My Introduction to Acro Yoga

I did it! I went to my first Acro Yoga class tonight! Three words…AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME!! I went by myself, since ’someone’ was too intimidated by the thought of it to join me (you know who you are). Going into it I was very excited and I ended up having even more fun than I imagined. Honestly, I’m a little concerned, the last thing I need is to become even more consumed with my yoga practice. I take that back, I don’t mind. Besides, I can think of far worse ways to spend my time. The question is where do I find the time?

For those of you that don’t know what Acro Yoga is, it is the unique marriage of 3 different ancient arts; combining the spiritual wisdom of yoga, the loving kindness of Thai massage, and the dynamic power of Acrobatics. The result is a unique practice that cultivates trust, connection and playfulness. We began class with a Circle Ceremony, a series of movements done by the group while sitting a circle, designed to cultivate a connection with those around us as well as a connection to the divine (common theme across yoga traditions/styles). It should be noted that this is NOT a class for those that are not comfortable touching others or being touched. It is far from the yoga practice most are used to; confined to the space of one’s mat with little to no interaction with the others in the class. For instance, during the Circle Ceremony we did seated forward bends, but rather than reaching for your own feet we grabbed the feet of a neighbor, applying gentle pressure with a light massage. And this was just the beginning of class, it is the ‘flying’ that really requires a great deal of trust and connection with your partner. Then on to ‘wave’ asana. It’s like the wave we’ve all participated in at any sporting event, except rather than simply raising your arms you mimic the yoga pose of the yogi before you, going around the circle until everyone has completed the pose before moving on to the next. This was followed by a timed inversion (handstand, or variation), the objective here being to max out until the last person has come out of the pose. Then on to the good stuff, the stuff I had seen on YouTube and been dying to try! No, not that stuff, please, I’m new to this!

From what I have gathered there are 3 different positions in most any pose, a Spotter, Base, and Flyer. The spotter stands by to ensure that the flyer does not go crashing to the ground and that the base is in proper alignment, overall, they are there to oversee and guide when needed to ensure safety. The person at the bottom of the pose, creates strength and stability by stacking the bones of their arms and legs to create a base for the flyer, hence, the name base. The flyer, does just that, they fly above the base. In my opinion, they get to do all the fun stuff. I suppose that is why at the end of the pose the flyer gives the base what is referred to as ‘leg love’ and thanks them for allowing them to fly. That’s not to say that being the base is not rewarding as well - it is, especially after you’ve had the opportunity to experience flight. It is nice to be able to give that back and provide stability for your partner to feel the joy of ‘being’ in such a fun loving and playful way. In any Acro Yoga class you go to you will undoubtedly have the opportunity to experience both. I know I’ll be going back for more. Quite frankly, its nothing short of feeling like a kid again!

Check out the following instructional video on forward flying level 1 poses. Tonight we did both Folded Leaf and Lifted Badokonasana which are featured in the video, among others, including some back flying.

Speaking of videos, I spent a considerable amount of time after class surfing the web. Here are some Acro Yoga performance videos you might find intriguing. Enjoy!

Acro Yoga Founders Perform at Anusara Gathering 2008

Acro Yoga Presentation: Yoga Journal Conference 2007

Find an Acro Yoga class near you.

Tags: Acro Yoga

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