In 2019, there are all different types of yoga. There’s regular yoga, hot yoga, Bikram yoga, even yoga with goats. And one of the most popular new forms of yoga is aerial yoga. You’ve probably seen the super cool pictures of people lifted into the air gracefully doing yoga and wondered how that’s even possible. Although aerial yoga makes for beautiful photos, it’s anything but an easy workout.
So, what exactly is aerial yoga, you ask? You get into a hammock shaped like a sling that comes down from the ceiling. You move your body in the hammock into different positions or do tricks like a back-flip inside it. Confused yet? It takes practice, but once you get the hang of aerial yoga, it’s extremely fun.
There is a myriad of benefits that come from doing aerial yoga. Regular yoga is an excellent form of weight loss and relaxation, and aerial yoga promises all of that and more. Regularly doing aerial yoga will increase your flexibility by giving you even more room to stretch than with regular yoga. It will strengthen your muscles because you have to seriously engage your core during the entire workout to balance yourself. It is an excellent form of stress-relief, as the act of aerial yoga in itself is exciting, and the poses are known to induce relaxation.
Going to aerial yoga for the first time might be intimidating. You walk into a room full of yogis and hammocks draped beautifully from the ceiling and wonder: what am I doing here? Well, before you turn right around and head to the regular yoga class next door, remind yourself that you don’t have to be a yoga master to do aerial yoga.
Most people find that although it takes a little to get the hang of it, aerial yoga is pretty basic. You will probably not be the only one in your class who’s confused, so have confidence in yourself. It’s also one of the best ab workouts, so knowing that you’re engaging your core in a new and challenging way is exciting in itself.
Doing aerial yoga will better prepare you for traditional yoga, too! You’ll find that once you start to master yoga poses in the air, doing them on the ground is a breeze. It’s also a low-impact workout, so your risk of injury is low. And it’s easy on your joints, making aerial yoga the perfect workout to do in between intense fitness days.
Most of all, aerial yoga is an excellent workout for your mind. Even if you start stressing about how to do it, chances are you will leave feeling relaxed and excited to try it again. Aerial yoga is a great mind to body exercise. And who knows- you might even find yourself enjoying it so much you’re doing backflips in the hammock by the end of your first class.
