We were going to make a video to demonstrate how to juggle Chocolates (see post) and had everything lined up - camera, masked juggler, chocolates in the refrigerator……
Uh Oh ….. then we discovered another Masked Juggler, who shall remain nameless, had taken and eaten all the juggling chocolates !!! So if you can’t visualize chocolates, how about visualizing big purple grapes?
Why are we talking about how to juggle grapes?
To show you how you can keep throwing your juggling balls close to you - up instead of out. Juggle something you love to eat and pretend to throw them towards your mouth - don’t drop them and keep imagining them falling into your mouth. Can you taste those large purple grapes now? Soon you will be throwing that third ball up instead of out, and juggling 3 balls with the best of them. Our masked juggler who had to settle on grapes, eventually couldn’t resist catching one in his mouth and savouring the flavour!
When you are learning how to juggle, learning to throw three balls in a similar arc requires practice using preferred hand and non-preferred hand. It helps to trick your brain. Visualize chocolates, marshmallows or cherries, something you love and pretend to throw them towards your mouth - don’t drop them and keep imagining them falling into your mouth. Can you taste those rich creamy chocolates now? Soon you will be throwing that third ball up instead of out, and juggling 3 balls with the best of them.
You may find inside the house too confined to learn how to juggle, with low ceilings and too much furniture to get in the way. Why don’t you learn how to juggle outside where there is more room and you can throw the balls higher. Find a good spot preferably on soft grass with plenty of room around and stand facing away from the sun. Firstly you will get the light on the juggling balls and also you will not be blinded by the light of the sun as you throw the juggling balls into arcs.
Practice throwing the ball up at different heights until you find the most natural height just for you. Remember to factor in the wind strength. With too much breeze this will affect the juggling balls as you try to control the direction of the balls. Help yourself to succeed. Create the right environment for learning how to juggle!
Watch our Masked Juggler master the elements with 4 ball juggling.
Want a real challenge? Golf balls are smaller and harder than soft juggling balls, so they might bounce out of your hands. But You Can Do It! Start with two; get the feel of them and have plenty of room around with people far away. Move to three over a couch. One business man found fame juggling three golf balls in front of his golf buddies! Were they impressed and envious! So he told them: “Get the Juggling Brain video and we will all become famous. See you on YouTube!”
Juggling not only exercises the body but stimulates eye function. Watching the balls keeps the eye muscles more flexible, and makes eyes coordinate more efficiently together. There are six eye muscles and just as you need to strengthen your biceps by exercises and repetition, so your eyes need practice to spot a target and move smoothly in pursuit. What do we need for reading? Eyes! What a fun way to keep your eyes in shape for your favorite fiction book!
Everyone would like to be able to juggle three balls, and people admire a juggler. Practice your skills quietly and surprise your friends with juggling party tricks. Teenagers are fantastic jugglers. Don’t forget to try the tricks in Steps 7 and 10 of the Juggling Brain video - put them into a performance sequence and you are a winner! Don’t forget to practice with different objects - what about a ball, a shaker and an orange?
Seniors can be masters of three ball juggling. They have desire and motivation! Recently in one of our masters juggling classes a 74 year old man learned to juggle two balls in two sessions and three balls in four sessions! His secret? - he watched the juggling Brain video 14 times practising all the exercises in between weekly lessons. How determined are you to juggle three balls? All ages can do it.
Have even more fun! Turn out the lights and learn how to juggle three LED juggling balls! These are balls that have a light inside them, and are juggling size. The ones we can get also change color if you squeeze them when juggling. This takes skill, but you can do it! Great idea for teenagers, children’s parties, and a fantastic idea for your showtime on stage…… Black out the lights just before your entry, then come on juggling the three lighted balls, do a couple of tricks and then have the lights come on and reveal - you are the juggler, and you can do it in the dark -because you can easily see the LED balls, while the crowd can’t really see you!
When beginning to learn how to juggle make sure you have a wide base to start with – feet astride- a juggler’s stance. You need good balance when juggling. You are relying on your body balance mechanism to maintain your posture as your eyes are fixed on a moving target. Check Step 7 in the Juggling Brain video for the juggler’s stance. Generally we use our vision and vestibular system to maintain our balance but in juggling we rely on balance mechanism and information coming from our feet and ankles.
To begin juggling one ball our eyes need to practice fixating on a moving target. Fixing both eyes on the target stimulates the visual system and from there smooth pursuit of the moving ball is required where the ball moves up and over to our other hand. This is where you start in Step 1 of the Juggling Brain video. Sounds easy doesn’t it. Take your time to teach this skill to your eye muscles. They may not have had this experience before. Later on when more advanced you need only look at the ball at the top of the arc. But first you need to learn to look at the ball all the way. This applies to all ages. Remember, the eyes have it! What could be easier for step 1.
