It is a well-known fact that yoga has been around for centuries, but it has also undergone a lot of transformations over the years. Different types of yoga have been introduced and have gained a lot of popularity. Goat yoga is one of the most well-known types because it is quirky. Another interesting category is that of aerial yoga that not only offers you numerous mental and physical benefits, along with fun acrobatics, but is also becoming an accessible and therapeutic option.
What is it?
Aerial yoga is actually the combination of the aerial arts with the traditional asana and yoga philosophies. Practitioners form shapes with the help of ropes, or silk fabrics that are hung from above. The silks can be used to support you fully, as if you are lying in a hammock, or it can be wrapped around specific body parts, while other parts stay on the floor.
Whether individual body parts are suspended, or you hang fully, aerial yoga is believed to create traction and opens up your body more intuitively and gently as compared to when you are on the floor. The ropes and silks can also be great for balance. While there are acrobatic elements associated with aerial yoga, more and more people are now using aerial silks more therapeutically.
Benefits
Since aerial yoga is a combination of athletics and arts, it can offer a horde of physical and psychological benefits. First and foremost, it offers improved flexibility, balance and stability. Your joints tend to compress over time due to age and gravity and this can lead to pain, but when you are inverting, or hang upside down, it can also decompress the joints.
Research has also shown that aerial yoga can actually reduce the risk factors that usually contribute to heart disease. In fact, it is considered a low to moderate intensity exercise that can help you burn a lot of calories. Those who engage in aerial yoga due to their love for the movement also tend to see their stress levels reduce and improvement in depression. This is because aerial yoga is less competitive and easily accessible.
Where to do it?
The good news about aerial yoga is that you can do it at home. You do not need to renovate your entire living room when you want to do aerial yoga. You just need to connect some ropes or swings to metal frames and this allows you to fly either inside or outside. It is also possible to set up your ropes or skills around strong support beams, or even tree branches. This can be done the same way in which you would hang a hammock traditionally. But, it is recommended that you double check your setup before you start performing aerial yoga because attachments can become loose over time and you do not want to suffer from any injuries.
If you do not want to do it at home, you always have the option of signing up for an aerial yoga class, as they are becoming quite common nowadays.
