Air yoga (aerojoga, aerial yoga, yoga with a scarf) combines elements of acrobatics, circus art, pilates and positions known from classical yoga. Practicing yoga with a scarf is very spectacular, and it does not burden the spine and joints. Why else is it worth practicing air yoga?

Contents:

  1. Air yoga: what are the classes like?
  2. Air yoga: can air yoga be practiced at home?
  3. Air Yoga: Benefits
  4. Air yoga: contraindications

Air yoga (aerojoga, aerial yoga)was founded thanks to Michelle Dortignac, who in 2006 in New York started practicing yoga with the use of a hammock for the first time. This dancer and acrobat, passionate about Eastern culture, decided to create something that would combine the beauty and grace of hammock exercises with the peace and harmony of yoga.

The effects of her work became extremely popular in a short time and nowadays aeroga can also be practiced in Poland. It is worth adding that apart from yoga itself, aerial yoga also includes elements of dance, stretching and fitness.

Air yoga: what are the classes like?

In aerojoga, all poses / asanas are performed using a hammock / scarf, made of delicate fabrics and suspended from the ceiling. The first exercises familiarize you with the scarf and allow you to get rid of the fear of transferring the weight of the whole body to the hammock. The scarf is designed to relieve the joints of the exerciser and help him open up, feel the specific lightness of the body and mind. In each air yoga class, the first exercises are performed in contact with the floor. They mainly consist of warming up and stretching the muscles. These include trunk circulation and bends.

Only in the next part of aerial yoga classes, participants move to a position in which the weight of the body is completely transferred to the hammock. In the beginner groups, these are simple asanas, while in the advanced groups, the exercises in the air already contain elements of acrobatics. With time, as the skill level of the practitioners increases, more and more of yoga classes with a scarf are fully suspended, i.e. without contact with the floor.

Practicing air yoga requires a lot of effort, but at the same time gives a huge dose of positive energy. By detaching yourself from the ground when performing asanas, you can easily disconnect from your daily routineby exercising your body - clear your mind.

Contrary to popular belief, practicing air yoga is not difficult. Thanks to the support of the scarf, even the most complicated items are no longer a great challenge. However, the fact is that some asanas performed while suspended require a lot of flexibility, and this only comes after several weeks of practice.

Advanced air yoga poses are extremely effective, for example those upside down, when the scarf wraps around the exerciser over the buttocks or in the thighs. The exercises are also performed inside the hammock.

To what extent air yoga classes will be based on classical yoga positions, and to what extent on acrobatics elements depends on the teacher - yoga with scarves does not have a rigid, imposed course of classes and the sequence of asanas.

Read also: Bikram yoga: what is it?

Air yoga: can air yoga be practiced at home?

Practicing air yoga requires the use of special equipment - a scarf, made of silk fibers, suspended from the ceiling with a hook about a meter above the floor. The standard air yoga sling has a slight stretch that disappears after several uses. The most popular scarves are 5-7 meters long and 1.7 meters wide. For their assembly, apart from the hook, you will also need a mountaineering carabiner. The scarf is hung from the ceiling so that its center forms a swing. In some yoga studios, the scarves are mounted on two hooks, thanks to which the "swing" effect is greater - its suspended ends are fixed at a distance corresponding to the width of the practitioner's shoulders.

Practicing suspended aerojoga to be safe and effective requires knowledge and skills. Anyone who begins their adventure with air yoga should use the guidance and help of an experienced instructor. Only people with advanced skills can decide to practice air yoga on their own.

The cost of a hammock with a mount is around PLN 450, but before investing in such professional equipment, it is worth asking your air yoga instructor if you are ready to practice on your own.

Air Yoga: Benefits

The main advantage of exercising on a hammock is "getting rid" of your own body weight, which is transferred from the joints and spine to the scarf. Such relief is especially recommended for people with posture defects. Additionally, air yoga, based on stretching exercises, makes the body more flexible, increases joint mobility and deeply stretches the muscles.

Quite unusual effect of practicing air yoga is additional centimeters of height. Stretching during classes causes the practitioner of air yogaleave classes 2-3 centimeters taller (this condition lasts for several hours).

Practicing aerial yoga strengthens the muscles of the arms and legs - their strength is the basis for most of the exercises in suspension. Since air asanas require smooth transitions to subsequent positions, they strengthen the abdominal muscles that "lift" the body, for example when exiting an inverted position.

Practicing air yoga, thanks to exercises upside down, improves the blood supply and oxygenation of the brain, which has a good effect on concentration and eye-hand coordination. Performing properly selected yoga asanas with a scarf, thanks to the special selection of "massage" positions, improves the blood supply to internal organs, which improves the functioning of the digestive, lymphatic and blood systems. You can burn about 150 calories in one air yoga class.

Practicing yoga in the air also affects the psyche of the exerciser. Performing exercises while suspended relaxes and relaxes. Importantly, yoga with the use of scarves teaches openness to new experiences and gives courage. Exercising above ground requires faith in your own strength and skills, therefore practicing air yoga strengthens mentally, but also gives a sense of freedom. Women practicing air yoga feel more feminine and sensual thanks to the smoothness of the exercises and the elasticity of the body.

What do aerial yoga bunnies look like?

See the attached video!

Important

Air yoga classes require an appropriate outfit

Because when exercising with a scarf, we base the whole body on it, it is worth making sure that the outfit does not have any protruding elements, e.g. zippers, buttons that could be sticky. In addition, in order to protect against abrasions during air yoga classes, it is worth wearing long pants and a T-shirt that covers the shoulders. Aerial yoga is practiced barefoot, and before the class, it is mandatory to remove all jewelry that could get caught on the scarf during the asanas.

The cost of one class is about PLN 30-40.

Air yoga: contraindications

Although practicing yoga in the air has many benefits and is safe, due to the large number of asanas performed in an inverted position (upside down), aerial yoga cannot be trained by people suffering from heart diseases.

Additional contraindications are:

  • glaucoma,
  • pregnancy,
  • menstruation,
  • recent head injury
  • recent operation,
  • tendency to faint,
  • osteoporosis,
  • carpal tunnel syndrome,
  • sinusitis,
  • discopathy,
  • inflammationarthritis,
  • diseases of the nervous system.

Air yoga is often perceived as light and flexible classes. Although this type of exercise burns calories in a similar (small) amount to traditional yoga, i.e. about 150 kcal per hour, air yoga is recommended for overweight people mainly due to the relief of the spine and joints during exercises.

People who are fatter before participating in air yoga may block the feeling that they are too heavy to exercise on the hammock. Nothing could be more wrong! A sling designed for aerial yoga can hold up to 400 kg, so heavy weight is not a problem.

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Yoga