork and poi fu
Combines poi fu arm patterns with traveling footwork, using a wall or floor line as a visual reference. Focuses on a rhythmic forward stepping turn sequence with pivots and closes, coordinating posture, direction changes, and arm movement together.
Lesson • Poi • Fountain
4x4 fountain as a mirrored progression
Poi 4x4 fountain practiced as a mirrored progression, alternating the pattern forward and in reverse to match both sides. The sequence uses repeated over-the-shoulder fountains with reverse stalls and small foot pivots to switch directions.
Lesson • Poi • Plane • Weave • Turn
Turning with the weaves with straight planes
Continuous turning while performing three-beat poi weaves, focusing on keeping the movement in straight, consistent planes. The lesson explores how to pivot through turns without changing the weave pattern, maintaining clear plane control as the body rotates.
Lesson • Poi • Antispin • Flower • Inspin
More on flowers - lots of inspin and a bit of antispin
Poi flower variations focusing mostly on inspin, with some antispin. The lesson explores how arm circles can match or oppose the poi’s rotation in wheel plane alignment, shaping the flower pattern as the poi passes in front and by the shoulder.
Lesson • Poi • Whirl
Introducing the whirling progression
An introduction to a poi whirling progression, focusing on combining whirls with turning footwork such as shuffles, pivot steps, or a full pirouette. The lesson highlights clean, straight up-and-down whirl pathways and using spotting points while rotating.
Lesson • Poi • Split Time • Circle
Bonus idea - share a split-time circle with a friend
A poi partner drill where two people share a split-time circle in the same direction, taking turns circling a hand target. It focuses on keeping a clear circular path and matching split-time timing together.
Module 5
Lesson • Poi • Pirouette • Warm Up • Rhythm
Warm up with pirouette progressions and rhythm
Poi warm-up focused on pirouette progressions and rhythm, using bouncing, heel-toe weight shifts, and step-gather patterns. The movement builds balance on the ball of the supporting foot and introduces simple turns to either side in time with the beat.
Lesson • Poi • Plane • Moses Progression
Planes and ranges of motion - the moses progression
This poi lesson explores planes and ranges of motion through the Moses Progression, using the windmill pattern as a base. It focuses on keeping the same front-to-back milling action while gradually shifting hand height and spacing to travel across different levels in the wall plane.
Lesson • Poi • Fountain • Weave • Turn • High-Low Weave
Combining 4x4 Fountain and High-Low Weave Turning
A poi sequence combining a 4x4 fountain with continuous turning weaves in a high-low pattern, alternating the weave height while turning. Focuses on blending the fountain into the turn and shifting between low and high positions during the weave.
Lesson • Poi • Wall Plane • Switchy • Flower • Plane
Switchy switchy wall plane flowers
Wall plane poi flower variations using the “switchy switchy” pattern, shifting between left and right inside positions. The lesson focuses on keeping clean wall planes while switching at different points of the flower shape.
Lesson • Poi • Jiggy • Behind The Back
Jiggies behind the back
Behind-the-back jiggy poi pattern, focusing on keeping the spin plane behind the body while turning so the back faces the poi. The movement uses body rotation to guide the behind-the-back timing and direction.
Lesson • Poi • Spinning
Combining types of poi movement - one poi spinning the other swinging
Combining two types of poi movement by having one poi spin while the other swings in an extension or pendulum-style path. The focus is on coordinating different actions in each hand, including switching between forward spin and anti-spin while the other arm continues swinging.
Lesson • Poi • Isolation
Further with isolations
Poi isolations are explored further, focusing on clean horizontal isolations clockwise and counterclockwise. The lesson contrasts isolation with extension by circle size, and includes practicing two-poi horizontal isolations inward and outward to compare right and left hand control.
Lesson • Poi • Antispin • Flower
Antispin flowers
Poi lesson on antispin flowers, focusing on reversing the hand direction while maintaining flower-style circles. It introduces the relationship between extension, antispin motion, and flower “petals” as the poi traces repeated down and up points through the pattern.
Lesson • Poi • Info
Why only counting down swings will confuse you
An overview of poi rhythm counting, explaining how focusing only on the downswing can limit timing and create confusion, especially when adding turns and continuous movement. The lesson compares downswing-based beats with counting other reference points in the circle, such as the front cross point.
Lesson • Poi • Info
Further with tick-toc
Poi tick-toc continuation, focusing on taking the pattern further by switching which hand is on top and building toward a “full tick-toc.” It uses a centered pathway with each poi hopping slightly out, tracing up the side of the body, then returning to the circle.
Lesson • Poi • Jiggy • Behind The Back
Jiggies behind the back
Poi lesson focused on the Jiggy behind-the-back position, using small finger motion to start and reverse the poi while keeping the arms relaxed. It also notes adjusting hand placement behind the body to match shoulder flexibility and comfort.
