Yoga is a practice that becomes a near necessity for regular practitioners who have mastered the more strenuous postures of a particular kind of yoga. When these individual begin to experience the need to challenge their body ever more, yoga teachers and gurus begin evolving newer forms of the ancient therapy to keep their clientele satiated. One such modern interpretation of the ancient yoga therapy is Aerial Yoga.
What is Aerial Yoga?
Aerial Yoga is the practice of performing yoga asanas and movement while being suspended in the air just a few inches above the ground. Usually, Aerial Yoga studios use aerial silk acrobatics equipment to provide stability and a sense of security to aerial yoga practitioners though advanced practitioners are also know to use makeshift suspension devices like hammocks to perform these asanas.
How did Aerial Yoga originate?
Aerial Yoga is basically the brainchild of New York-based aerial silk acrobatics artist and dancer Michelle Dortignac. Dortignac started practicing yoga after she was introduced to Vinyasa Yoga in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. She moved to NYC in 1991 to study dance and yoga. In 2002, she began learning Tissu or aerial silk acrobatics. In January of 2006, Dortignac had the brilliant idea of combining Tissu and yoga and thus aerial yoga was born.
How does Aerial Yoga work?
Aerial Yoga basically works by forcing the practitioner to resist and counter the effects of gravity. Since the practice often requires one to balance themselves on the silk cloth and remain suspended in the air, it helps improve core strength and as well as overall muscle strength. The sheer force required by a practitioner to hold a pose while balancing themselves in mid-air through a rope has an effect of increasing flexibility, relieving tension on bones, joints and muscles and elongating spine.
