Discovering the Incredible Benefits of Aerial Yoga

Aerial yoga, also known as anti-gravity yoga, is a relatively new addition to the yoga family. It involves performing yoga poses while you are either partially or wholly supported by a silk hammock. This hammock is securely fastened to the ceiling, allowing you to experience yoga in a whole new dimension. Now you can float through your yoga practice, defying gravity, and discover movements that traditional yoga don’t offer.

The beauty of aerial yoga lies in its accessibility. It caters to all levels, from beginners to seasoned practitioners. It may seem intimidating at first glance, but, with proper guidance and support, anyone can experience it. The hammocks are designed to support your body weight, relieve pressure, and allow you to delve deeper into stretches and inversions without the strain on your joints.

Aids Healthy Heart Function
Getting to the heart of physical health, aerial yoga is particularly well-known for its core benefits. As part of ACE’s 2016 study, findings revealed that just six weeks of aerial yoga can enhance cardiovascular health by supporting better circulation and improving blood pressure, HDL cholesterol levels, and VO2max. During aerial sessions, the heart rate can also increase with activity, strengthening the heart muscle and improving overall cardio fitness.

Supports Better Circulation
Aerial yoga supports better blood circulation in a number of ways. Through a combination of inverted and dynamic movements, reduced physical tension, a stronger heart rate, and deeper breathing, the body can circulate blood much more effectively. What’s more, as aerial yoga necessitates gentle and controlled movements, it can be enjoyed as a much lower-impact workout to other activities – all the while enjoying many of the same great health benefits.

Improves Flexibility
One of the biggest benefits of aerial yoga is how it can improve flexibility. Unlike in traditional yoga where you’re bound by gravity to the floor, the use of the hammock in aerial yoga allows you to support your body weight, stretch further, and hold poses for longer. Enabling you to explore greater ranges of motion, this gradually helps to build up flexibility over time, particularly in the hips, spine, shoulders and hamstrings. A study in 2019 agreed that “aerial athletes demonstrated to have excellent flexibility and balance” and could even have better longer-term mobility in later years.

Improves Strength 
Strength is another of the key benefits of aerial yoga. Many aerial yoga poses require solid core engagement, which helps to tone and strengthen those all-important abdominal muscles. Plus, your arms, legs, and shoulders are constantly at work, supporting and balancing your body in the air. If you are looking to build up your overall strength without the monotony of repetitive weightlifting at the gym, this could be a great way to do it.

Improves Balance
Aerial yoga has the ability to improve your balance and coordination. Being suspended in the air means that your body is constantly seeking stability - engaging small, stabilising muscles that are often neglected in ground-based exercises. This not only enhances your overall balance but also sharpens your mental focus and awareness too. 

Joint Decompression
One of the unique benefits of aerial yoga is its ability to decompress the joints. When you're suspended in the hammock, gravity works in your favour to gently pull the body apart. This can lead to a reduction in tension and pressure within the joints, particularly the spine. The hammock acts as a support system, allowing you to invert without the need for headstands or handstands, which can be taxing on the neck and wrists. 

Spine Health
Similarly, one of the equally positive benefits of aerial yoga is its impact on spinal health. Using a hammock or sling, aerial yoga offers unique support for the spine by gently decompressing, lengthening, and realigning the back. It also helps to build up the muscles in the back, creating stronger support around the spine. Whether you're looking to reduce tension, improve your posture, or increase spinal mobility, then aerial yoga could be a game-changer for you.

Reduces Stress and Anxiety 
Engaging in this form of exercise can be a powerful tool for reducing stress and anxiety. The gentle rocking and cradling movements in the hammock can have a soothing effect on the nervous system. Coupled with deep breathing and controlled poses, aerial yoga creates a really peaceful environment in which to experience emotional release and mental clarity.

Encourages Mindfulness 
Aerial yoga also promotes mindfulness and concentration. While suspended, you must be fully present to maintain balance and perform movements correctly. This focus on the here and now draws your attention away from daily stressors and encourages a meditative state. As daily life becomes increasingly busy, this peaceful pause can be a really important outlet that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.

Builds Confidence
Plus, aerial yoga offers the space for personal growth and confidence-building. Like with anything new, you'll feel a sense of achievement as you conquer new poses and push beyond your perceived limitations. The fear of trying something new changes into exhilaration, and with each class, participants find themselves more empowered and self-assured.

Creates a Sense of Community
Depending on what experience you are looking for, then taking part in aerial yoga classes can also help you to enjoy a supportive community and create new-found friendships. Through shared experiences, moments, and achievements, aerial yoga can create a real sense of togetherness which can be really special.  As well as light-hearted play and exploration with yoga, there can also be great opportunities for collaboration with other students too – opening up a whole new world of opportunities and growth.

Improves Sleep
There are many benefits of aerial yoga, some of which may not feel immediately apparent. Among these benefits is the positive impact aerial yoga can have on sleep. This is because aerial yoga can help calm the nervous system, reduce tension, and regulate stress hormones. Aerial yoga also helps to regulate breathing and encourage more mindfulness both during and outside of practice – all of which can have a hugely transformative effect on the body and promote better sleep.

If you're intrigued by the idea and benefits of aerial yoga and are keen to give it a try, getting started is easier than you might think. We’ve got details below on how and where we can offer you an aerial yoga experience like no other. But, here are some tips if you are looking to book your first class. 

- It's advisable to wear comfortable, form-fitting clothing that covers your legs and arms. This helps to avoid friction burns from the silk hammock and ensures a more comfortable experience. 

- Leave your jewellery at home to avoid damaging the equipment and to prevent any potential injuries!

- Bring along a water bottle to keep yourself hydrated throughout the class.

- Practice with a qualified instructor to learn how to use the hammock safely and how to control your form, as well as all the best tips and techniques for aerial bliss! (At The Glass House Retreat, our instructors are fully qualified to safely guide you during each dedicated session).

- Make sure you take time to warm up your joints and muscles before taking part and ease gently into more challenging postures. This will reduce the risk of any strains or overextension, and ensure you longer-term mobility without injury.

- Listen to your body and don’t push through pain or discomfort. If a muscle is twinging or something feels wrong, ease off and trust your body to tell you when to stop. Aerial yoga should be about gently supporting and strengthening your body and progress can be enjoyed at your own natural pace.

- Avoid wearing abrasive or sharp clothing or jewellery that could snag or tear the hammock – this will help to protect you and the equipment.

- Speak to one of our trained professionals if you have any health topics or concerns, especially if you are considering inversions. These can include pregnancy and conditions like glaucoma, high blood pressure, vertigo, recent surgeries. If you have any doubts at all, we’d be happy to help.