Aerial yoga: 17 things you didn’t know about the trend! (List)

1. AntiGravity Yoga or “aerial yoga” is the leading proprietorial method in the aerial yoga trend.

2. Developed by former gymnast and dancer Christopher Harrison, AntiGravity Yoga provides a workout that allows you to stretch and strengthen without overstressing your joints or compressing your vertebrae.

3. The key to AntiGravity Yoga is the hammock, a swath of silky fabric that acts as your support system. Using the hammock, you learn to invert and hang suspended in the air. The hammock supports your hips for forward bends and backbends. It acts as your seat for any number of variations on the ab-tastic crunch. It can be looped around one foot as you stand on the other for versions of standing big toe pose and king dancer, applications that are reminiscent of an Iyengar-style ropes wall. Best of all, the hammock wraps you in your own little cocoon for a swaying savasana.

4. AntiGravity Yoga moves are derived from Pilates, dance, and calisthenics, in addition to yoga.

5. It is usually advised that you practice yoga on a empty stomach, and that is especially true of AntiGravity Yoga, what with the inverting, spinning, and pressure of the hammock on your abdomen.

6. Long pants and a shirt with sleeves are must-haves, since the hammock can dig into your arms and legs under the weight of your body.

7. It’s a total body workout. Due to the nature of aerial yoga movements, almost all the body parts are forced to move and stretch. Muscles are toned and redefined, and joints are regenerated and strengthened due to these movements.

8. Those with certain medical conditions, such as glaucoma and high blood pressure, are advised not to undertake this practice.

9. It heals back problems. It gives you the chance to hang freely, allowing your spine to lengthen. With less strain on your back while doing the exercises, it eases tension in the spinal cord and hip joint, helping you feel better.

10. It puts you in a great mood. Another key benefit of doing aerial yoga is that it gets your adrenaline going while going against gravity. It also releases “happy” hormones like serotonin, endorphins, oxytocin, dopamine, which boost your mood and help you feel more energetic.

11. It improves flexibility. Aerial yoga helps you to move more freely, with less effort, by counteracting gravity. Suspension in the air releases tension on the bones and muscles, increasing flexibility and deepening your practice. Suspended yoga strengthens core muscles and increases spinal and shoulder flexibility.

12. It improves balance. While going against gravity can be exciting, aerial yoga also helps with balance and stability in daily activities. Balance is a key component in daily activities, and aerial yoga helps maintain a good balance both inside and out.

13. It aids digestion. The different types of stretches and movements help improve the digestive system, thus helping in healing various digestion-related issues, including constipation and indigestion.

14. It increases strength. Aerial yoga improves strength and flexibility, which carries over into other daily activities. The core workout is a beneficial cross-training, as it helps runners increase stamina and be able recover faster.

15. It’s psychologically beneficial. Just like almost any other workout, aerial yoga helps rebuild your emotional system because it clears the mind and relieves stress due to its meditative state. It also helps you combat stress throughout the day and increases your creativity, which leads you to develop your own artistic skills.

16. It can support up to 300 kilos of weight. The rig consists of support chains, a webbing strap, a silk hammock and carabiners.

17. It improves memory. Aerial yoga fortifies your neural connections, thereby, rendering better memory power. In a way, practicing aerial yoga can make you smarter!