By Hannahsita Smyth, an aerial teacher at Trilogy Sanctuary
WHY would I say this, when I am a certified yoga and an aerial yoga teacher of 10 years in the community and a lover of both practices?
AERIAL has developed into something completely different to me that separates itself from YOGA.
Let me explain.
By calling it AERIAL YOGA, you are using the fabric as a prop for YOGA. Fundamentally, using the fabric to deepen traditional yoga stretching, poses and postures.To give due credit, this is a beautiful flow and style all of its own. It is how most AERIAL YOGA classes are taught and instructed today, and in no way, is this wrong.
AERIAL is not a prop. It is a movement practice all on its own. AERIAL MOVEMENT is where we expand and explore. Where flow is your goal.
The key factor about AERIAL is that once you are in the fabric, you are in motion, flowing in an open flight pattern. It is literally open space. That is WHY it should not be controlled by a grounded, structured practice. If you come to my classes, you will not be disappointed, because this is how I flow. AERIAL stands for MOTION IN FLIGHT.
In order to FLY, you must release, let go mentally, in order to let yourself find AERIAL movement gains.
Beyond learning new skills of position and posture, AERIAL teaches you to fly into a open space where you have to explore, becoming creative again, laugh and giggle, and ultimately expand into something new. AERIAL itself is therapeutic, healing and transforms you at a cellular level.
SO what should we call it ?
I say DON’T LABEL IT. IT should be a practice so creative that your expression is the movement. FREE MOVEMENT TO BE YOU.
