The hammocks that we use in aerial yoga are made of the same fabric used in Cirque du Soleil and Pink’s performances, but modified so that it is closer to the ground. The hammocks are safety-rated to hold up to 2000 lbs, ensuring that all students can practice safely. The beauty of aerial yoga is that you don’t need ANY previous experience with acrobatics, aerial dance, or even yoga.
When you come to aerial yoga class, the aerial hammock is used various ways throughout class. You will condition and stretch muscles, decompress joints, and improve range of motion and coordination.
During conditioning moves, your body is partially supported by the hammock to challenge muscles in a way unique to aerial yoga. You’ll work your core and strengthen your back using both the hammock and your own body weight to provide resistance. When your weight is shared with the hammock, you will be able to move through your full range of motion. You may find that your new core strength will change your day-to-day functioning.
The aerial hammock allows you to stretch your muscles in new ways, making it a powerful tool in improving function. The novel poses of aerial yoga stretch tight muscles that affect your everyday comfort. These kinds of benefits make aerial yoga an antidote to the culture of driving and cubicle-sitting.
Flipping upside down gives you the opportunity to change the perspective from your everyday. Every class has inversions which are not only fun, but have many benefits. When you hang upside down in a hammock, the effects of gravity are inverted, which decompresses the spine and strengthens surrounding muscles.
If deepening your existing yoga practice is one of your goals, the hammock also provides posture-assistance for more advanced, traditional yoga postures. The hammock provides feedback, creating awareness of your body in your favorite poses.
Finally, every class ends with a relaxation pose, fully supported in the hammock. Unlike the relaxation pose of a mat yoga class, the hammock reduces noise and light stimuli. The effect is powerful: it stays with you long after class has ended, and keeps you returning.