What is AcroYoga?
Acroyoga first came about in the year 2003 in San Francisco. It is a partner movement discipline combining Thai massage, acrobatics, and yoga.
Along with being a vigorous workout, this form of yoga also provides the benefits of all the three disciplines. Individuals who practice acroyoga claim that the regular sessions help in developing a deep connection and in enhancing feelings of trust with the people working with them. It is also effective in building stronger bodies and developing a sense of playfulness.
Before you think about taking up some acroyoga classes it will be helpful for you to first know what is acroyoga.
How did AcroYoga originate?
This newly emerging art took shape at San Francisco’s Circus Center in a Partner Doubles class, combining Jason's expertise in partner acrobatics with Jenny's experience with partner/contact Yoga. Carolyn Cohen, a Thai Massage Therapist, Yoga practitioner, and student from AcroYoga's inception, become a member of the core teaching team in July 2004, expanding the gamut of AcroYoga more deeply into Thai Massage and Deep Partner Stretching. A typical session of acroyoga begins with an opening circle, where there is a connection made by the participants by breathing and moving together. Then, the whole group goes through a sequence of yoga poses or asanas as a warm up before going into partner work. People can get their partners for practice or they can team up with other individuals at the session. Partner sessions include stretches for which two people are required, thereby building trust and a connection before going onto the session’s next stage which is the inversions. Inversions are postures in which the individual is upside down. Sometimes, both partners come to the inverted pose and in all cases the partners provide support to each other during the challenging poses.
The purpose of inversions is to engender a sense of playfulness and also to provide a new way of looking at the world. After trust is built with the inversions, the session goes on to partner aerobics, like flying, in which one person stays on the ground as a base to give support to the other partner in an aerial position. The session is then completed with a Thai massage which is meant to stimulate the energy balance while bringing honor to the partnership built in the session. Some of the poses that can be used as acro yoga poses are Balasana (Child pose), Trikonasana (Triangle pose) and Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog). Although this kind of partner yoga can be quite demanding, there are different levels of difficulty offered in the classes. As a rule, individuals are asked to have some confidence and familiarity with headstands. However, it is not a requirement.
Health Benefits of Acroyoga
Students congregate to cultivate trust, playfulness and connection in practices that are pleasurable, deep, stimulating, a reverent synthesis that a lot of people find very empowering. It is based on the belief that when you align with the breath, you find your true divine nature. Through the practice of AcroYoga, you experience a deepening trust in yourself as well as others, and come to realize that by working in partnership, you are able manifest more than you ever could alone. Ongoing classes are available in many area and instructors travel around the world to share the work. Most individuals keep the tension in their shoulders and neck which leads to tensions head aches, bad posture, and stiffness. Performing some yoga neck exercises helps in easing tension, toning the muscles, and increasing flexibility. To perform a yoga neck exercise you should first let your head drop back and then bring it forward. While your head is kept erect, let it turn completely to the right, back to the center, and then completely to the left. Then, let your head drop forward and let it roll in a circle as wide as possible. Repeat this exercise in the opposite direction. Then, bring your right shoulder up and let it drop down. Repeat it with your left shoulder. Finally, let both your shoulders be raised and let them come down again.
Yoga exercises for arthritis can help make the joints strong, which is essential in dealing and preventing arthritis. It brings about the normal functioning of the joints, thereby reducing the chance of stiffness. Yoga’s emphasis on balance helps in regulating the uric acid levels in the body. Some of the effective yoga poses for arthritis are Sukhasana (Easy pose), Single leg raises, Savasana (Relaxation pose), and Standing side stretch pose.
There are plenty of health benefits of yoga and meditation for kids, men, and women. Yoga and mediation is one of the best methods to bring about stress relief. Through meditation you can come into a serene state of mind and body. Most meditation forms involve bringing the attention to a certain point. This point could be some words, a thought, or your own breath. While keeping your focus on one thing, you should gently ease your mind away from your worries which will eventually lead to a more peaceful mind. Other health benefits of yoga and meditation include helping with various chronic health conditions like cancer, pain, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. It also helps in reducing the blood pressure and heart rate and can also improve overall mood. All these health benefits of yoga and meditation result in a stronger immune system and improve the quality of life.
Founders of AcroYoga
The nucleus of AcroYoga trio teachers provide classes in the Bay Area. They also travel internationally sharing their work. Day by day, their practice and teaching continues to grow, and the teachers now have a wide network of assistants, students and studios that support their work. By practicing AcroYoga, you are able to experience a deepening trust in yourself and others, and come to realize that by working in partnership, you can manifest more than we ever could alone. Practicing yoga and meditation regularly can also help in bringing about weight loss as it can give you control over poor dietary habits and binge eating. One of the health benefits of arcoyoga and pilates is increased fitness. Practicing the various poses will help improve balance, range of motion, flexibility, and strength. However, to obtain the benefits you must make sure to practice the poses regularly and also to combine them with a well balanced diet.
