As I walked into the aerial yoga class, I couldn’t help but wonder, “How the heck did I get myself into this?”

I almost left when I realized I was the only student above 25 but decided to stick it out.

I was good with the warm up and stretch that was done the old-fashioned way with both feet on the ground, but started to get nervous when it came time to get into the silk (that’s what the young, hip folks call the sling suspended from the ceiling).

“This is where we’ll see who’s the strongest,” the instructor said. “Using your core and your upper body strength, pull yourself up into the silk. Do not use momentum. If you are strong enough, your silk shouldn’t swing.”

Oh, mercy. Epic silk fail. I got myself up but was swinging around like the woman on the flying trapeze. My classmates smiled in the way young people do when they don’t want to make fun of an old woman trying her best. The instructor came right over and steadied my swing. She smiled the way a patient teacher does.

We held the first pose for a while. I liked it. You could go deeper into the pose for a really good stretch. I was seeing the value to aerial yoga. I wasn’t exactly graceful coming out of the pose and back to the ground, but my first exit was uneventful. I didn’t fall so I considered that success.

Time to try the next pose. I wanted to redeem myself so I sucked in my stomach as hard as I could and clenched my bottom. I put one foot in the silk. I grabbed on as high as I could and tried to engage all my muscles as I pulled up. This time I flew out in a circle like the swing ride at the S.C. State Fair. My instructor rushed over and steadied me for the second time. She mentioned the harnesses were professionally installed. Was she worried or did she think I was? Either way, that was good information to know.

I did improve as the class went along. Towards the end, I was in a pose where I was hanging upside down. The pressure of my hips against the silk and the rope wrapped around my ankles was supposed to be enough to hold my weight, but my hands still held a death grip.

“Let go. Let go. Let go,” the instructor said. “No, no, no,” said my brain. Finally, when she promised to stand beside me and catch me if I fell, I released one hand and then the other. Voila. I was suspended. I felt like Zendaya from The Greatest Showman. In that moment, I felt strong and free. I felt strong and free for about three seconds until the blood rushed to my head and then my brain told me it might be time to hop on out of that silk, so I did.

Overall, I was proud of myself for trying something new. I don’t think I’ll do aerial yoga on a regular basis, but I want to go back if they’ll have me.

Before the class, I thought of aerial yoga as a novelty in the same category with baby goat yoga and pole cardio. I wasn’t expecting a serious workout. I was wrong. The next day my legs and arms were sore, and my stomach muscles were screaming: “How the heck did you get us into this mess?” Sorry, core muscles. 

I often wonder that myself. 

Tammy Davis is a S. C. writer. She sends a huge shout out to Bethany at Fit Columbia in Five Points for not letting her fall on her head. READ FULL ARTICLE: https://www.thecolumbiastar.com/articles/she-flies-through-the-air/

Aerial Yoga offers authentic yoga, with the support of a soft, aerial fabric hammock — to explore, refine, and advance traditional asana, both in the air and on the ground. Uniquely developed for beginners thru all levels of experience. Our instructors come with full background checks, CPR & First Aid certifications and a minimum of 200 hours of yoga teacher training. 

 

AERIAL YOGA STUDENT ETIQUETTE:

• If it is your first-time at Fit Columbia, please allow yourself 10 minutes to fill out paperwork and connect with your teacher to set up for class.

• If you have already come to an aerial class at Fit Columbia, please arrive 5 minutes before class to set yourself up comfortably in your hammock.

• Aerial Yoga can be thrilling. For safety reasons, we ask that you are quiet and listen attentively while the teacher is talking.

• Listen to your body and take care of yourself during class. Rest when needed by coming to child’s pose on your mat or resting in the hammock in a neutral position that feels good to you.

• Communicate openly with our instructors. Please let them know if you have any injury. During class if you feel any discomfort, please let the instructor know right away so that he/she can adjust and help you.

• Avoid practicing on a full stomach. Please do not eat a heavy meal in the two hours before class and it is highly recommended that you not eat or drink heavy smoothies an hour before your class time. Trust us, you’ll appreciate the advice. 

• Please turn cell phones off or silence them. Please do not leave your phone on vibrate.

• Wear leggings and shirts with sleeves.

• Avoid wearing lotion, oil or strong perfumes.

 

CLOTHING:
We take a lot of photos in our aerial yoga classes. We ask that you dress comfortably but keep the following notes in mind. 

• Remove all jewelry, watches and hair clips. Ensure that your clothing is "zipper free". These items can snag and damage the silk hammocks.

• Wear fitness clothing. Form fitting t-shirts, short or long sleeved, and Capri or long fitted pants are ideal for this practice, it offers protection from any irritation friction might cause on the backs of the knees or under the arms.

PHYSICAL RESTRICTIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS:
Before attending class, please let the teacher know if you have any medical issues that prevent you from inverting or putting pressure on your skin. Before attending class, check with your doctor if you have a spinal injury or any medical condition that might be effected by an Aerial Yoga class. Contraindications include:

• Recent Surgery

• Very High or Very Low Blood Pressure

• Pregnancy

• Glaucoma

• Head Cold, Flu, or Sinusitis

• Heart Disease

• Easy Onset Vertigo

• Osteoporosis or Bone Weakness

• Recent Concussion or Head Injury

• Hiatal Hernia or Disc Herniation

• Recent Stroke

• Epilepsy

• Artificial or Re-Surfaced Hips

• Botox (within 48 hours of class)

SAFETY:
We love our yoga silks. We also love our gorgeous concrete floors. I want to be clear on the safety of our classes. We match safe our movements to our clients ability and their adventurous spirit. We don't have preset choreographed moves that we have to stick to. Each class must be adjusted to match the energy of room whether private or group. 

To be sure (hard wood floor, concrete floor, padded floor on top of concrete floor) a fall would not be good. We make safety our first priority. We take a lot of time to connect mind and body with the movements. We don't jump in the silk and swing ourselves silly. The instruction is clear, the numbers of participants small and always a 1:1 ratio for inversions. 

Our custom anchoring system was designed by Don Smith, local contractor and long time fitness studio designer for YMCA and other professional fitness facilities.  

STATISTICS:
https://www.acefitness.org/prosourcearticle/5757/ace-sponsored-research-can-aerial-yoga-take/

According to the ACE study, “sixteen healthy women between the ages of 18 and 45 years old were recruited to participate in the study, which involved a six-week intervention with three 50-minute sessions per week (18 total). The same qualified instructor led all sessions and one make-up session was available each week.”

The study goes on to report that “at the conclusion of the six-week Aerial Yoga program, there were significant improvements in the following cardiometabolic risk factors: weight, body-fat percentage, waist circumference, V• O2max, systolic blood pressure and HDL cholesterol.”