Aerial Yoga

This weekend, Brent and I decided to try something different, so we headed to Unnata Aerial Yoga in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The class was paced slowly and definitely good for beginners who are unaccustomed to hanging out upside-down.

We began class by learning to find our plumb line directly below the connection point where the hammock meets the ceiling. We learned to back bend into the fabric, and give our weight to the hammocks. Once we found our balance, we moved on to an upside-down straddle position. It felt really good to just hang out upside-down for awhile, without having to do all of the arm balancing work of a traditional yoga inversion.

From the straddle, we learned to wrap one foot around the fabric and let the other leg hang down. The teacher called this position an upside-down pigeon pose. It felt a lot nicer than sitting in pigeon, though. Plus it looks way cooler! Remember, Brent and I are both first timers.

After inverting, we learned to do a floating baddha konasana pose, where gravity helps you to open up your hip flexors, and lets your knees sink closer to the floor.

From here, we could bend forward slowly to invert the baddha konasana pose.

It was really fun to try something new with Brent. We both felt a bit hazy and relaxed after class. What an excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon!