Aerial Yoga Swing: A type of yoga that uses a fabric hammock as a tool to help students achieve the traditional Yoga positions. Just like yoga, you will feel your strength increase as well as your own body awareness and developing good postural habits.

As a yoga fan, I have enjoyed trying a variety of types, including Power, Bikram and Vinyasa. Curious about this type of yoga, I decided to try an Aerial Swing Yoga 101 workshop class last weekend. Nervous, yet excited to try this new type of yoga, I went in with an open and willing body and mind.

(*Photo Taken From Yoga Downtown Tampa)

Exploring this new dimension, I had to learn to let go of the ground and trust in the yoga poses to keep me from falling. I had to give up my fear of being upside down in the silk trapeze and learn to just swing there, staring at the floor. I have always been anxious when being upside down so this was a big challenge for me. I started to become a bit dizzy as the blood rushed to my head, but oddly enough, my body felt really relaxed. It was a unique, yet rewarding feeling.

At one point in the workshop, I was able to lean over the fabric at the waist and swing through the air. It was like being on a playground swing, but better!

Some benefits I experienced in my first class:

• Worked on my upper & lower body strength
• Stretched deeper without experiencing strain on my lower back (the fabric supports part of your body weight)
• Learned to work on my balance through the use of the fabric…with my core fully activated!
• Reinforced proper body alignment
• Experienced bringing more oxygen to my brain by gentle inversions on the fabric

(*Photo Take By Yoga Downtown Tampa)

Like a traditional yoga class, the end of class involved meditation and relaxation poses. However, in aerial yoga, you enclose yourself inside the hammock like a cocoon. At first I felt a bit claustrophobic, but after a few minutes, that feeling subsided and I was able to fully relax and listen to the smoothing music and the rhythm of my breath.

By the end of class, I was happy to be on my feet again, but giddy and anxious to come back to learn more aerial yoga swing poses!

Note* I would not recommend this class to those that get motion sickness. The swaying and being upside down will most likely make you dizzy and possibly nauseous. However, if those are not issues for you, I recommend trying this yoga class for the experience alone of trying something new! Always good to challenge our bodies with different types of workouts.

Namaste!