Aerial Yoga
An amalgamation of yoga, pilates, dance, acrobatics, and gymnastics; aerial yoga is a fun and exciting way to challenge your body and mind. Suspending yourself in mid-air brings obstacles that are both new and unfamiliar, forcing you to adapt and learn to trust yourself. Aerial yoga allows you to explore new postures unavailable in other forms of yoga, while helping you cultivate skills to enhance your yoga experience.
Yoga is all about practice. It’s always searching for a new path and keeping yourself open to learning about the mind and body. It’s exploring your physical and mental limitations and challenging them. Aerial yoga offers yogis the opportunity to bring their practice into the limitlessness of the sky.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Aerial Silks?
An aerial silk is the instrument by which aerial yoga is made possible. Hung from two points, the aerial silks used at our studio are rectangular pieces of silk fabric that are 7 yards long. The silk holds the weight of your body, which requires a considerable amount of trust. This mental hurdle can be difficult for some people to overcome, but is important to the development of your aerial yoga practice. As time goes on and you continue to practice aerial yoga, you can watch as your confidence grows and be reminded of how far you’ve come.
What Should I Wear?
Clothes that are comfortable and breathable are usually best for any yoga practice. Shirts that cover the underarms will make things more enjoyable and will also keep the silks cleaner. Any clothing that limits movement or constricts you will work against you when trying to achieve different poses. Please avoid wearing jewelry as well. Jewelry can get in the way and snag the aerial silk.
What Should I Bring?
Yourself and a mat. And please be early - Arriving to class at least 10 minutes early is important to properly set up your aerial silk and ensure it is hung at a height that accommodates you. You will not be able to join the class if you arrive late.
Water - PLENTY OF WATER. If we invert in class (which we most likely will), it is a huge detox for your body. If you are dehydrated, it can lead to an uncomfortable experience. Let's skip the headache.
A towel and a camera - Aerial yoga is a workout. You will sweat so be sure to bring a towel. Aerial yoga is also fun! Depending on studio schedules, there may be time to snap a photo of you in your favorite new aerial yoga pose!
Schedule Your Aerial Yoga Session
Aerial Yoga is a fun and exciting yoga option for both new and seasoned yogis. It’s an incredible experience. If you’re interested in taking a class with The Yogi Perogi, check out our class schedule above.
Benefits of Aerial Yoga
Deepens stretches - Aerial yoga deepens stretches by opening up a wider range of motion.
Access to more positions - Suspending yourself in the air frees up space for your body to move and eliminates the limitations we face on the ground. This gives us access to yoga postures we could not have accomplished otherwise.
Releases endorphins - As with all exercise, especially yoga-based practices, aerial yoga promotes movement and makes you feel good by promoting the release of endorphins.
Develops core strength - Releasing some control to the aerial silk tests your trust. Working in sync with the aerial silk and using it as an extension of yourself requires a constant engaging and disengaging of the core muscles as you move in and out of postures and positions.
Creates breath awareness - Key to meditative practices like yoga, awareness of the breath and the focusing of it can transform your experience in the studio and in your everyday life as well.
Improves balance and awareness - Much of our balance is grounded through the floor beneath our feet. By separating us from this crutch, aerial yoga challenges the mind and new muscle groups to engage with our experience of balance. This, in turn, changes our perspective and perception and expands awareness.
Relieves joint pressure - The body is always tasked with holding us up. This puts stress on our joints and compresses the spine. By using the silk to help you move freely above the ground, and holding postures that demand your body be anything other than right side up, aerial yoga can provide some much needed relief to joints which otherwise see little rest.
Limitations
As wonderful as aerial yoga can be, it’s important to note that the human body can have real limitations that might prohibit you from being able to participate. Contraindications like those listed below may make practicing aerial yoga a less than ideal choice for your lifestyle.
High/Low blood pressure
Herniated disks
Glaucoma
Osteoporosis
Vertigo
Recent surgery
History of heart conditions
Botox (within 24 hours)