How To Do Aerial Yoga With Sun & Sand Sports

For the latest instalment in the Sun & Sand Sports ‘How To’ series, we got stuck into an Aerial Yoga class at Yoga La Vie, here in Dubai. Instructor Dina Cassir Kfoury took student Amanda through her paces at the studio, taking her from the basics to the more advanced moves in class.

What is aerial yoga, and what are its benefits?

Aerial yoga combines traditional yoga poses with the use of a hammock or fabric sling to support the body during exercises. Unlike conventional yogalates poses or simple yoga positions, aerial yoga adds an element of suspension, which helps in improving flexibility, strength, and balance. It also allows deeper stretching by reducing pressure on joints, making it an excellent practice for beginners exploring yoga positions for beginners or anyone wanting to enhance their fitness routine.

Aerial Yoga Benefits:

Enhanced Flexibility: The support from the hammock enables deeper yoga stretch exercises and stretching yoga poses.

Strength Building: Aerial poses engage core muscles and improve overall body strength.

Spinal Health: The inversions decompress the spine, promoting better posture and reducing back pain.

Mental Relaxation: As with traditional yoga poses, aerial yoga incorporates mindfulness and breathing techniques to reduce stress.

Aerial yoga can be a fun alternative to a standard yogalates class or beginners yoga poses, offering a unique combination of relaxation, fitness, and mental well-being.

Also known as ‘Swing Yoga’ this is a really great way to put a fresh spin on your yoga routine, by adding a hammock into the mix. The hammock is designed with a special high-density nylon fabric material, so you are totally supported when moving about and swinging around. The class consists of a mixture of traditional yoga poses and special adaptations, supported by the hammock as you move from one position to the next, transitioning between the more simple seated poses, to more challenging inverted positions, as you gain confidence on the hammock.

There are a whole host of benefits to practising Aerial Yoga, including greater flexibility, core stability and general stress relief – taking your body out of its usual comfort zones, into a variety of positions that increase blood flow to different parts of the body – particularly when it comes to the inverted positions.

Watch the full instructional video below and see what it takes to master the basics of Aerial Yoga.

Here’s a little recap of what you need to know:

1. Listen to your body: Stretch as far as your body will allow – this will be a larger stretch for some, with a smaller stretch for others, depending on your level of flexibility.

2. Moving into inversion: Adjust the hammock to a level that suits your body height – just below the hips.

3. The hammock fabric: Always spread the fabric before sitting inside, in order to provide more surface area for stability.

4. Hammock placement: When seated, the hammock fabric should be under your sitting bones, then spread the fabric out behind you, to hug the lower back and sacrum area for support.

5. Moving into inversion: Hold onto the handles, spread the legs as you lean backwards and you (gracefully) move into an inverted position. You can then wrap your legs around the hammock, release the handles and enjoy the inverted position.

6. Dizziness: If you feel dizzy simply move yourself back into a seated position, moving slowly as you return.

7. Returning to seated: Come back up the way you came down! Release your legs, bringing them in and down, take a hold of the handles as your body comes back into a seated position.

8. Don’t be afraid to go upside down, and have fun with it!

Can aerial yoga make you taller?

Aerial yoga, like other forms of yoga stretch exercises or stretching yoga poses, cannot physically increase your height as your height is determined by genetics and bone structure. However, it can help improve your posture by decompressing the spine and aligning the body. Inversions and supported stretches in aerial yoga create space between the vertebrae, which can temporarily make you feel taller.

Regular practice of aerial yoga can enhance flexibility, strengthen core muscles, and alleviate the slouching caused by poor posture, helping you stand taller and appear more confident. It’s an excellent addition to routines focusing on simple yoga positions or beginners yoga poses to promote overall spinal health and a stretched upright stance.

Gear up for your aerial yoga session with yoga clothing and essentials available at Sun & Sand Sports on our website: sssports.com.

You can check out the other instructional videos in the How To series right here, and pick up some new skills for 2024. Sign up to the SSS newsletter for all the latest updates on sports trends, highlights, and events.

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