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AERIAL YOGA: TAKING YOGA TO NEW HEIGHTS

antigravityyoga.com

Think yoga was only meant for the floor? Have you found yourself wishing there were other more dynamic ways of practicing yoga? Thanks to people like Christopher Harrison, founder of AntiGravity, Inc., we can now all enjoy yoga while suspended in mid-air.

Harrison’s mission is to create a “lighter existence” and in so doing developed a program dedicated to “suspension training” or aerial yoga. Aerial yoga was designed as a bridge between fitness workouts. You get the core workout and alignment of yoga but also a great low impact cardio workout. Aerial yoga aligns your body and decompresses your joints. It is great for dancers and athletes looking for new strength training exercises or as a way to stretch and heal the body from intense fitness schedules.

The silk hammock, often seen in aerial shows, lets you feel the weight of your body and use it to become fully aware of every muscle working. You gain a better understanding of your body and create a stable, strong system for everyday obstacles. The continuous movement and deep breathing “stimulates the release of neurotransmitters from the brain,” specifically serotonin. The

release of serotonin helps to alleviate pain and create that ‘happy’ feeling while pushing your body to new extremes.

The tranquil feeling that follows works to increase joint mobility and hydrate the vertebral discs in your spine. Not only will aerial yoga help with core strengthening, balance and flexibility but it will also release tension from your body and mind. If you are a yogi, I would definitely suggest trying it—take your regular yoga to new heights!

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Awaken your Inner Warrior with the Warrior Pose

If you are a yoga practitioner, you are most likely familiar the poses: down dog, half moon, cobra, and a dozen others. An exercise practiced for more than 5,000 years, the essence of yoga lies in the unification of mind and spirit to create a more harmonious existence. Over a hundred different schools of Yoga exist, providing freedom from self-ignorance, health, and self-understanding as we go forth in the chaos that makes up our daily lives.

I am a big fan of Yoga, as I’ve mentioned before in my post on Hot Yoga. The poses that I am most partial to are the Warrior poses, I and II. There are actually three Warrior poses, but Warrior I and II I feel, are both comfortable and easy for beginners.

The Warrior pose is actually fashioned after a warrior in Hindu religion called Virabhadra with a thousand eyes, heads, and feet, with a thousand clubs. He symbolizes a spiritual warrior in the fight against self-ignorance. To do the Warrior I pose, start with your feet 3 ½ to 4 feet apart and raise your arms up so they are parallel to one another. Place your right foot forward and lower yourself as if you were about to do a lunge, bending your right knee. Pull your left foot straight back, and turn your toes out 45 degrees, letting your heel rest on the ground. Make sure to bend the right knee only so that it is parallel with your right ankle, as you can see in the above picture.

Warrior II is similar, and my favorite of the two. This pose really opens up your chest and entire body, and is only slightly different in the way the feet and hands are positioned. It is basically an offshoot of Warrior I, and is easy for most people to hold.

Of the many yoga poses out there, all of us yogis have our favorite poses for different reasons. Some make us feel empowered, others help us become more in tune with our spirit. What are some of yours?

 

References:

www.yogajournal.com

 

 

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