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If you love yoga but it’s gotten a little ho-hum lately and you want to take your workouts to the next level you should try the new fitness trend, aerial yoga.
What is Aerial Yoga?
Aerial yoga is a type of yoga that involves the use of a fabric cloth hanging from the ceiling which is used to support the body during the practice of adapted traditional yoga moves. You can find some local yoga studios that offer aerial yoga or if you are really gutsy, you can buy aerial yoga equipment on Amazon for relatively cheap but make sure you install it well so that it doesn’t fall in the middle of a difficult yoga pose.
The cloth itself is soft but made from durable nylon material that can support three or four people, so you don’t have to be afraid of it ripping. You can relax in your favorite suspended pose without fear.
What are the Benefits of Aerial Yoga?
Aerial yoga has many of the same benefits that traditional yoga offers but as you could expect, there is so much more to aerial yoga than the traditional kind.
Increased Flexibility- Like yoga, aerial yoga helps to increase your range of motion but because you can move your body into the movement with the help of gravity and the push of the cloth you can get an even deeper stretch into the traditional yoga moves.
Stronger muscles- Because you have to suspend your bodyweight from the cloth and move it from position to position, aerial yoga will require much more muscle engagement. You will notice more toning in your core and arm muscles especially.
Mind Body Connection- As you can imagine, aerial yoga requires a lot of focus and attention to body position. The added challenge of suspension and gravity will enlist the use of your brain and your body.
Fun and Relaxation- Yoga is well known for its stress-relieving benefits but aerial yoga is so new and exciting that along with adding a relaxing workout to your day, you also feel the tingle of adventure and fun that comes with trying something new.
What to Expect at an Aerial Yoga Class?
If you are sold on this new type of yoga, here’s how you can prepare mentally and physically for this class.
How to Dress- First you should wear tight-fitting clothing that won’t get in the way or caught during any of your moves. Make sure to put your hair up or back in a braid to stop it from getting caught as well. Don’t wear any shoes. Barefoot is the best way to go since you will need to be able to wrap your feet in the cloth easily. Don’t wear any hand lotion because it might make your hands slippery and your grip on the cloth will be inhibited. It is also best to leave all jewelry at home.
What to Bring-Bring your yoga mat to place under the hammock because many of the moves will require more than just the hammock and most classes start out with a few traditional positions before incorporating the hammock. You will also want to bring a bottle of water to hydrate after your class.
Just like anything new, you might be a bit skeptical or nervous about trying it but you won’t know until you try. You might end up loving it.
It’s important to note that aerial yoga is not a good idea for certain groups of people. Pregnant women, those with prosthetics, anyone who has high or low blood pressure or anyone who has had a recent eye surgery should not do aerial yoga. Also, anyone who suffers from vertigo, bone disorders, cardiovascular diseases, eye diseases or have blocked nasal cavities should not practice aerial yoga.
