Anti-Gravity Yoga

For the last 5 years I have been exploring the world of Yoga. From Bikram to Ashtanga and my favorite has always been Power or Vinyasa Flow preferably in a heated room.

Until today....

Today I had my first experience with Anti-Gravity yoga. This yoga takes place in a hammock that hangs from the ceiling like a soft trapeze. The hammock provides a feeling of weightlessness while at the same time support while moving from one pose to another.

I entered the class overjoyed! Finally the moment came to live out my Cirque du Soleil fantasy!! I always wanted to be that graceful women twirling down the hanging fabric..........(sigh) Sad to say there was no twirling, however the experience was out of this world.

I began laying in the hammock stretched out, simply swinging. This first pose sold me! The room was filled with other people but because I was unable to see them, it felt timeless. I forgot I was there to work out. The swinging motion while suspended in air literally took me into a trance.

After a few minutes of breathing and swinging I moved into the next pose by placing the fabric underneath my hips. HELLO!! The shift in gravity was the benefit. This was heaven for me, I am naturally tight in my lower back and hips and this position released the tension deeper than I could ever do while seated on the floor.

There were a few more poses after that, including a snake-like motion, legs in diamond and legs over head, again all great hip openers.

The class finally ended with the “Superman”. Yes, SUPERMAN, belly down, arms and legs extended out while swinging back and forth. It was AHH MAZING! I felt like a 5 year old! But the bonus, this pose is a wonderful upper body opener. Each of these poses reached and released the small areas that were previously unavailable to me in a floor yoga class.

I recommend, no I BEG you to thake oneof these classes. It doesnt matter if you are a yogi, a gym rat, runner, curling enthusiast or your most vigorous work out is the rapid thumb dance of texting. No athletic ability required. Just bring your willingness to relax, let go and be a 5 year old for an hour.

Namaste!