You probably have heard and seen famous celebrities doing antigravity yoga and aerial yoga. Interested? Now, let’s get to know more about this type of yoga that is great not only for fitness, but also for the health, too.
The Aerial Yoga
“Antigravity yoga is a new kind of workout invented by aerial performer Christopher Harrison—a former gymnast and Broadway choreographer. It involves performing a series of exercises inspired by yoga, Pilates, calisthenics and aerial acrobatics in a hammock-like apparatus, in order to achieve a total-body workout”.
Additionally, aerial yoga is a “practice of traditional Hatha yoga with soft fabric hammock, supporting 1000 lbs, suspended a few feet off ground. The hammock is a prop like a strap or block, intended to assist alignment, deepen awareness and provide the immediate benefit of spinal decompression. With the weight of the body partially or fully supported along with the help of gravity, you can explore and create space in your bodies as intended in traditional Yoga practice. Without the compression of the joints and spine you can achieve proper posture and alignment through relaxation rather than effort, therefore finding a more balanced and unencumbered expression of each pose. ”
So this kind of yoga uses a circus hammock as a tool to help students achieve various yoga positions. Traditional Yoga helps us achieve a calm nervous system. "“Many "Aerial Yoga postures are designed to help the student better understand the purpose of traditional Yoga postures and some are meant to help students achieve advanced traditional Yoga postures which can take years to learn. Through Aerial Yoga the fascia unwinds, the mind quiets, core-strength is built, and participants leave the class feeling whole.”
In simple words, aerial yoga is like doing yoga with a twist!
Five Benefits of Going to Aerial Yoga Classes
There are a number of aerial yoga benefits that you can learn in attending aerial yoga class. Here are some of those:
1. Total Body Workout. Due to the nature of aerial yoga movements, almost all the body parts are forced to move and stretch. Through this, toning and redefining of the muscles, regenerating and strengthening of the joints are happening during the workout. This workout is even used for physical rehabilitation. Decompression of the spine is one of its main features.
2. Inner body reactivation. The sweat that you produce during aerial yoga has a lot of benefits in the internal body’s regulatory functioning. The circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems are reactivated through blood circulation. Through this, you also boost your mental abilities, regenerating and relaxing your mind, and nourishing your skin. It also strengthens the neural connections related to memory and intelligence.
3. Psychologically beneficial. Just like almost any other workout, aerial yoga helps rebuild your emotional system because it relieves you from stress. It also helps you combat stress whenever you’re in the outside world.
4. Develop new body skills. Because of the new and improved movements involved in the workout, you learn to develop body skills that you may not be able to do in regular yoga.
5. Spiritually uplifting. The spiritual benefits of aerial yoga are undeniable. It increases your creativity which leads you to develop your own artistic skills. You also get to experience more joy and optimism.
Some Key Points to Remember in an Aerial Yoga Class
These are the important things you need to remember in performing aerial yoga:
• Wear comfortable clothing that will allow range of movement, such as yoga pants and top.
• Try to avoid extremely lose clothing to prevent the extra fabric getting in the way.
• Footwear for the class should be barefoot.
• Remove all jewelry (necklace, bracelets, rings, and, earrings) before class.
• Arrive well hydrated.
• Observe good personal hygiene and wear deodorant in consideration for the next person using the hammock.
• Avoid eating or drinking acidic liquids an hour prior to class.
• Do not use hand lotion before class.
Precautions
aerial yoga is not recommended to the following:
• Pregnant women – The flips and inversions involved in the workout is stressful for the pregnant woman.
• Those who had a recent eye surgery – Aerial yoga can cause further harm and injury to the eyes if the eyes are not yet fully healed.
• Those who suffer from vertigo – Sudden changes in movement can trigger dizziness and vertigo attack. It is best to seek the advice of the doctor first.
It is very important to note that you do not do this kind of workout on your own to avoid injuries. To be guided properly in performing this kind of yoga, enroll in an aerial yoga class wherein aerial yoga equipment is readily available for you.
Classes with Hayley at radiant being are suitable from compleet beginners all the way to intermediate and advanced students.
For more information, you may contact Hayley on upcoming classes or visit the YOGA timetable.
