Lately I’ve been fielding more and more questions about the difference between aerial silks (circus) and aerial yoga. For anyone who’s taken both types of well-taught classes the differences are usually pretty obvious, but it can sometimes be confusing for new students.
I teach both aerial yoga and aerial circus (in different classes). As a yoga instructor I am constantly thinking about intentions. “Why am I doing this pose?” As an aerial instructor I am constantly thinking about progressions. “How am I doing this skill?” Of course, there is definitely going to be some overlap in these two types of classes and these two questions, but there are many important differences as well.
Last night I caught up with a friend I used to dance contact-improv with in Minneapolis. I initially felt guilty that I let a few days go by before responding and that when I did finally return his message, I didn’t call. Rather, I left six awkward 1-minute voice notes via Facebook. Although this was someone I used to physically touch and laugh with on a regular basis, I couldn’t bring myself to have a live conversation; it felt like an impossible task. My guilt subsided when he replied with the admission he’d been almost 100% alone the entire year and also was feeling shy. He shared stories of how he looked away and disengaged when people tried to talk to him in the grocery store, and how he recoiled when he was eventually touched physically by a friend. He said it took an incredible presence of mind to override his nervous system’s new negative response to friendliness and connection.
I sat down many times this month, trying to write some words of wisdom or creative musings for the Unnata Yoga blog, but each time I faced a blank page, nothing arose. My husband quipped, “Sounds very yogic.” Perhaps. But also not very helpful when trying to produce an article of inspiration!
We all have felt immense and unusual stresses over the past year. And, it’s no surprise most of us feel we are in the middle of a work or life transition as a result. We are at a “crossroads,” in a way. Whenever we arrive at a crossroads, no matter how smooth or rough the path we’ve been traveling, we are presented with a choice to change course. And so the difficult question arises, “Should I stay on this course? Or, should I move in a different direction?”
