by Liz Bragdon, Our Place Studio Yoga & Movement Instructor
What’s Aerial Yoga? Think mini-Cirque du Soleil meets Yoga off-the-mat! Think poses that fly, poses that float, poses that find their form in mindful suspension, a push and pull between body and fabric in a myriad of configurations. It’s an exhilarating, challenging, freeing experience for the body, mind and spirit – a dance between your body, the fabric, earth, and air!
Aerial Yoga developed out of the practice of Aerial Dance – a performing arts discipline most people associate with the acrobatic, mesmerizing aerial shows of Cirque du Soleil. However, you do not need to be an acrobat or climb a silk fixed high above a stage in order to practice Aerial Yoga. Aerial Yoga is practiced with a fabric or “silk” hammock suspended a few feet off the ground. A typical class will begin with a traditional yoga warm-up, then move into poses utilizing the hammock, building from grounded/half-grounded poses, to poses in the air and inverted suspensions and then ending with a floating savasana (resting pose). The hammock provides extra support for the body in certain poses, as well as lots of variation and challenge. Expect to have your upper body, core, and overall whole-body strength, flexibility, and balance integration taken to a new level. A class is at once invigorating, relaxing, with inverted suspensions that provide decompression for the spine and joints, challenging, and fun!
Liz Bragdon will be opening her Aerial Yoga classes to the public the 3rd week of September at Our Place Studio. Liz has been practicing Yoga for 26 years and teaching for 12 years. She completed the Aircat Aerial Yoga Level 1 Teacher Training in July. Learn more about Our Place Studio at opcovington.com or www.astoryinmotion.com
