Aerial Yoga in NYC

As a child I used to spend hours on my backyard swing set on the rings, and hanging upside down on the bar, which led to gymnastics and to the horror of my daddy no "Olympic Gold"  Not even more than 2 cherished 2nd place ribbons, which made me dive deeper into my music and ignore the gymnastic life except as a memory.  Tonight was my time to shine and revisit that lost childhood love with Aerial Yoga in NYC.

I enter into a lovely studio in Bedford, Brooklyn.  Lovely trapeze swings in vibrant colors cascade from the ceiling.  The lush fabric is attached by a giant hook and attached to another giant hook in the ceiling.  Two friendly girls are swinging and chatting away, sharing the same excitement that I have for this new experience.  

Our lovely instructor Michelle, greets me, has me fill out my waiver, and I quickly rest my mat beneath a gorgeous blue swing that reminds me of the beach.  I look up and question "Is this going to hold me?".  I remind myself that this is still a Yoga experience and I need to surrender my fears and just breathe.

Three other veteran aerial Yoga chicks enter the room and we are a class of 6 ladies swinging from the ceiling.  Like most Yoga classes we begin with Om.  Michelle reminds us of the need to breathe throughout the practice.  We proceed into amazing warm ups with the swing that rip my biceps and remind me of the work I need to do on my upper body strength.

Now, WE SWING!  We are taught headstand, handstand, pigeon, and more.  For those with a minimal inversion practice (upside down postures) well....let's just say the swing helps a ton, however eating before an Aerial Yoga class.....NOT THE BEST IDEA.  I did feel a little dizzy and was told my third time doing upside down pigeon may have been a little over ambitious, but it was soooooo fun and Michelle managed to turn me mid pose while my neighbor captured a picture.  On occasion I bumped into my neighbor (A fellow Aerial Yoga Newbie), like Trapeze bumper cars.

We gravitate to our Yoga Mats and flow through some amazing twists.  Class ends with savasana done hanging in the trapeze swings.  This savasana takes me to thoughts of how it must have felt swinging in the typical baby swing when I went to India as an infant.  Every Indian baby usually swings in a hammock-style swing made of fabric and akin to the Aerial Yoga swing.  So I guess this may not have been my first time at Aerial Yoga!!!

This experience was tons of fun, definitely physically challenging, and again tons of fun!!!!  For more information about participating in Aerial Yoga visit: http://www.aerialyoga.com

~Namaste