Aerial Yoga is a practice that combines elements of traditional yoga, aerial acrobatics and suspension therapy. This innovative style allows you to explore yoga postures while partially or totally levitating, thanks to the use of a fabric hammock suspended from the ceiling. Suspending the body in the air not only deepens stretching and postures, but also develops greater body awareness and more precise alignment, while reducing pressure on the joints and spine.

One of the major features of Aerial Yoga is the ability to perform inverted postures with ease and safety. Unlike floor yoga, where inversions (such as Sirsasana, the headstand) require a certain level of strength and balance, the use of the hammock enables the practitioner to adopt these postures without putting excessive strain on the upper body. The hammock supports the pelvis and back, allowing the body to stretch naturally under the effect of gravity, facilitating prolonged inversions and deep stretching. These inverted postures help decompress the spine, improve blood circulation and stimulate nervous system functions.

Alignment is another central element of Aerial Yoga. By suspending the body in the air, practitioners can experience more precise alignment and adjust postures with the help of the hammock. Gravity plays a crucial role in improving postural alignment, enabling adjustments to be made naturally by working against or with the force of gravity. Postures can be held longer and adjusted more precisely, promoting deeper muscle stretching and improving overall body flexibility.

An aerial yoga session is generally divided into several phases: warm-up, standing postures supported by the hammock, inverted postures, and final relaxation. The hammock is used in a variety of ways, depending on the purpose of the practice: it can be placed under the hips, legs or chest to support the body in different postures. Aerial yoga is characterized by a sensation of lightness, where the body seems to float, facilitating heightened awareness of internal movements and sensations.

Basic postures include aerial variants of traditional asanas, such as the warrior posture (Virabhadrasana) or the pigeon posture (Kapotasana), but also inversions such as the inverted butterfly posture (Supta Baddha Konasana). These postures improve flexibility in the hips and legs, while opening the chest and decompressing the spine.

In addition to the postures, pranayama (breathing techniques) play an important role in Aerial Yoga. Conscious breathing is integrated into each posture to synchronize breath and movement, promoting a state of inner calm and concentration. Deep breathing also helps release accumulated tension and oxygenate muscles during stretching. The hammock helps you enter a state of letting go more quickly by creating a sensation of weightlessness, where the body gradually relaxes.

Aerial Yoga practice also includes a dimension of play and creativity, where practitioners are encouraged to explore and experiment with movement. Sequences can be slow and meditative, or dynamic and acrobatic, depending on the objectives of the class and the level of participants. This playful dimension often attracts practitioners looking for a more interactive, less conventional approach to yoga, while offering an extra physical challenge.

In terms of safety, although Aerial Yoga involves inversions and acrobatic postures, it is generally considered a practice accessible to all levels, including beginners. The hammock provides support, reducing the risk of injury from falls or imbalances. The postures are often performed with progressive guidance, adapted to each individual, and teachers are careful to adjust the postures to ensure the safety of each practitioner.

One of the last phases of an Aerial Yoga session is deep relaxation, where the practitioner rests in the hammock as if in a cocoon. This phase, often performed in aerial Shavasana, enables total relaxation of body and mind. The sensation of being suspended in the air, cradled by the hammock, creates a unique feeling of relaxation and helps to integrate the benefits of the practice throughout the body.

In short, Aerial Yoga is distinguished by its ability to combine strength, flexibility and deep relaxation, while enabling practitioners to push their physical limits in a safe and fun environment. It offers a new dimension to traditional yoga, allowing freedom of movement and postural alignment that cannot be achieved in the same way on the ground. Aerial practice allows you to explore new postures while releasing physical and emotional tensions, offering complete well-being.