Aerial yoga is a hybrid type of yoga developed by Michelle Dortignac in 2006 combining traditional yoga poses,

pilates Pilates (; ) is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Pilates called his method "Contrology". It is practiced worldwide, especially in countries suc ...

, and dance with the use of a

hammock A hammock (from Spanish , borrowed from Taíno and Arawak ) is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two or more points, used for swinging, sleeping, or resting. It normally consists of one or more cloth panels, or a wo ...

History

Aerial yoga was developed by Michelle Dortignac in 2006, using a combination of traditional yoga poses,

, and dance with the use of a

. Fly Yoga was developed in France in 2009 by Florie Ravinet in collaboration with a physical therapist, and has been "approved by health professionals". AeroYoga was developed around the same time by Rafael Martinez.

Hammock

Aerial yoga requires a special kind of

, a

prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...

designed to support up to 300 kilograms on average. The rig typically consists of support chains, a webbing strap, a silk hammock and

carabiner A carabiner or karabiner () is a specialized type of shackle, a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used to quickly and reversibly connect components, most notably in safety-critical systems. The word is a shortened form of ''Karabinerhaken'' ...

s. Two support chains hang from the ceiling to less than one meter above ground level, and the hammock is connected at the height set by the user. There are two styles of installing an aerial yoga hammock, depending on the effects desired: either two anchor points (for more stability) or one anchor point, to give the participant an increased range of motion. The hammock acts like a swing supporting the hips for forward bends and backbends. Difficult mat-based yoga postures may prove easier to perform through aerial yoga, while the hammock's movement further contributes to adding variety to the aerial workout.

Health benefits claimed

Aerial yoga has not been studied with

clinical trial Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, diet ...

s. Anecdotal evidence indicates that by facilitating bending and stretching of the whole body during exercise, muscles and joints will be strengthened and rehabilitated, and the spine decompressed as the body hangs freely. Yoga in general, and aerial yoga in particular is promoted as benefiting emotional, psychological and spiritual health.

Popular poses

Aerial yoga poses include the cross position, leaning back with support just above the waist, arms outspread; the star inversion, the hammock supporting the tailbone with the body bending backwards; and the one-legged king pigeon pose, like the star inversion but with one foot hooked across the front of the hammock. A bound variant has the rear ankle grasped by the hands.

References

{{Modern yoga Yoga styles Yoga hybrids