How to Do Aerial Yoga With Sun & Sand Exercises

For the latest installment of Sun & Sand Sports’ ‘How To’ series, we took an Aerial Yoga class at Yoga La Vie, here in Dubai. Instructor Dina Cassir Kfoury walks student Amanda through her steps in the studio, taking her from basic moves to advanced moves in class.

What is aerial yoga and what are its benefits?

Aerial yoga combines traditional yoga poses with the use of a hammock or cloth sling to support the body during the practice. Different from conventional yogalat pose or simple yoga positionsAerial yoga adds an element of suspension, which helps improve flexibility, strength, and balance. It also allows for deeper stretches by reducing stress on the joints, making it an excellent exercise for beginners exploring yoga positions for beginners or anyone looking to improve their fitness routine.

Benefits of Aerial Yoga:

Enhanced Flexibility: The support of the hammock allows for more depth yoga stretching exercises And stretching yoga poses.

Building Strength: Aerial poses engage the core muscles and increase overall body strength.

Spine Health: Inversion decompresses the spine, promoting better posture and reducing back pain.

Mental Relaxation: Like traditional yoga posesAerial yoga combines mindfulness and breathing techniques to reduce stress.

Aerial yoga can be a fun alternative to standard yoga yoga class or beginner yoga posesoffering a unique combination of relaxation, fitness and mental wellbeing.

Also known as ‘Swing Yoga’, this is a great way to give a fresh twist to your yoga routine, by adding a hammock to the mix. The hammock is designed with special high-density nylon fabric, so you are fully supported when moving and swinging. This class consists of a mix of traditional yoga poses and special adaptations, supported by a hammock as you move from one position to the next, transitioning between simpler seated poses, to more challenging inverted positions, as you gain confidence in bed hanging.

There are many benefits to practicing Aerial Yoga, including greater flexibility, core stability and general stress relief – taking your body out of its usual comfort zone, into various positions that increase blood flow to different parts of the body – especially when it comes to inverted positions.

Watch the full instructional video below and see what it takes to master the basics of Aerial Yoga.

Here’s a little recap of what you need to know:

1. Listen to your body: Stretch as far as your body allows – this will be a bigger stretch for some people, and a smaller stretch for others, depending on your level of flexibility.

2. Moving on to inversion: Adjust the hammock to a level that suits your height – just below your hips.

3. Hammock fabric: Always spread the fabric out before inserting it, to provide more surface area for stability.

4. Hammock placement: When sitting, the hammock fabric should be under your sitting bones, then stretch the fabric behind you, so that it hugs your lower back and sacrum area for support.

5. Moving on to inversion: Holding the handles, extend your legs as you lean back and you (gracefully) move into an inverted position. You can then wrap your legs around the hammock, release the handles and enjoy the inverted position.

6. Dizziness: If you feel dizzy, return yourself to a sitting position, moving slowly as you return.

7. Return to seat: Come back up like you came down! Release your legs, moving them in and down, holding the handles as your body returns to a sitting position.

8. Don’t be afraid to flip, and have fun with it!

Can aerial yoga make you taller?

Aerial yoga, like other forms of yoga yoga stretching exercises or stretching yoga posesphysically unable to increase your height because your height is determined by genetics and bone structure. However, it can help improve your posture by decompressing the spine and aligning the body. Supported inversion and stretching aerial yoga creates space between the spine, which can temporarily make you feel taller.

Regular exercise aerial yoga can improve flexibility, strengthen core muscles, and reduce hunching caused by poor posture, helping you stand taller and appear more confident. This is a great addition to focusing on a routine simple yoga positions or beginner yoga poses to improve overall spinal health and an upright standing position.

Get ready for your aerial yoga session with yoga apparel and essentials available at Sun & Sand Sports on our website: sssports.com.

You can check out other instructional videos in the How To series here, and learn some new skills for 2024. Sign up for the SSS newsletter to get all the latest updates on sports trends, highlights and events.

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