Acroyoga (also written ''Acro-Yoga'' or ''Acro Yoga'') is a physical practice that
combines yoga and
acrobatics
Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...
.
Acroyoga includes many types of (mostly recreational) partner and group acrobatics in which at least someone is lifted. As such, it also draws on traditions of circus arts, cheerleading, and dance acro.
Acroyoga is more vigorous than many traditional forms of
yoga as exercise
Yoga as exercise is a physical activity consisting mainly of postures, often connected by flowing sequences, sometimes accompanied by breathing exercises, and frequently ending with relaxation lying down or meditation. Yoga in this form has ...
and may lead to more injuries.
Roles
There are three primary roles in an Acroyoga practice: base, flyer, and spotter.
* Base – the individual who has the most points of contact with the ground. Often this person is lying on the ground with the entire back torso in full contact. This enables both the arms and legs to be "bone-stacked" for maximum stability and support of the Flyer. Main points of contact with the flyer are the feet (generally placed on the Flyer's hips, groin or lower abdomen) and the hands (which either form handholds or grasp the shoulders).
* Flyer – the individual who is elevated off the ground by the Base. The Flyer can move into a series of dynamic positions, and generally lets gravity do the work for them. A Flyer needs balance, confidence, and core strength.
* Spotter – this is the individual who has an objective view of the partners, and whose entire focus is on making sure that the Flyer lands safely in case of any slips. The spotter can also make recommendations to the Base and Flyer to improve their form.
Styles
There are two main styles in an Acroyoga practice: L-basing and Standing.
* L-basing, where the base lies on their back while supporting the flyer's weight on the base's legs (creating an L shape with the body). This style allows a relatively long "flying" time.
* Standing - the base stands up and relies more on their hands and shoulders to support the flyer's weight. This style permits a relatively short "flying" time.
Learning Acroyoga
Learning Acroyoga requires strength training, flexibility training and technique training.
[Nemer, Jason and Sauer-Klein, Jenny. ''AcroYoga Flight Manual'', 2008, acroyoga.org] Strength training is accomplished through repetition of exercises like
push-up
The push-up (sometimes called a press-up in British English) is a common calisthenics exercise beginning from the prone position. By raising and lowering the body using the arms, push-ups exercise the pectoral muscles, triceps, and anterio ...
s,
hand walking
Hand walking is an unusual form of human locomotion in which a person travels in a vertically inverted orientation with all body weight resting on the hands.
It can be executed with legs fully extended or with variations such as stag, straddle or ...
and
handstand
__NOTOC__
A handstand is the act of supporting the body in a stable, inverted vertical position by balancing on the hands. In a basic handstand, the body is held straight with arms and legs fully extended, with hands spaced approximately shoulder- ...
s.
Flexibility training is best done at the end of a session with a partner. Learning good Acroyoga technique takes time and effort and is best learned with an expert teacher.
One important Acroyoga technique is called ''bone stacking.'' This involves the base partner keeping arms and legs straight to maximize the weight load on bones rather than muscles to support the flyer.
A typical acroyoga session may include:
* Circle ceremony for communication and openness
*
Warm-up to gradually get your muscles ready for more strenuous exercise
* Partner flow - continue warming up with
asana
An asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose,Verse 46, chapter II, "Patanjali Yoga sutras" by Swami Prabhavananda, published by the Sri Ramakrishna Math p. 111 and later extended in hatha yoga ...
s and stretching with a partner
* Inversions help build trust between the partners
* Flying and acrobatics
File:AcroYoga pose Back Bird variation.jpg, Inverted Dancer pose
Natarajasana ( sa, नटराजासन, translit=Naṭarājāsana), Lord of the Dance Pose or Dancer Pose is a standing, balancing, back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. It is derived from a pose in the classical Indian dance form B ...
File:Practicing-acroyoga-tokyoarea-yoyogipark-2018-5-20.webm, People practicing acroyoga in a Japanese park
File:AcroYoga pose Super Yogi.jpg, Acroyoga therapeutic flying in Super Yogi pose
File:AcroYoga Jam.jpg, Acroyoga meeting in a public park in Austin, Texas
Poses
There are many static acroyoga poses. A series of acroyoga poses that are repeated in a continuous flow is called a Washing Machine.
A basic
therapeutic pose is ''Folded Leaf'' in which one partner is inverted and supported on the vertical legs of the other partner whose hands are then free for back massage.
File:Acro Yoga Flash Mob.jpg, Front Bird - a basic acro yoga pose
File:Acroyoga in butler park.jpg , Bird on one foot
File:Acro Yoga Whale Pose.jpg, Whale
File:Hangle Dangle.jpg, Hangle Dangle
File:Acro Yoga.jpg, Back Bird variation
File:Three Person Back Bird Balancing - Acroyoga Pose.jpg, Three person balancing pose
File:Acro Yoga - star (side view).jpg, Star - side view
File:Acro Yoga Floating Paschi Pose.jpg, Floating Paschi
File:Throne - Acroyoga Pose.jpg, Throne Pose with base smaller than the flyer.
File:Three Person Foot to Foot Downward Dog with Foot Hang Flyer - Acroyoga Pose.jpg, Non L-Basing pose
History
Acroyoga's L-basing practice was pioneered by one of the founders of modern yoga as exercise,
Krishnamacharya
Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (18 November 1888 – 28 February 1989) was an Indian yoga teacher, ayurvedic healer and scholar. He is seen as one of the most important gurus of modern yoga, and is often called "the father of modern yoga" for h ...
, in 1938, though without using acroyoga's terminology.
There are many schools of Acroyoga. The original two schools were AcroYoga Montreal and AcroYoga Inc. AcroYoga Montreal was founded by Eugene Poku and Jessie Goldberg in 2003;
they had informally used the term AcroYoga since 1999.
Also in 2003, AcroYoga International was founded by Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer-Klei in California USA.
This practice blends acrobatics, yoga and healing arts, with the focus initially mainly on therapeutic flying and yoga. Nemer and Sauer-Klei were the first to codify Acroyoga practice in 2006. They trained and made practice manuals for the public, trained teachers and traveled the world sharing the practice. AcroYoga Inc. had by 2017 certified around a thousand Acroyoga teachers worldwide. The focus of the practice has shifted more to the Solar - acrobatic - part of Acroyoga.
See also
*
Acrobalance
Acrobalance is a floor-based acrobatic art that involves balances, lifts and creating shapes performed in pairs or groups.
A performer on the ground doing the lifting and supporting in an acrobalance formation is often called the ''base'', while ...
*
Acrobatic gymnastics
Acrobatic gymnastics is a competitive gymnastic discipline where partnerships of gymnasts work together and perform figures consisting of acrobatic moves, dance and tumbling, set to music. There are three types of routines; a 'balance' routine ...
*
Adagio (acrobatics)
Adagio is the performance of partner acrobalance poses and associated movements that involve stationary balances by a pair of performers. It is performed in professional circus, in various dance disciplines including acro dance and ballet, in pai ...
*
Aerial yoga
Aerial yoga is a hybrid type of yoga developed by Michelle Dortignac in 2006 combining traditional yoga poses, pilates, and dance with the use of a hammock.
History
Aerial yoga was developed by Michelle Dortignac in 2006, using a combinatio ...
References
External links
AcropediaAcroYoga International IncAcroyoga Montreal
{{Yoga as exercise
Physical exercise
Yoga schools
Acrobatic gymnastics
Yoga hybrids