Find Aerial Yoga Instructors near you

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FAQs:

What is Aerial Yoga?

Aerial fitness (also called aerial hammock or aerial yoga) is a type of airborne fitness that is practiced in a silk hammock suspended from the ceiling to support your body weight, instead of stretched out across a mat laying on the floor. Classes typically involve yoga, Pilates, dance, and more, which is why most instructors prefer the term aerial fitness or aerial hammock over aerial yoga.

Is Aerial Yoga Relaxing?

Yoga is renowned for stretching, relaxing and meditation. But the introduction of Aerial Yoga into your routine could help you reap even more rewards, both physically and emotionally. It lowers stress, relieves anxiety, reduces inflammation and can even help decrease chronic pain. There’s no doubt Yoga is a magic practice - bringing together the mind and body to optimise both mental and physical health.

Is Aerial Yoga Harder Than Yoga?

As with pretty much everything in life, that very much depends on you; how much experience you have (if any) with both types, any injuries you have, your strength, your fitness level, and more. For some, aerial yoga may be easier than traditional floor-based yoga as the support of the sling fabric means removes any pressure on your wrists and knees, if these are sensitive areas. On the other hand, if you're not a fan of inversions (i.e. being upside down), you may prefer floor-based practices.

Is Aerial Yoga Good for Beginners?

That depends on which class you go for. Most aerial yoga studios will have sessions that cater specifically to first-timers, to help you learn the ropes. In this case, there will be a bigger focus on the basics of aerial yoga, so that you can practice safely and confidently. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your session:

- Modify as and when you need it. Your instructor will offer modifications as you go through the class to make the poses easier; be sure to take them if needed.

- Speak up. If you're feeling unsafe, or just unsure, about certain poses, always let your instructor know.

- Wear the right activewear. Long sleeves are a must as you can end up with skin burns under your armpits when it comes to certain poses. You'll also want to avoid anything loose or flowy, as well as jewelry, which could get caught within the sling.

- Avoid eating too close to a class. Try to make your last meal at least an hour before the session begins, as you may spend a lot of the session upside down.

- Trust the sling. Easier said than done, we know, but rest assured that the sling won't come crashing down from the ceiling.

Can Anyone Do Aerial Yoga?

Anyone who suffers from any major, bone or musculoskeletal injuries, disorders, or diseases should see a doctor or physio first. And sadly, aerial yoga isn't something that can be done while pregnant.

Is it Safe to Do Aerial Yoga at Home?

Many companies sell free-standing rigs that you can place in your backyard to do aerial yoga, but avoid hanging one in your home unless done by a professional since indoor setups can damage your ceiling and also can be very dangerous if done improperly. Some experts do not recommend home aerial yoga unless you are keeping a grounded base, which means at least one foot on the ground for the movement. If your heart is set on buying an aerial yoga hammock and installation set, invest in a top quality brand. You can also look up local studios and see if you can get in for a one-on-one session. Whether you try your first aerial yoga class tomorrow or a year from now, go in with an open mind and make the most of it.

Do You Have to Be Flexible to Do Aerial Yoga?

Nope. But it will help improve your flexibility: one study looked at people with chronic lower back pain and found that inversions within aerial yoga considerably improved both flexibility and strength in the area. Naturally, the more advanced aerial yoga classes will require more flexibility than the beginner classes, but you really can make the class your own, by choosing modifications or progressions to suit you.

Why Do People Want to Start Aerial Yoga?

One of the main reasons that people look to start an aerial yoga practice is because of the many benefits that this type of workout has. Unlike other forms of yoga, the spine can be decompressed during your time in the yoga swing and this is amazing for so many reasons. Others might turn to the practice as a way of achieving yoga poses that they are not usually able to manage, whereas some people do not like the concept of on-the-mat yoga but the anti-gravity method seems extremely appealing. Furthermore, aerial yoga is a great way to stay in shape whilst having fun – the reason you want to start doesn’t matter, as long as you’ve come prepared.

What Type of Exercise is Aerial Yoga?

Aerial yoga is just like yoga but utilises a hammock or yoga swing (suspended from the ceiling) to allow you to perform a diverse range of poses you can’t normally do on a traditional yoga mat. It is a mixture between yoga and pilates, aerial arts, and acrobatics.

What are the Risks of Aerial Yoga?

What goes up must come down — not surprisingly, aerial yoga comes with the added risk of falling. So be sure to listen to your body, follow your teacher’s instructions, and not push past your limits. You shouldn’t practice aerial yoga at home unless you’re very well versed in the equipment and rules. Studios have professional equipment, rigs, fabrics, and safety mats. They also provide hands-on spotting by certified and trained instructors.

You should check with a healthcare professional before trying aerial yoga if you:

- are pregnant

- have a heart condition

- have unregulated blood pressure issues

- have an eye condition such as cataracts or retinal detachment

The History of Aerial Yoga

The practice of yoga with props is largely credited to B.K.S. Iyengar (1918–2014), who developed the Iyengar type of yoga.

In addition to using the blocks, straps, blankets, and rope walls you may see at many studios, Iyengar would hang his students from the ceiling in yoga swings.

The original swings were not like the colorful silk hammocks we see today. They were often made solely of ropes and would be padded with yoga mats or blankets.

Antigravity yoga, as it was originally called, began to gain traction in the late 1990s. The first yoga swing, a collection of silk harnesses connected to handles and foot holdings, was purportedly created in the U.K. in 2001.

The yoga hammock — which is one long piece of fabric — and the style name “aerial yoga” started appearing around 2011. Today, aerial yoga studios and aerial yoga-trained teachers can be found around the globe.

Aerial Yoga Poses

Some aerial yoga poses require only a bit of support from the hammock for balance purposes, while others require you to place 100% of your body weight on the sling itself. A beginner or introductory class can get you well-versed in basic wraps and poses. Some of Schenone's favorite aerial yoga poses include:

1. Vrksasana (tree pose): This pose is excellent for individuals with tight hips and anyone who has a hard time with external rotation of the hips. Your body is supported by the sling, making it a more restorative variation of posture.

2. Matsyasana (supported fish pose): This is an accessible pose that is great for people with different abilities, and it opens the chest and aids in spinal mobility.

3. Ardha Kapotasana (half pigeon pose): Your bent leg is on the ground, and your lengthened leg is in the sling. This pose helps open up the hip flexors.

4. Supta Konasana (reclined angle pose/inverted star pose): Getting your heart above your head is so beneficial – yes, you are upside down for this one, but it can be done!

Tips for Beginners

1. Listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, take a break or ask for assistance.

2. Communicate. The rope and sling placement can be key during this practice, but only you know how something feels. If something is painful or uncomfortable, ask your teacher to help you find the perfect placement.

3. Go easy. Salomon reminds students that “a little goes a long way” in aerial yoga and to start slowly as they get used to the style.

4. Trust. Trust the contraption, trust your teacher, but most importantly, trust yourself.

5. Have fun. Some of the shapes may feel out of reach at first, especially if you’re brand-new to yoga. You may get tangled, and you may get confused, but if you remember that you’re there to have fun, none of that will matter!

The Benefits of Aerial Yoga

For many people aerial yoga is more accessible than traditional yoga, and has a number of benefits that will make you want to try this easier version of becoming a trapeze artist as soon as possible:

Health Benefits

1. Improving blood circulation

Aerial yoga helps rotate and move ‘stagnant’ blood that is staggered in the body. By encouraging healthy blood circulation, aerial yoga can help fight heart disease and additionally, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Aerial yoga inversions temporarily improve circulation and in the long term, can provide you with more energy and focus.

2. Stimulating digestion

Your body experiencing all kinds of movements and stretches which assist in stimulating the digestive system. Aerial yoga can help rid you of digestion-related issues like constipation and indigestion. Some yogis consider that the stretching can relax their abdomen and provide relief for irritable bowel syndrome as well.

3. Spine decompression

Another health benefit that aerial yoga provides is spine decompression; the inverting associated with aerial yoga realigns your body, and most specifically, your spine.  When you are standing your spine tends to get both compressed and squashed, while hanging upside down allows the body and spine to restore to its original and natural position alignment. Hanging freely allows your spine to lengthen and the reduced strain on your back while doing these exercises eases tension in the hip joint as well. No more back pain after your gym classes!

4. Detoxifying your body

Aerial yoga helps detoxify the circulatory and lymphatic systems, reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Yoga is known for its ability to detoxify body, mind and soul; the circulatory and lymphatic systems collaborate better to eliminate pollutants, and this puts your body back into a healthy state whenever you are feeling heavy and bloated.

5. Improving balance

Exercising against gravity improves your balance and stability during daily activities. This is very important especially at an older age, when you become more prone to accidents and your recovery time from injuries is vastly longer.

6. Rejuvenating the body

Improving the functioning of the circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems helps combat aging and its symptoms.

Mental Benefits

1. Improving brain function

Inversions (being upside down) increases blood flow to the brain providing it with more oxygen which: makes it work faster and more effectively, boosts mental focus, increases memory, improves mental focus, and increases clarity of thoughts. Sport fortifies your neural connections and boosts your memory power – aerial yoga will make your smarter and enable you to maintain your brain capacity unaltered for a longer time.

2. Reducing stress

The meditative state promoted by yoga helps you to combat stress throughout the day, thus allowing you to rebuild your emotional system and increase your creativity. Practicing aerial yoga regularly enhances your mood and simply allows you to enjoy life more. Anxiety, depression, and mood swings will be a thing of the past once you start exercising upside down at your aerial yoga class.

3. Assisting with insomnia

Inverting reduces muscle tension, which assists with better sleep. Aerial yoga, like many other body workouts, encourages your body to release happy hormones such as endorphins and serotonin, making you to feel more energetic during the day, and calm at night.

4. Improving focus

When you try a new type of exercise, your mind learns something new. With aerial yoga, focus is improved because you are probably not used to the yoga exercises you will be completing. This way, you become more aware of your body posture and even gain a new perspective on other aspects of life.

5. Having fun

Everyone should try the experience of hanging upside down at least once in their lifetime. Children find the idea of inverse aerial poses very fun, and adults should give it a try as well.

Fitness Benefits

1. Developing new body skills

It’s amazing what our bodies can do. If you find some traditional yoga poses too difficult to perform, you will discover they are no longer impossible when suspended against gravity; in aerial yoga, your stretches are more effective and you have fewer restrictions.

2. Strengthens and tones core muscles

Aerial yoga is recommended to anyone, including people who practice other sports, because the core workout represents excellent cross-training. It’s the core muscles that you use a lot when balancing yourself during aerial yoga sessions and you become stronger overall. This allows you to improve your skills with other sports, too. For instance, runners who practice aerial yoga have noticed increased stamina and the ability to recover faster.

3. Increase flexibility

The practice of aerial yoga lengthens your ligaments and relaxes your muscles, as being suspended in the air releases tension in your body and allows you to perform new moves at a range you did not know you were capable of. Spinal and shoulder flexibility are increased the most, and you become able to move more freely and with less effort.

4. Full body workout

When performing aerial yoga, you are forced to use every muscle which allows movements for everything including ligaments and joints. With most sports and physical disciplines, there is always the problem of switching between upper and lower body workouts, but with aerial yoga, you utilize them both at the same time. You will be able to tone and work muscles in your upper and lower body as well, and your entire body will move and stretch.

What to Wear to an Aerial Yoga Class

Wear clothing that's comfortable and has some movement, but nothing too loose. You want an item of clothing that you can move around in easily and comfortably, but not so baggy that it gets caught in the hammock or moves out of position when the hammock squeezes you and you start moving around.

A long-sleeve top and leggings are ideal to help with the pressure from the hammock on your body. "You also don’t want to wear clothing that will fall off when you hang upside-down, and you don’t want to expose any parts of your skin that are sensitive, such as your armpits, lower back, back of the knees, or belly, " Dortignac adds. Other things to leave behind for aerial classes? Jewelry that hangs and can get caught in the hammock.

What to Expect During an Aerial Fitness Class

You might think that flips and inversions are at the top of the list, however, before even discussing specific movements, the first thing you should expect when signing up for an aerial fitness class is to face your fears and learn to trust. The hammock will hold you.

Outside of the mental component, what to expect comes down to the aerial fitness class you’re taking. Depending on the brand, teacher, and class emphasis, an aerial fitness class can be anywhere from a slow-flowing, meditative, restorative experience with a body-mind-spirit connection to a kind of suspension fitness, using the apparatus to gain flexibility, strength, mobility, and agility in preparation for gymnastics and aerial arts-influenced flips and tricks. Whatever the style is it's always good to address dizziness issues for safety.

Aerial Yoga for Overweight People

Another of the most common misconceptions about yoga – aerial or otherwise, is that you have to have a super-slim physique in order to take part, but this is, quite frankly, a load of nonsense.

One of the great things about yoga is that it gives you the freedom to do a cardio workout and burn calories as well, all of this on top of the muscle toning, connective tissues stretching and mental health benefits and you’ve got yourself one of the best full-body workouts in the world.

So why shouldn’t people who are carrying a few extra pounds be able to take part?

The only thing that you should consider is that most yoga swings and the rigging do have a maximum weight capacity. The aerial yoga weight limit is usually about 600lbs, so it is more than inclusive for those who are overweight and looking for a way to keep fit.

Having said that, if you are physically able to get into a yoga swing and enjoy the practice, then there is no reason why you should worry about the weight limit for aerial yoga.

Aerial Yoga for Disabled People

At first thought, one might think that those who are confined to a wheelchair or otherwise, would be unable to take part in aerial yoga but this could not be further from the truth. There is a practice known as adaptive aerial yoga which gives people with disabilities a chance to enjoy this practice as much as someone who is fully able-bodied.

In this modern-day, there isn’t much that those with limited mobility can’t do so there is no reason why the wonderful practice of aerial yoga shouldn’t be available to them also. In one of the adaptive classes, the participants begin in their wheelchairs and gradually move out of them until they are fully supported by the swing. This is great for people who have problems with their joints and can help to flush out the lymphatic system.

Aerial Yoga for Children

Traditional yoga may not grab the attention of children and teenagers in the same way that aerial yoga might and for this reason, it isn’t very often that we see young people on the mat. Because aerial exercise is exciting and kids classes can be made so fun, why not encourage your children to give it a go? 

Not only fun, but it also provides so many health benefits, both physically and mentally that it can be extremely beneficial to children and young adults. Of course, it pays to keep in mind that a child should never be left on an aerial yoga swing unsupervised as there is the very real potential that they may fall and become injured.

However, much like the other types of tailored aerial classes, there are many that have been specifically designed with children and teenagers in mind. These classes aim to help your child learn the correct yoga breathing techniques, gain strength and flexibility as well as building their overall physical fitness and confidence.

Aerial Yoga for Elderly People

The term elderly covers people over the age of 65, but physical fitness can vary greatly at this age with some 65-year-old people who rely on the walker with very limited mobility and some 90-year-olds going on a daily run and attending the gym. Age is not a concern with this exercise and it is widely accepted that, provided the user feels able, there is no time of life where an aerial yoga practice should not be enjoyed. Seniors are the perfect group of people who can do aerial yoga, and there are, as you may expect, classes that are designed with the older person in mind – one of the most popular is the over-50s aerial yoga class, many of which run all over the world.

Sources:

BRYDIE

Women’s Health

Healthline

Gravotonics

Good Housekeeping

Prevention

AYA

Greatist

Holmes Place

Gravotonics

 

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.