This weekend I attended my first ever aerial yoga class. In case you have never heard of aerial yoga (which many have not), it is yoga that combines aspects of Pilates and gymnastics in an elevated hammock-like swing. Some people also call it anti-gravity yoga.
The class was super fun! So much so, that I was convinced it was not much of a workout at all. Sure, down dog and cobra are completely different when your feet are suspended above the ground, and sure, the balance work was definitely a core exercise, but it really was more fun than work. At least, that is how I felt until I woke-up the next morning with sore buns, sore lower abs, and sore upper arms. The beginner aerial yoga class I attended ended up being a great workout with very, very little of the traditional yoga environment.
It makes sense that aerial yoga was different from any other yoga class ever taken since it was created by gymnast and Broadway choreographer, Christopher Harrison. Aerial yoga is meant to give a whole body workout while also decompressing the spine. Some of the benefits include:
- Cleansing the body of toxins through inversion
- Reactivating the circulatory, digestive, and respiratory systems
- Decompressing the spine- Anti-gravity yoga actually guarantees that after the class is the tallest you can be.
- Toning more muscles than the same positions done without the hammock
- Improving flexibility
Just like other yoga classes, shoes are not needed and tighter fitting, comfortable clothes are recommended. This is especially true for your top since many of the poses are inversions or nearly so. Almost anyone can take an aerial yoga class and get something out of it. In fact, one other first timer in my class was a 50+ year old man who had only done yoga once before. He sincerely enjoyed the class and looked pretty proficient while doing the poses!
For me, the class was very freeing and extremely fun. It honestly felt like I was five again and playing on the jungle gym in my back yard. The fact that this is a workout method is pretty impressive. Although the class is not your ohm-centric yoga fest, it does have similar mind-over-matter benefits and will definitely help improve traditional yoga poses. For those who do not usually do yoga, you may sincerely enjoy this class. Yes, there are yoga poses, but really, you get to play on a swing for an hour and call it a workout!
