A human body is a complex material, which needs a lot of things. Some may think these only include items like food, water, oxygen, etc but a lot of us forget that exercise is also a great part of human life.
Especially if you are a yogi, then no doubt you have attained that valuable part of your life to be perfectly healthy. As yoga helps to improve strength, balance, and flexibility.
Yoga also helps you maintain your concentration and body health. And also nowadays yoga is growing its popularity hugely and has become a part of everyone’s daily life.
Likewise, aerial yoga is also gaining popularity these days, here we are gonna introduce to you what aerial yoga is, its benefits, poses, safety measure, and all you need to know.
What is Aerial Yoga?
Usually, we all perform yoga on a mat, but here in aerial yoga we use a silk hammock or a sling to do the process, yap you heard it right. These hammocks are attached to the ceiling to perform these movements.
The hammock is used not only to support you in between the yoga but also has several benefits such as it improves flexibility of your body and also the range of motion.
It also vanishes pressure off from certain parts of your body, e.g. head, shoulders, etc, by which you will be able to achieve more challenging poses easily. And also many of the aerial yoga poses require you to take one part of your body off the ground such as your foot or leg.
Aerial Yoga Tips For Beginners
If you are an amateur in aerial yoga then listen to Michelle Li, co-owner of AIR Los Angeles and AFTT certified yoga instructor.
She promises you that this yoga can be a fun and challenging experience and also aerial yoga doesn’t need any prior yoga experience, but it is beneficial to be well versed in floor yoga beforehand as it can help you to catch poses easily.
And if you are ready to head your first class of aerial yoga then here are some tips to start your great challenge:
Believe In The Sling
As a mind-body holistic wellness expert and certified yoga instructor Dani Schenone claims that aerial yoga is an inclusive practice, the sling can hold up to thousand pounds.
Hence be carefree about your size, shape, ability, and all, and just enjoy the process of aerial yoga instead of stressing in.
Wear The Right Dress
As said by Lea Walker, the owner of Aeriform Arts, grounded aerial bungee and levity aerial yoga certified instructor, it’s always better to wear tight yoga pants or leggings to practice aerial yoga instead of loose pants or shorts as those can be more comfortable.
Also, do wear a sports bra and also a workout shirt which can cover up your underarms, as if you have sensitive skin the sling can sometimes cause chafing.
He also suggests that it is better to bring a long sleeve shirt as it can be useful for some moves. And also wearing a tank top is also suggested.
Big Meal Beforehand Should Be Avoided
At least before one hour of the class avoid eating a large meal but also walker suggests that you shouldn’t go completely starved and get into a low-sugared situation instead have a small snack like a banana beforehand.
Be jewel-free
As jewelry can be snagged easily on the sling so be jewel-free before you start your practice. This can be more comfortable and can make your process better.
Say What You Need To
In both cases, like if you need help in handling the sling or if you need help in between your moves both the experts suggest that it’s always better to speak up about what you need and ask for help instead of sitting back as it may later on result badly.
Relax
Being at your own pace during this yoga is the best. Don’t get intimidating and understand that this yoga has to be done while you enjoy it with a peaceful mind and body.
Modification At The Tip of Your Hands
Walker describes that even though some poses can be seen as difficult but there are tons of ways to modify it in aerial yoga, but before that make sure you communicate with your instructor with an open mind.
Physical Benefits of Aerial Yoga
Here are some physical benefits of Aerial yoga.
Promotes circulation to a high level
Li describes that aerial yoga is great for circulation throughout the body and also for digestion due to the nature of poses and movements.
Increases flexibility and strength to a huge level
this yoga helps to strengthen all muscles and the sling helps you to go deeper into the stretches and poses.
Alleviates the back and neck pressure
as some moves of aerial yoga contain being upside down, li claims that this helps to lengthen and decompress the spine.
A great confidence and mood booster
with the help of the sling even the amateur yogi’s gets access to the advanced yoga poses, this helps them to get confident and also provide a sense of accomplishment.
Improves core strength to a great extent
to maintain stability throughout the poses it’s important to engage core muscles hence li claims that this exercise helps to strengthen core muscle to a great extent.
Aerial yoga poses
Here we are going to introduce some basic poses of aerial yoga, remember some of the poses require only a bit of support from the hammock just for balance purposes, but others require you to completely dedicate your bodyweight to the sling.
- Vrksasana (the tree pose): here in this pose your body is supported by the sling, and this pose is great for individuals with tight hips and for any who has a bad time with external rotation of your hips.
- Sputa konasana (inverted star pose): sometimes being topsy turvy can also be great for your body; yes you heard it right you are going upside down for this pose.
- Matsyasana (fish pose): this is a great pose to open up your chest and in spinal mobility; this pose is a great one to try on.
- Ardha kapotasana (half pigeon pose): opening up the hip flexors is quite easy with this pose as this pose includes bending your leg on the ground and the lengthened leg on the sling.
Is it safe to do aerial yoga at home?
Here both the specialist suggests that it is better not to do aerial yoga at home if you are not a professional.
As for li says that some sell free-standing rigs to keep in your backyard to do this yoga but it is always better to avoid this yoga at home unless you are a professional as doing this indoors can sometimes damage your ceiling and also can be very dangerous.
At the same time, walker too doesn’t recommend aerial yoga at home instead he suggests doing a grounded base one, which means at least one foot on the ground for the movements.
And if you are completely desired to buy one for yourself then make sure you buy a top-quality one and try to attend a one-to-one session to get a basic idea about aerial yoga before you start your at-home practice.
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Conclusion
Now you know what aerial yoga is and its benefits now don’t wait to enjoy this challenging yoga and join a class today and be an aerial yogi.
