Aerial yoga: a discipline that has it all

Whenever we talk about wellness and health we like to share the benefits that can be obtained from our suggestions, so we start this note by talking about the benefits of aerial yoga.

This discipline created in New York by Christopher Harrison in 1991 has gained great interest worldwide, as people who practice it have found that it helps to:

• Stretch your body, resulting in greater flexibility
• Minimize joints’ pressure
• Promote the intervertebral space and relieve tension on your spine
• Relieve stress
• Increase balance and body awareness
• Improve the strength of core muscles
• Improve breathing consciousness
• Facilitate the execution of inversions, which activates circulation
• Release endorphins

What is aerial yoga?

Yoga —along with elements of pilates, dance, acrobatics and gymnastics— is transferred to a silk hammock suspended from the ceiling to support your body weight. Unlike traditional yoga practiced on a mat placed on the floor, this discipline defies gravity while, paradoxically, provides the security that is difficult to achieve on the mat. Your fears melt while feeling embraced by the hammock.

Here 4 aspects that make aerial yoga an extraordinary practice:

No expertise needed

With the professional guidance of a certified instructor, anyone can perform this type of physical conditioning. Just as in traditional yoga, there are different levels for each position and you can keep improving your postures over time.

You will improve your asanas

Being able to experience difficult asanas while suspended in the air, helps you be aware of the muscles that are involved in the posture and the balance spots, which will make it easier for you to replicate it on the floor.

Abs!

Maintaining balance while you are suspended in the air makes your core work more than you usually do with other exercises. Experts, like Lindsey Duggan from the AIR Aerial Fitness studio in Los Angeles, say that in just six weeks your abs strength improve considerably.

Cardio without the impact

Even when one may think of aerial yoga as merely fun, truth is that physical performance needed for one class equates to a session of swimming or walking. You can manage to lose up to 320 calories in a 50-minute session, and the best thing is that the impact on your joints equals zero.

Have you done aerial yoga? We would love to read your experience and tips for other readers who may be starting with this innovative exercise technique.