Have you tried Aerial Yoga yet?

31 Jan

Yoga & Fitness Photography — Blog entry

31st Jan

What is Aerial Yoga?

This blog entry is all about the reasons to try aerial yoga.

I currently partake in trapeze yoga, but recently my teacher of this practice has started to offer aerial yoga, as well as her current yoga sessions. This gave me the chance to take part in an aerial yoga class as I have a photo shoot planned for this practice. I feel that as a photographer, it is good to attempt the practice that I intend on photographing. This will give me a better idea of how each pose looks and feels.

This blog entry is all about the pros and cons of this practice and my own experience during my one-hour session. Please realise that I am not an expert in this exercise, it will just be my opinion formed, from completing one class.

Take a look at this amazing video of a selection of movements completed in an aerial yoga routine, I love the way that she moves from one pose to the next.

If you enjoyed watching this clip, then follow this YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9IWb4zCHvQSgFFmns39gCg

Benefits of aerial yoga

By researching this form of exercise it is advised that before you attempt this type of practice, you will benefit from having previous yoga experience. You should be comfortable doing poses like downward dog, flow pose and shoulder stands.

As I practice trapeze yoga my teacher asked me to forget this practice and concentrate on these set moves. Both practices have similar moves, but this practice is more elegant with pointed toes per pose and the way that you are guided to step out of the silks. Another aspect to consider when deciding to practice this exercise is what you wear so that you do not damage the silk with zips or jewellery.

Pros:

Here is a list of reasons why you may wish to try this practice, as long as you are comfortable with being upside down for long periods of time.

You can lose weight, as you are engaging your muscles to move into each pose.
It will improve your flexibility
Suspension in the air releases tension on the bones and muscle
You will get a total body workout which is good for old age, as it helps to improve the circulation of blood
It will put you in a good mood
It will improve your memory, strength, and balance
It will heal back problems and improve your digestive system
You will have psychological benefits as you will clear your mind and relieve your stress.

Cons:

1. It is recommended to avoid aerial yoga if you suffer from heart disease, extremely high or low blood pressure, glaucoma or severe arthritis, to name a few.

2. Some with a propensity towards dizziness may not feel comfortable hanging upside down.

3. Those with poor balance may feel unstable and frightened of falling.

4. It is definitely not safe while pregnant or recovering from surgery.

I hope that after reading the pros and cons of this practice you can decide if this is a type of Yoga you may wish to try. I have attempted a class and I enjoyed holding poses for longer and the elegance. I did have trouble with the material on my back when upside down, as this was uncomfortable. I must admit that I have been doing a trapeze class for a year now and I still find some positions difficult or uncomfortable, but you need to breathe through this feeling.

Here is Aerial Yoga Routine by Core Yoga, this should give you a visual idea of the type of moves you will attempt when participating in this type of yoga class - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoWrCVgGLwMoU27RGdSeqoQ

Places to learn this practice:

I have researched a selection of areas that offer classes in this exercise and I have narrowed them to London and to my own location, please see below.

Located in Northampton are: -https://www.gravityyoga.co.uk

Blogs and New stories about this practice

Gwyneth Paltrow, practices this type of yoga.

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Samantha Peel