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Fit Columbia uses aerial yoga to aid in fight against domestic violence

Sometimes helping a good cause means doing something difficult. Other times it’s possible to do good and have fun at the same time. Sunday afternoon’s event at Fit Columbia in Five Points was an excellent example of the latter.

Fit Columbia owner Angela Sellers and her team opened the studio for a special aerial yoga class to raise awareness and money for the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA).

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for us,” said SCCADVASA Executive Director Sara Barber, who participated in the aerial fun. “It’s a way for people to do something they like, contribute to a business that supports our community, and then learn more about what we do, what the issues are and how they can help.”

SCCADVASA is a statewide coalition of organizations providing services to victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and offering Primary Prevention programs to students and communities across the state.

“We work around four pillars: advocacy, collaboration, education and prevention,” Barber explained. “We try to coordinate efforts around those four pillars to really change South Carolina’s narrative regarding domestic and sexual violence.”

South Carolina, year after year, ranks among the 10 deadliest states for women. The Violence Policy Center ranked the Palmetto State sixth-worst in 2018, with 48 women killed by men in 12 months.

“I think we’re starting to make progress, but it’s a very, very long road,” Barber said. “I think people can take positive steps and think that we’re done, and we can never let up.”

Fit Columbia donated $221 to SCCADVASA Sunday afternoon, in addition to helping raise awareness. The fundraiser allowed those in attendance to experience yoga with aerial silks, a new experience for some, but one enjoyed by all.

Information for those who would like to support SCCADVASA and for anyone in need of help to escape domestic violence is available  at SCCADVASA.org.

Summer in Soda City

Let’s get physical 

Staying in shape this summer can be fun by going beyond your traditional exercise routine. Sign up for GroupX classes at the Strom or head over to Fit Columbia for some unconventional fitness, like yoga with puppies or goats.

Intramurals are offered throughout the summer. Signing up a team is a great way to stay active and meet new people. Sports that are being offered include pickleball, soccer and even pool spikeball.

Another way to stay fit or just get around is to rent a “Blue Bike” and explore campus and the city of Columbia on two wheels. There are several pickup and return stations near Riverwalk Park, Five Points, Pendleton Street garage, Colonial Life Arena and other spots around the city.

WISTV: BEER YOGA WITH

Let’s face it, yoga can be intimidating at first.

You find yourself in a room full of strangers that are most definitely zen masters. Will you fall on your face? Is everyone staring at you? What if you mess up?
The answers are actually quite simple young grasshopper. Your face will be just fine, no one is staring at you, and everyone is probably going to mess up at some point during the class.

If you’re still a little hesitant, Fit Columbia and River Rat Brewery have teamed up to bring beer yoga to Fit’s studio in Five Points.
So, if you want to give finding your inner peace a try, grab a cold one, knock the edge off of that social anxiety, and prepare for a great time!

Fit Columbia offers all sorts of other yoga and fitness classes as well and beer yoga isn’t the only crazy one.
Sign up and give baby goat yoga (yup, that’s a thing), puppy yoga, aerial yoga, or wall yoga a try too.

The State Newspaper: Puppy Yoga

Angie Sellers of Fit Columbia leads a 'Yoga with Puppies' class now at the yoga studio in Columbia's Five Points. Sellers held two classes on May 13, 2017, with ten participants bringing in their favorite 4-legged friend to enjoy the relaxing exercise and fitness class. Here, Angie Sellers teaches the class some yoga poses on the aerial silk as the dogs explore and play. Rob Thompson rthompson@thestate.com


Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article150415387.html#storylink=cpy

Go Columbia: Yoga with Puppies

Columbia fitness studio offering yoga with puppies 

Erin Shaw

First, there was goat yoga. Now, there’s puppy yoga. 

Fit Columbia in Five Points will offer a yoga class where dogs are welcome on Saturday.

Owner Angie Yong Sellers said she was inspired by the goat yoga trend.

“It's been really successful and I thought about it and realized I have the perfect space for puppies,” she wrote in an email.

The class is $20 and BYOP - Bring Your Own Puppy. It will include yoga on mats, “so everyone can smell each other and explore,” as well as aerial silks “to see our cute, furry friends playing down below,” Sellers said. 

As of Monday afternoon, the class was nearly sold out. If you miss it, there will be a second class on June 17. Find out more at Fit Columbia.


Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/entertainment/local-events/article149354624.html#storylink=cpy

 

Aerial Silks Yoga *etiquette & statistics

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.”