Category: Unnata Teacher Wisdom

The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is our guide to practicing Yoga. So, it means that everyone who starts to practice yoga seriously must read and study Sutras. However when you are a beginner, only portions of the text apply to you personally. It can be comforting to know that the Yoga Sutra is actually designed for teachers as a guideline for training students. Yoga Sutras are for teachers. And when you begin to teach your first classes you must read and study again.
I read Yoga Sutras mindfully and completely for the first time during my Iyengar Yoga Teachers Training in 2008. It was a compulsory reading and read like an old ancient text not connected with modern life, modern yoga practice, and especially with Iyengar Yoga classes I took. Sutra that hit me seriously was about Asana, because our Iyengar classes were actually only Asana classes. Sutra 2-46 said that “right pose must be firm and without strain” or “Yoga Asanas are steady and comfortable”.
My Asanas at that time were always challenging and my teachers always persuaded us to work in asana, to improve asana, to press harder, to rotate deeper and so on.

I thought a lot about this and decided to do my asanas in different way. I started to seek the perfect combination of “firm and soft” between effort and relaxation. I tried to keep the body still and steady and hold a pose for a long time with a little effort, simply by breathing. Maybe asanas were not so perfect and deep, but I enjoyed my new understanding.
In 2012 I began practicing and teaching Unnata Aerial Yoga and took my first Unnata Teacher Training with Michelle Dortignac. During that training and other trainings with her, I continued my education and often studied and discussed Sutras. Step by step many Sutras became clearer, more useful and important. Some Sutras turned out to be very special for my life and practice. How can you understand, if you are on a right way or not?
Just check your attitude towards people.
Sutra 1-33 : “In relationships, the mind becomes purified by cultivating feelings of friendliness towards those who are happy, compassion for those who are suffering, goodwill towards those who are virtuous, and indifference or neutrality towards those we perceive as wicked or evil.” ( Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati) .
I try to use this principle as a rule in my everyday life. First three are understandable for me and easy to follow, however the “neutrality towards evil” is the most complicated thing, especially in the Russian culture. We were born and raised to fight against evil.
With continued practice it is possible to achieve neutrality: not to create negativity against evil, but making a little step to the side and doing something kind, nice or decent.
One more special Sutra for me is Sutra 1-12. If Sutra 1-33 is my guide in society, this one is guiding my personal way and practice.
Sutra 1-12 ” These thought pattern are mastered through practice and non-attachment “. Practice (abhyasa) and non-attachment (vairagya) are the two core principles on which the entire system of Yoga rests. They work together: Practice leads you in the right direction, while non-attachment allows you to continue the inner journey without getting sidetracked into the pains and pleasures along the way.
It’s quite understandable that if you stepped onto a path of Yoga and decided to continue, you would try to never give up, to practice without a break and with enthusiasm. However non-attachment is not easy to find and follow, because we often surrogate love with attachment. So we can be confused by the terms ”non-attachment” and “non-loving”. Indeed “love is what is left when you let go of all the things you love. ”
I had been familiar with Yoga Sutras when I decided to re-read them as a part of my homework for this training. I really enjoyed reading it and read about 15 different translation, because it’s tempting to choose one translation as the best one.
All the translations add something extra, so it was useful to read many of them, and then figure out what I found most useful. My favorite translations are: english translation by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with comments of Sri Krishnamacharya by T.K.V. Desikachar .
After studying Yoga Sutras in many translation I feel that The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are the universal guide in the field of Yoga. The word Yoga means union and the word Sutra means thread. So the Sutras are these threads that help us create the union of yoga, the union of parts of ourselves, which were never divided in the first place. You can check and correct your practice consulting Sutras in every moment of your yoga life. After understanding what yoga is (first four Sutras), step by step you find out what the goal of yoga is, how to achieve it and how to check your progress. You realize what you need to do at first, how to continue and how long your path will be, and what you could gain from certain action. You can really understand what Samadhi is and the true value of Liberation.
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali inspired me to create this small speech for guiding my students into Shavasana. After students have relaxed their body, breathe and mind I ask them to draw attention to their inner self, their true self. «…you are not your body, you are not your breath, you are not your thoughts and not your mind. You are that observer, who checked how your body was relaxing, how your breathing was calming down, how your thoughts were coming, passing and releasing. This observer is your true self, and your true self is immortal, constant and is absolutely happy in every moment of life. So stay with these feelings, stay in Shavasana”

Bibliography

1. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. English translation by Swamy Jnaneshvara Bharati

2. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. English translation by TKV Desikachar

4. BKS Iyengar . Light on the Yoga Sūtras of Patanjali.

5. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Translation from Sanskrit, foreword and comments by B. Zagumennov.

Websites

1. Ekhartyoga.com

2. Athayoganusasanam.com

3. Kripalu.org

4. Swamij.com

天井は高い方が良いのか?

ウーナタ®エアリアルヨガに出会ったきっかけは逆立ちベッドを英語で検索したことがきっかけでした。私のそくわんの背骨に絶対良さそうだし、”体が硬い”人(私)でもアーサナを深められそう!と感激&一目惚れして、エアリアルヨガ創始者であるミシェルのトレーニングが始まるのを待って受けました。会員制出張プライベートレッスンが軌道に乗っていたときでしたが、ハンモックはプライベートレッスンじゃなくても、専属で的確にアジャストしてくれるもう1人の先生のようで、本当にウーナタ®を受けたことは人生が変わるような出来事でした。
帰国後、生徒さんの家の梁がある部屋を利用して、出張エアリアルヨガをしつつ、どこかハンモックを吊るせる場所はないか?と、天井ばかり見て暮らしていました。大手企業がやるだろうと思っていたのに、誰もエアリアルヨガをやらないので勤めることもできませんでした。”スポーツジムは首を回すのも禁止してるところがあるよ”、”日本では広がらないんじゃない?” そんな言葉を聞いて、まだ仲間もいないし、貯金もあまりないビジネスに疎いヨガ講師がスタジオを作って大丈夫かな?という不安を抱えながら場所探しをしていました。
結局、結婚を気に、小さな部屋で、日本の普通の家の天井高で、エアリアルヨガを教えることになりました。
すごく良かったことは、ウーナタ®は空中パフォーマンスのトリックのようなポーズをどんどんやっていく、ということではなくアーサナを深めていく、かなり繊細でよく考えられた理論で、安全面でもよく考えられていて、どんどん上に登っていくこともないので、狭い日本の住宅でも(工夫も必要ですが、)長年問題なくレッスンを継続していることです。(上に広がりがないので、膝丈の高さで行なうレッスンの開発にも繋がりました☆)
(写真の角度では天井がより低く見えますね,,)

そして、天井高が低いからこそ、よい&できることも色々とありました。

そのひとつに、ハンモックの中で寝たり座ったり、様々な姿勢で動いたりキープしたりすることです。天井が低いので、様々な体に対応できるようツーポイントでも吊れるようにしてますが、ワンポイントで吊るしたほうが、赤ちゃんのスリングのような包み込まれる感じが心地よく、天井が高いところや広めのツーポイントでは感じられない感覚がありました。閉所が苦手なので狭いのに広がる感覚が本当に意外でした。

話しは飛ぶようですが、2014年から看護師、助産師さんが母体のトコ企画でトコヨガ、操体法などを習っています。講師陣が素晴らしいだけでなく、看護師の資格取得後、助産師の資格も取り激務の中、学び続ける助産師さんや、整体師、理学療法士、作業療法士などの生徒さんからも刺激を受ける素晴らしい環境です。そこで、BBCに取材された”おとなまき”の1枚の写真みて衝撃が走りました。(知らない方は検索してみて下さい☆見た目だけでは体感した感じをなかなか想像できません!)

医療に携わっている人達が、ハンモックの中で私がやっていることと似たようなことをしている!と驚きました。(仲間のウーナタグループページで英語の記事をシェアしてもあまり共感を得られなかったのは、見た目の窮屈そうな感じだけでなく、天井の高さや幅広なツーポイントなどの環境の違いも、原因と思いました。)
おとなまきは海外メディアに沢山取り上げられ、私も取材でおとなまき体験のボランティアで初体験。体感として共通点がたくさんあったし、おとなまきにしかできないこともあったし、ハンモックを使うメリットは床からの圧がないことだと感じました。

そして、なんと、9月にフジテレビの目覚ましテレビ、ココ調のコーナーで、おとなまきとエアリアルヨガを、臨床心理士の杉山教授が繋げる奇跡が起こりました。心理学でいうリラックス効果のあるGパターン(背中を丸め膝を曲げる)になるポーズで共通項があるそうです。

それと、テレビでは触れられていませんでしたが、オトナマキ、エアリアルハンモックのなかでは筋膜リリースがおこなわれています。テレビでは椅子の上で体育座りをしてみることを勧めていましたが、それでは関節の稼動域は広がりません。見た目は窮屈そうですが、筋肉はリラックスしてサポートされている感覚が大事です。

 空中ブランコヨガ、ってなんだかすごいことしそうですが、、そんな記憶の杉山教授がエアリアルヨガをリラックスするGパターンと同じであると繋げたのは驚きですが、私に連絡がきたのは、ココ調ディレクターさんが4年ほど前に生徒として通って下さっていたからでした。ハンモックの気持ちいい感覚も覚えていたそうです。嬉しい出来事でした。

文章をここまで読んで下さって、ありがとうございます。

天井高についてすごく質問が多いので、この記事を書きました。
天井が高くても低くても、ワンポイントかツーポイントかでも、メリットデメリットは様ざまで、良い悪い易しい難しい、一言では済まないです。

そういうことの知識も、トレーニングの最中や、その後のサポートでできればいいな、と思っています。
谷口美里

Menstruación y Yoga

¿Cómo?  Acabo de verlo… ¡Un anuncio de compresas que absorbe incluso estando boca abajo!  ¡No puedo creer que una gran compañía de productos de higiene íntima haya diseñado unas compresas con esa maravillosa cualidad! Y de pronto me pregunto, pero, ¿quién, en su sano juicio, se pone boca abajo en su periodo de menstruación? A parte de las preciosas jóvenes que hacen el anuncio, con sus preciosas melenas extendidas hacia el suelo y colgando de un trapecio por sus preciosas rodillas… Las yoguinis desde luego que no (bueno, yo sí, lo confieso) Este tipo de compresas se habrán diseñado para trapecistas,  gimnastas,  acróbatas, contorsionistas, bailarinas, bomberos, militares, astronautas…. No para yoguinis porque practicar posturas invertidas, durante la menstruación, ¡todas sabemos que es un error de los gordos! Y, otra cuestión es, ¿la sangre no caía hacia la tierra? Me desconcierta y me invita a reflexionar e investigar.

Tengo 52 años y desde hace un par de años mi menstruación aparece y desaparece cuando quiere, a su amor. Creo que quiere decirme que, en unas de éstas, ya no volverá más y mi menopausia abrirá la puerta a otra fase de mi vida. Son muchos años recibiendo con amor su visita y aún recuerdo que en mi juventud  escuché muchas veces cosas como que con la menstruación no debías ni lavarte el pelo, ni ducharte, ni hacer mayonesa y una larga lista de cosas, unas más absurdas que otras, la verdad… Confieso que las hice todas, al principio con miedo de que me pasara algo realmente grave a mí o a mi mayonesa y, con el tiempo y mi propio criterio, las hice con la confianza de que solo eran cuentos de miedo, limitantes, que mantenían a la mujer bajo “control”.

Me pregunto si sucede lo mismo con las posturas invertidas del yoga. Quizás sea otro “mito” arrastrado de generación en generación desde que, según la mitología, el avatar de Shiva enseñó a su consorte, Parvati, la disciplina del yoga. El origen del yoga en este planeta, según el hinduismo.

Desde que practico yoga nunca he dejado de realizar, casi en secreto, asanas invertidas durante mi periodo menstrual. En ocasiones y dependiendo de mi energía, que variaba dependiendo del mes y el momento del ciclo, mis emociones y las condiciones ambientales, elegía asanas más tranquilas como Viparita Karani, o Sarvangasana, con o sin apoyo en pared y evitaba posturas que implican más acción muscular y consumo de energía, como Sirsasana o Pincha Mayurasana y en otras ocasiones mi cuerpo me pedía más, tenía energía contenida que tenía que “canalizar” para no liar una parda, mis humores y estados de ánimo necesitaban desahogarse y, sí, me atrevía con posturas más intensas.

Siempre sentí que estas posturas, independientemente de su dificultad o nivel de inversión, aliviaban la pesadez en las piernas, el suelo pélvico y el bajo vientre que sufría irremediablemente durante mi periodo menstrual y después de la práctica de una sesión completa, siguiendo mi propio sentir, me encontraba más neutra, más ligera y comprobaba que la sangre seguía su flujo, su camino, sin importarle la dirección que mi cuerpo había tomado por unos minutos.

Cuando hace 7 años descubrí el Yoga Aéreo Unnata, con sus muchísimas posibilidades de practicar posturas invertidas sin ningún esfuerzo, encontré el paraíso, el oasis, ¡la guinda del pastel! Durante mi menstruación y sobre todo en esos meses o momentos en los que andaba más baja de energía y ganas, podía practicar posturas invertidas sin consumir energía y recibiendo el beneficio de la descarga del suelo pélvico, piernas y abdomen que mi cuerpo tanto agradecía.

Este tema me interesa porque no creo que yo sea un bicho raro al que le encanta practicar una sesión completa de yoga, con sus posturas invertidas, sin pensar que tengo que hacer variaciones como si estuviera enferma. Y ahora que me despido de mi menstruación sentí la necesidad de encontrar una respuesta que me dijera que no lo había estado haciendo del todo mal. Me animó ver este anuncio que rompía con lo “aprendido” y empecé la búsqueda en mis libros, en Internet y haciendo consultas a personas sabias. Encontré respuestas en contra de esta práctica, ¡muchas! Pero también encontré muchas a favor, lo que me anima a pensar que lo de “no practicar posturas invertidas durante la menstruación” no es una verdad absoluta, que tiene su opuesto. Éstas son algunas respuestas que quiero compartir contigo:

Según parece, es el propio útero quien se encarga, por medio de contracciones, de bombear la sangre hacia el exterior del cuerpo, independientemente de la postura que adopte la mujer, eso explica que, cuando estás tumbada en la cama, sigas sangrando. También explica que las mujeres astronautas sangren en sus maravillosos viajes por el espacio, que puede ser un engorro, sí, pero nada más. “El flujo de sangre menstrual no se ve afectado por la ingravidez, así que no fluye de vuelta al cuerpo”, escribió recientemente la ginecóloga espacial Varsha Jain  en la web educativa The Conversation del King’s College de Londres.

En El Blog Alternativo, Geraldine Zambrano escribe: “a nivel médico no existen motivos para que las mujeres deban evitar algunas posturas durante el periodo, resalta Machelle M. Seibel, profesora clínica de ginecología y obstetricia en el centro médico de la Universidad de Massachusetts”. Machelle M. Seibel también es coautora del libro: A Womans Book Of Yoga

A la consulta sobre el tema a mi profesor de formación en yogaterapia, Dr. Miguel Fraile, me responde: “En principio no hay ningún riesgo para la práctica de posturas invertidas durante la menstruación. Únicamente si la mujer padece o ha padecido endometriosis podría estar contraindicada por el riesgo de implantación de células uterinas en el peritoneo. De no existir ese diagnóstico previo no hay inconveniente en la práctica de asanas invertidas durante la menstruación porque el tiempo que se mantienen, aunque sean varios minutos, no implican riesgo”.

Miguel Fraile es profesor y formador de yogaterapia, licenciado en Medicina por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, con el título de especialista en Medicina Interna y autor de varios libros sobre medicina, meditación y yoga.

También pregunté a una ginecóloga, la Dra. Inmaculada González, del hospital de Santa Bárbara en Puertollano, Ciudad Real (España) y esta fue su respuesta: “En mi opinión no encuentro ninguna contraindicación desde un punto de vista fisiológico y anatómico para contraindicar la práctica de dichas posturas, puesto que lo único que podría ocasionar es el acumulo de sangrado menstrual en la vagina que sería expulsado a posteriori cuando la mujer se coloque en decúbito supino”.

Y, también consulté a la firma que pensó que era buena idea hacer compresas que absorbieran en postura invertida… sigo en espera de respuesta, por el momento.

Con respecto a que las energías de apana, o energías de salida, también se verían afectadas y son la excusa que muchos yoguis y yoguinis exponen para evitar estas posturas durante el periodo menstrual, mi reflexión me lleva a pensar que, así como nuestro cuerpo energético, Pranamaya kosha, está directamente relacionado con el cuerpo físico, Annamaya kosha, y mi cuerpo físico se organiza para que lo que tiene que salir, salga ¿por qué mi cuerpo energético no va a reconocer que lo que tiene que salir, sale así como lo hace mi cuerpo físico? ¿Está tan desconectado? ¿No será que los primeros que observaron y determinaron que no se debía practicar posturas invertidas durante la menstruación, fueron precisamente los primeros maestros, hombres que, aun con muchísima sabiduría y capacidad de observación les faltaba su propia experiencia, además de medios y conocimiento sobre la bioenergética de la mujer?

No sé, siento no poder desvelar la verdad absoluta sobre la menstruación y las posturas invertidas del yoga… Lo que sí sé es que, si eres mujer y escuchas a tu cuerpo, la mejor respuesta la tienes tú 😉

Montse Lominchar

(Dibujos cortesía de Ana Martín, www.elrastrillodeanuskita.es)

Menstruación y Yoga – English

What?  I’ve just seen it… An advertisement about a sanitary pad that absorbs even when upside down!  I can’t believe that a large company of intimate hygiene products has designed pads with that wonderful feature! And suddenly I ask myself, who in their right mind turns upside down during menstruation? Apart from the gorgeous young women appearing in the commercial, with their stunning long hair cascading to the ground, swinging in a trapeze with their nice legs…. Yogis certainly don’t –well, I must confess, I do-. This type of sanitary pad has probably been designed for trapeze artists, gymnasts, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, firewomen, soldiers, astronauts… but not for yogis. Practicing inverted postures during menstruation, as we all know, is a huge mistake. And, another question is, doesn’t the blood come out? It puzzles me and invites me to reflect and search.

I am 52 years old and my menstruation has been appearing and disappearing for a couple of years as it pleases. I think it is trying to tell me that one of these days it won’t come back and my menopause will open the door to another stage in my life. I still remember that in my youth I often heard things like, “when you’re menstruating you shouldn’t wash your hair, or take a shower, or make mayonnaise, and a long list of other things even more ridiculous. The truth is I did them all. At first with fear that something really serious could happen to me or to the mayonnaise and over time and my own judgment, I did them thinking that they were only scary stories, limiting factors that kept women under control.

I wonder if the same thing happens to inverted yoga postures. Perhaps it is another “myth” inherited from generation to generation since, according to mythology, Shiva’s avatar taught his consort, Parvati, the discipline of yoga. The origin of yoga on this planet, according to Hinduism.

Since I have been practicing yoga, I have never stopped doing, almost secretly, inverted asanas during my menstrual period. I chose quieter asanas like Viparita Karani, or Sarvangasana, with or without support on the wall and avoiding postures that implied more muscular action and energy consumption, like Sirsasana or Pincha Mayurasana. Everything depending on my energy, which was varying according to the month and time of the cycle, my emotions and the environmental conditions. In other different moments my body asked me for more as I had energy contained which I had to canalise in order not to mess up. My mood and temper needed to be relieved and, yes, I dared with more intense postures.

I’ve always felt, regardless of their difficulty or upside-down level, that these postures relieved the nuisance in my legs, pelvic floor and lower belly that I irreparably suffered during my menstrual period. Although after the practice of a complete session and following my own feeling, I was more neutral, lighter and I could verify that the blood followed its flow, in spite of the direction my body had taken for a few minutes.

When I discovered Unnata Yoga 7 years ago, with its many possibilities to practice inverted postures without any effort, I’d found the paradise, an oasis, the icing on the cake! During my menstruation and especially in those months or moments when I was lower in energy, I could practice inverted postures without consuming energy and receiving the benefit of the discharge to the pelvic floor, legs and abdomen, which were really appreciated by my body.

I’m interested in this topic. I don’t think I’m a freak who loves to practice a full yoga session with inverted postures, without thinking that I have to make variations as if I were sick. And now, once I’ve said “bye” to my period, I feel like finding an answer that would tell me that I hadn’t been doing it all wrong.

This advertisement cheered me up as it was going through all learned so far. I started searching books, on Internet and consulting wise people. I found answers against this practice. Many of them! But I also found many supporting it which encourages me to think that “not to practice inverted postures during menstruation” isn’t  an absolute truth, which is its opposite. Here there are some answers I would like to share with you:

It seems that the uterus itself pumps the blood out of the body through contractions despite the position of the woman. This could explain that when you lie in bed, you will still bleed. It also explain how female astronauts bleed in their wonderful travels to outer space, which can be annoying, yes, but nothing more. A space gynecologist called Varsha Jain recently wrote on The Conversation educational website at King’s College London that “menstrual blood flow is not affected by weightlessness, so it doesn’t flow back into the body”.

What’s more, in the Geraldine Zambrano’s blog, ‘El Blog Alternativo,’ she wrote about Seibel’s opinion:”at the medical level, there are no reasons why women should avoid some postures during the period.” Machelle M. Seibel is a clinical professor of gynecology and obstetrics in the Medical Centre at the University of Massachusetts. Machelle M. Seibel is also co-author of the book: A Woman’s Book Of Yoga.

When I asked my teacher in yoga therapy, Dr. Miguel Fraile, he replied:”there is no risk at first for practicing inverted postures during menstruation. Just if the woman suffers or has suffered from endometriosis it may be contraindicated because of the risk of implantation of uterine cells in the peritoneum. If there is no previous diagnosis, there will be no problem in the practice of inverted asanas during menstruation because of the time they are held, even if it’s for several minutes, do not involve any risk.

Miguel Fraile is a professor and trainer in yoga therapy, graduated in Medicine by Complutense University of Madrid speciality on Internal Medicine and author of several books about medicine, meditation and yoga.

I also asked to a gynecologist in the Santa Barbara Hospital in Puertollano, Ciudad Real , Spain, Dr.Inmaculada González, and her answer was:”In my opinion, I do not find any contraindication from a physiological and anatomical point of view to contraindicate the practice of such positions. The only downside I see is the accumulation of menstrual blood in the vagina which would be expelled afterwards once the woman is placed supine”.

And, I also consulted the sanitary pad company which thought it would be a good idea to make sanitary pads  that absorbed in inverted posture… but I’m still waiting for their answer.

Regarding to energies of apana, or departure energies, which would also be affected and are the excuses of many yogis and yogi to avoid these postures during the menstrual period, my reflection leads me to a thought. As well as our energetic body, Pranamaya kosha, is directly related to the physical body, Annamaya kosha, and my physical body is organized for what has to come out, just comes out, why won’t my energetic body recognise that what has to come out, just comes out as my physical body does? Are they disconnected? Is it not that those who first observed and determined that inverted postures should not be practiced during menstruation, were precisely the first masters, men, even with plenty of wisdom and ability to observe lacked their own experience, as well as knowledges about the bioenergetics of women?

Sorry. I feel like I cannot reveal the absolute truth about menstruation and the inverted postures of yoga… What I do know is that if you are a woman and listen to your body, the best answer is you; -)

Montse Lominchar

(Drawings courtesy of Ana Martín, www.elrastrillodeanuskita.es)

The Evolution of Unnata® Aerial Yoga

I grew up in Colorado where my family and I spent a large part of our time in the Rocky Mountains hiking, camping, and contemplating the silence of nature. I’m sure it came as no surprise to my family, then, when I became a teacher of Hatha Yoga. Like hiking among majestic mountains, Hatha Yoga uses strength, endurance and flexibility to seek an inner calm and peace. My practice of Hatha Yoga is therefore a natural outgrowth from my own personal history.

Many people ask me where aerial yoga comes from, or who invented it. Just like my own study of Hatha Yoga was the natural evolution of my childhood upbringing, Aerial Yoga evolved naturally over time through contributions from many yoga and movement teachers, each using their ingenuity to contribute a puzzle piece to the whole picture of what aerial yoga is today.

As far as I am aware, BKS Iyengar (1918-2014) was the first yoga teacher to hang students off the ground upside-down. He was looking for a way to help his students achieve the king of poses, headstand. Over time, he and his teachers created a whole system of using ropes attached to a smooth wall to suspend a student in a variety of asanas, including a supported headstand. He developed exercises using the rope wall to relieve stress on the joints, and improve postural alignment within asana practice.

By the time Iyengar started using ropes to assist his students with inversions (and eventually other yoga postures, as well), he had already developed a number of other assistive props that helped his students with a variety of difficulties in various asanas. The idea to use ropes was simply the next logical step on a progression of prop inventions, and only looks like a dramatic invention if taken out of the context of all the other props he developed.

Creating Unnata® Aerial Yoga was for me the next logical step on my own personal progression of teaching Hatha Yoga.

I originally moved to NYC in 1991 to study Art and Modern Dance. I studied Modern Dance in a mixture of experimental, and traditional dance and movement forms from various countries. I focused mostly on classes in Kinetic Awareness (originally developed by Elaine Summers), Butoh (a style of Japanese modern dance), Release Technique (originally developed by Joan Skinner), Contact Improvisation Dance (originally developed by Steve Paxton), Vinyasa Yoga (contemporary yoga style), Developmental Technique (originally developed by Wendell Beavers and his studies in Body Mind Centering), and Ballet. Eventually, my studies focused on studying only Aerial Dance and Hatha Yoga. Since many of the dance forms I studied were themselves modalities evolved from more traditional forms of dance, the idea to blend two movement modalities together (Hatha Yoga with Aerial Dance) was simply a natural and logical step in my own growth and learning process.

Every person who teaches yoga (or any movement, for that matter) draws from individual experience. And whether or not they have a “name” for what they teach, each person’s instruction is a hybrid of all the learning and education, practice and experience that has brought them to that very moment. When I first started teaching Unnata® Aerial Yoga classes back in 2006, the way I originally used the yoga hammock was informed by what I had learned about movement through all of my previous dance and yoga experience, as well as all the breath and meditation I had practiced through classical Hatha Yoga.

In the broader field of “aerial yoga,” there are a variety of teachers, each with a unique background. Some have had a lot of yoga practice and study, and some have had very little. Many aerial yoga teachers draw from their experience with training in aerial acrobatics, pole fitness and Pilates. Some aerial yoga teachers draw from their experience with various specializations of yoga. (For example, restorative yoga is a specialization.) Each teacher’s class will be a unique reflection of their own background, and as you might imagine, this means not all aerial yoga classes will feel the same to students. In fact, each class can feel dramatically different, and give the students completely different results, too.

All Unnata® Aerial Yoga teachers are trained in traditional yoga before entering an Unnata® Aerial Yoga Teacher Training course. This is because our primary intention is to use the hammock as a prop to explore traditional yoga asanas. As you wrap your body in and around the hammock, you might play and explore some fun or dramatic postures in an Unnata® class – but the goal is always authentic yoga: aligning the body, deepening the breath, healing the nervous system and soothing the mind.

As Unnata® Aerial Yoga teachers, our intention is to awaken in the air a full experience of yoga asana, as it affects the whole being – body, mind and spirit. Remember, the main goal of a traditional Hatha Yoga practice is to affect the mind of the practitioner. We consider Unnata® a traditional Hatha Yoga practice. If a student also happens to move into a fun and dramatic asana in the air, well, that is a happy coincidence but not the main goal.

It has been important to me to create a style of yoga that is available for all levels of experience. As long as a student is in ‘good’ health then Unnata® Aerial Yoga is right for them. Since the hammock is used more as a prop rather than the main purpose of the class, adjustments can easily be made to best suit practitioners of almost all levels.

As of the writing of this blog post, Unnata® Aerial Yoga is over 11 years in the making, and continues to evolve through contributions of several senior Unnata® Aerial Yoga teachers as well as myself. Together, we are using our ingenuity and insight through years of Hatha Yoga study and continued practice. It is our joy to help our students fit together some of the numerous puzzle pieces that will help them eventually see the complete picture of Hatha Yoga.

Aerial Yoga, Benefits & Psychology

There have been numerous studies in the last ten or so years that have researched the effects of individuals who practice yoga. Some studies were focused on mental influences, some on health benefits, some were more interested in physical benefits and some even wanted to prove cognitive improvements which resulted when practicing yoga.

It is beyond a doubt that a regular yoga practice can improve overall physical well-being, including an increase in flexibility, strength, balance and mobility. It is also a powerful tool to tame anxiety and depression by reducing stress and reconnecting our minds and our hearts with our bodies.

Interest in this field is constantly growing and researchers are looking into possible benefits for many issues that affect millions of people worldwide.

But what about aerial yoga? We will probably have to wait to see any clinical trials done specifically on aerial yoga, but as aerial yoga is simply Hatha yoga with a hammock, I believe we can hypothesize that in general all that applies for traditional yoga will also apply for aerial yoga. Having said that, I have noticed some common psychological changes in myself and my aerial yoga students over the years and have started wondering if there could be more to aerial yoga than we commonly think. After some research and after talking to professionals I have started to wonder if by practicing aerial yoga specifically we might be able to awaken the ‘free child’.

The concept of the free child in psychology, more specifically in transactional psychoanalysis, is that when you are born you are born as a free child. Free child means (represented by one circle) that we do not have boundaries, and everything is possible. But virtually from the very beginning of our lives, our caretakers give us boundaries by teaching us rules and imposing order on us. All of this gives birth to the so called ‘adapted child’ which starts growing in the circle of the free child, often taking up all of its space by the time we reach puberty.

At that point something interesting happens, there is a third ‘child’ ie the ‘rebel child’ that comes out. The purpose of this child is to obviously rebel against all the restrictions and rules that have been imposed upon the individual, but it is also to restore balance between freedom and adaptation. What is the outcome and what kind of adult will be created after this process is unique to the individual. But, we might say that the general tendency is to adapt to the rules. Adaptation is crucial as there are some truths that we cannot avoid. For instance, if you touch fire you get burned. But freedom is also as important. Freedom means that you can dream, create and envision realities outside of the given rules. Freedom means believing in change. Freedom means having the energy and faith to create your own reality.

I have witnessed this in people many times over the years and I believe that when you practice yoga with the help of the hammock you can reconnect and awaken that free child within you. It might be the effortlessness of hanging upside down, it might be the frequent change in perspective and facings that we experience in an aerial yoga class, it might even be the climbing on a colorful piece of fabric and all the different sensations that the hammock provides. But there is something that speaks directly to the deepest part of ourselves and tackles our free child. I have seen people find their creativity, playfulness, energy and overall joy. People change perspective on their lives and regain their spark.

Practicing aerial yoga is a way of fine tuning our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual body and as many researchers are suggesting and it is a way of improving our health. I like to believe that it is also a way of finding and maintaining our creative spark, the little spark of positive madness that we all need to become the best versions of ourselves and the best inhabitants of this planet.

Deepen Your Understanding of Yoga Through a Reflection on the Yamas and Niyamas (Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras 2.30-2.45)

The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali is a guide to the practice of Yoga. Compiled prior to 400 CE, it is still studied in depth today. In the text, Patañjali lists the Yamas and the Niyamas as the first two steps on the path of cultivating Yoga. Asana, or the postures we usually associate with Yoga classes, is the third step.

If we were to place a seed on a plate, water it and place it in the sun for warmth and energy, even with careful tending, the seed still will not develop far. Without soil to take root in, and draw nutrients from, how is a plant to grow?

The Yamas and Niyamas are the soil for the seed of our Yoga practice. If we do not “plant” our daily Asana practice in the rich and fertile soil of the Yamas and the Niyamas, then true health will not grow out of our efforts.

Dale Chihuly at the NY Botanical Gardens

What are the Yamas and the Niyamas?

The Yamas are commonly referred to as “restraints.” As humans, we have natural emotional and reactionary tendencies that do not help us live peacefully in society. Practicing the Yamas helps us to curb those tendencies. We could consider them ethics common to many cultures. The 5 Yamas are 1) non-violence (Ahimsa), 2) truthfulness, or restraint from dishonesty (Satya), 3) non-stealing (Asteya), 4) restraint from gluttony (Brahmacharya), and 5) non-hoarding (Aparigraha).

The Niyamas are attitudes to practice which help develop a positive attitude. Rather than hold back from our natural tendencies, which is the practice of the Yamas, the Niyamas help us develop helpful habits that may be unfamiliar to our psyches. You could consider them emotional training. The 5 Niyamas are: 1) cleanliness (Shaucha), 2) satisfaction with what already is (Santosha), 3) diligence and persistence (Tapas), 4) education and learning (Svadhyaya), and 5) belief in the interconnectedness of all beings and energy (Ishvara Pranidhana).

I have always found it fascinating and oddly comforting that within the Yamas and Niyamas, there is an underlying assumption that the attitudes we must practice are not natural to us. We must actually work at being content. We must make an effort to study ourselves in order to “learn from our mistakes,” no matter how intelligent we may be. We must choose to interrupt the aggressive impulse that arises when we feel wronged.

The Yamas and the Niyamas beautifully support one another: developing the attitudes of the Niyamas helps us to restrain from the harmful actions warned against in the Yamas; and, practicing the restraints on our actions through the Yamas helps us cultivate the attitudes of the Niyamas. For example, first in the list of the five Niyamas is Shaucha, or cleanliness. And, fifth in the list of the five Yamas is Aparigraha, or non-hoarding. If I take on the practice of Shaucha, it will inspire me to keep a tidy apartment free of clutter, which will make me think twice before acquiring unnecessary knick-knacks, which will help me practice Aparigraha. Likewise, if I take a vow of Aparigraha, I will practice giving away things I no longer need, giving me an emptier apartment, which will in turn be easier to maintain and clean, which will help me practice Shaucha.

It sounds simple, but frequently when we’re told DON’T do [insert anything here], our minds immediately want to DO [that very thing]. Sometimes our brains can be quite stubborn. Therefore, Patañjali brilliantly counterbalanced the list of DON’Ts embedded in the Yamas by the list of DOs in the Niyamas, to help us succeed at our endeavors. DO practice cleanliness and self-care, DO practice contentment and joy, DO practice persistence, DO practice curiosity and inquisitiveness, DO practice identifying with the part of you that is permanent and beyond the transient body and emotions. And, look for that same permanence in others. All of the DO’s can help us find the strength NOT to harm others, speak lies, steal, indulge the senses, or hoard.

In her book The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman’s Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras, Nischala Joy Devi writes that the Yamas and Niyamas are forces of dynamic energy: Aparigraha is the start of a movement toward the pinnacle of Ahimsa in the Yamas, and Shaucha is the start of a movement toward the pinnacle of Ishvara Pranidhana in the Niyamas (Devi, 2007, pp. 167).

Shaucha could mean keeping a clean house and maintaining good grooming habits for the body. But it could also mean keeping a clean diet, eliminating junk food and other things that have no nutritional value. Cleanliness can be a practice for our more subtle aspects as well, such as our thoughts. For example, does surfing through Facebook cloud our thoughts with anger or despair? How much of the news we take in is used just for gossip? It’s not a coincidence that in the English language, we use the word “dirt” to mean “gossip.” Therefore, can we clean our news feed of certain images? Can we “unfollow” certain friends who only indulge in “dirt?” If we follow our practice of Shaucha diligently, according to Nischala Joy Devi, our practice should lead us toward Ishvara Pranidhana, an embracing of God. “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” is a concept common to many cultures and societies, including many in America.

Aparigraha could mean not taking in unnecessary items, but it could also mean being willing to let go of items we no longer need, or letting go of old belief patterns, old fears and old prejudices, so that we can allow for a “fresh, clean start” even with people we’ve had abrasive relations for years. In some ways, starting with Shauca helps us restrain from holding onto unnecessary items or friendships, which is Aparigraha. The Facebook “unfollow” example could easily be categorized as Aparigraha or Shauca. Non-indulgence in unnecessary talk (gossip) could be the same as being willing to “let go” of friendships that encourage anger or disdain. Is letting go of unhealthy discourse mentally and emotionally cleaning house (Saucha)? Or, is it refraining from the amount of entertainment we take in to stimulate our senses (Aparigraha)?

According to Nischala Joy Devi, following a diligent practice of Aparigraha leads us to Ahimsa, or non-violence. Thus, the key to finding external and internal peace is through letting go of excess. The more we give away items we don’t need to those who do need, and the more we refrain from acquiring unnecessary items that others could possibly use, the more we help our entire community prosper. When all feel prosperous, there is less discord both for individual members of a community, as well as between community members. More harmony equates to less violence.

In the end, does it really matter how we label the actions (and inactions) that result from practicing the Yamas and the Niyamas? The practice itself is more important than it’s name. Indeed, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet). No matter which Yama or Niyama you choose to start, the important thing is to practice! It is through the ten practices of Yama and Niyama that we create a fertile soil for the seeds of our Asana to grow.

Dale Chihuly at the NY Botanical Gardens

Body Weight, Modifications & Safety in Aerial Yoga

As both an aerial teacher trainer and aerial equipment retailer based in the Midwest, one of the most common questions I encounter from new students and studio owners alike is, “What’s the weight limit?” This is an incredibly important question, yet many teachers (depending on their training and experience) may not feel comfortable answering it, either because they don’t have a solid understanding of the equipment they are using, or because it touches upon one of the biggest taboos in our culture, the ‘F’ word: Fat.

So let’s talk about it.

You’ll often see a “weight limit” of around 250lbs listed for aerial yoga classes, but in my experience if you ask the studio how this number came about, they may not have a deeper answer other than “that’s what my instructor recommended.” What is the significance of this number? Will a 275lb student break the hammock? Will they not be able to perform some of the postures? Or, worse, could they somehow be injured by the hammock?

Aerial yoga’s popularity has soared in the past decade, and as acrobatic hammock photos decorate our social media feeds, it’s easy to assume that aerial yoga is for the daring, flexible, and… well…skinny. Aerial Yoga is simply yoga with a fancy prop meant to help you in certain postures, challenge you in others, and create deeper self-awareness. The experience is a very internal one, so these sensations and moments of deep connection are rarely conveyed through photos. So, in our excitement to share our experiences, we turn to the ‘flashy’ poses for photos. The unintended, cumulative effect is an advertisement for aerial yoga that is more shallow and less inclusive than the reality.

So let’s tackle the easy part first: How much weight should a hammock physically be able to hold?

In the system I trained in, Unnata Aerial Yoga, the teachers are trained to ensure each component of their hammocks (included the ceiling anchors) are rated for at least 3,000lbs. Why? Because an object (*you*) swinging or falling through space and caught by a hammock can easily generate 5 times your body weight (or more) depending on the movement. I have personally witnessed this with a force meter. This said, there are limits to the amount of force your body can withstand before suffering internal damage (usually over 1100 lbs). Simply put: You need equipment and ceiling anchors that are much stronger than the load you will repeatedly put on it. Your equipment is only as strong as its weakest link, so it’s important to know what each component of your hammock is rated for. If your seller doesn’t disclose this information, this is a red flag. Usually the fabric itself will be your weakest link. The highest-rated fabric out there usually tears around 2,000lbs (and doubled as a hammock, this means the loop has about 3,000-4,000lbs of strength when gathered like a rope).

Since not all ‘aerial yoga’ hammocks sold online meet the generally accepted safety minimums of the aerial industry, it IS important to ask about weight limits. Just because someone hangs a sign saying they are an aerial expert… ’it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.’

So, if a studio’s hammocks and ceiling anchors are strong enough to hold a person well over 250lbs, why did people pick 250 as the weight limit?

The first time you try aerial yoga and begin to transfer all of your weight into the hammock, it’s much like a hot bathtub. Your body begins a dialogue with the brain: “WHAT is that? Is it in the right place? Is it supposed to feel like that? Am I in pain? Am I receiving a massage? Am I in danger?”

Your nervous system continuously alerts your brain that something might be wrong, and the brain does its best to figure out how to respond to all the unfamiliar and potentially intense sensations. As you may have experienced, in your first class it can be confusing to figure out which muscles to relax and which to use. Luckily, the body learns at light speed. After about 3 classes you’ll witness a dramatic change in the body’s response to the fabric. As the sensations become familiar, the nervous system relaxes and what was once an intense sensation now feels like a “massage” you crave.

For many years I taught at a studio in Minneapolis that was the creator of “Big A#%! Yoga” (a cheeky name for yoga classes that modified postures to accommodate larger body parts and various body shapes). Because of this, and because aerial yoga was almost completely unknown back then, I decided not to set a weight limit for my classes, since my rigging was plenty strong. Thus, I ended up working with individuals who weighed over 250lbs on a regular basis. I also ended up working with many people with Rheumatoid arthritis and other joint issues.

Both populations found the hammock helpful for decompression of joints and accessing a larger range of motion. However, the pressure normally shouldered by the joints is simply transferred to something else: the places where the fabric makes contact with your body… Thus, the more weight a person has, the more pressure on the tissue and bones there will be.

While more weight and larger limbs can make certain hammock asanas less comfortable, over the years, I’ve observed that a person’s comfort level has less to do with weight and more to do with an individual’s (a) body awareness, (b) skin sensitivity, (c) fascial tightness, and (d) ability to breathe through confusion or discomfort.

I have taught 300lb students that don’t report (and don’t visibly show) any more discomfort than the 150lb students next to them. On the other end, I’ve had 100lb students report that inverting without padding was so uncomfortable for them they could barely breathe. I’ve heard self-described “wimpy” students absolutely love the sensations of the hammock, while I once had a bodybuilder tear up because of the intense sensation. Some students with Fibromyalgia just love the hammock for the joint relief it offers… while others cannot handle the skin sensation. Point being, you just never know until you try it. YES, extra weight will cause increased pressure at the point the hammock touches you, but there are so many other factors that contribute to a person’s safety, comfort, and well-being.

While some studios may set a 250lb limit, I generally advise students between 250-300lbs that there will be additional pressure from the hammock and thus I’ll be there to help them make modifications or add padding. I suggest this based on the feedback I’ve received from students over the years as well as observing how it is often necessary to maneuver differently and be aware of joint angles when your body parts have more mass. And, sure, muscle weighs more than fat. So tight muscles and fascia will definitely make the hammock feel like a foam roller in some postures (remember the crying bodybuilder?)

Since I never know how someone will react to the hammock, I teach ALL new students how to pad and how to enter the posture slowly (incrementally) so they can be extra comfortable as they enter into an asana that might be intense. As I mentioned, there are many other factors aside from weight. The Unnata Aerial Yoga method focuses around releasing tension and creating space in the body before moving into deeper stretching or strengthening. Since that was my training, I do everything in my power to prevent students from tensing/hardening up against the hammock.

While not all Unnata Aerial Yoga teachers specialize in modifying for larger bodies, all have been trained to observe body tension, pad, notice correct fabric placement, and creative problem-solve to help students access postures in a way that is healthy for them.

So, in the spirit of creating a fun and positive experience in your first aerial yoga classes, here are 10 tips for anyone with sensitive skin, tight fascia, or more body weight:

1) Padding is smart. Just do it. There are no extra points for bruising or nerve damage. No matter what your physical size or sensitivity level, using blankets and folded yoga mats in creative ways will help distribute the pressure from the “rope” of the hammock out onto a softer, broader surface. Simply folding the fabric in half or quarters can completely change the support as well.

My favorites are: a quartered mat for rib hang and back straddle postures; a folded mexican blanket saddled wide for hip hang postures.


2) Experiment to find a comfortable hammock placement on your body. Come in and out of the posture until it starts to feel normal. Ask your teacher for advice!

3) Take more frequent breaks off the hammock to let the skin and muscles decompress for a few breaths.

4) Move into postures incrementally, taking time to breathe and check-in with the sensations of the body each step along the way. For example, when entering rib hang “chair” pose, you don’t need to walk all the way forward with your hips under your shoulders to experience the benefits. Keep yourself leaned back behind plumb line, release your tail, and protect your knees by keeping them at a shallower angle.

5) Understand that if you are 250lbs, you have to be much stronger to achieve many of the strengthening postures than your 120lbs neighbor. Aerial yoga is a practice that sends you on a journey inward. Forget about what it looks like on the outside and focus on your own strength and what it feels like.

6) How much sensation is too much? The goal in many postures that utilize gravity’s pull is to find release and create more space in the body. If the sensation is too intense and it feels like you are being “pulled apart”, you’ve gone too far. Your body will actually open more when you step back from that place of intensity. You’ll feel less sensation but you’ll be able to relax and bring in more breath.

7) If you’re angry, everyone around you will seem angry. If you’re peaceful, you’ll see the peace around you. Bring this realization to your physical experience of the hammock: If you deeply soften your body at the places you make contact with the hammock, the hammock will magically feel softer. Once you feel safe, direct your focus to the physical qualities that feel good, and they will expand. (You can use this trick with mat postures that press your bones into the hard floor as well!)

8) Be mindful of your knees! This advice goes for everyone, but if you feel any instability or pain in your knees, stop the posture, and take the traditional mat variation of the posture instead. Ask your teacher after class to help you determine if you need a modification or whether you simply need to change your alignment, fabric placement/angle or muscular engagement.

9) If you have larger thighs, here are some inversion tips:
** Seated back straddle (from bucket seat):
(a) Don’t let the fabric ride down the thigh – keep it up by the base of the butt.

(b) Make sure more of the fabric is at your low back (as opposed to under your legs), since this is what will support you in the inversion. If you fold the fabric in half for extra support, this is especially important.

(c) Externally rotate your legs AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE so the knees point outward to the walls. Then bend the knees around the fabric into a “spiderman”/diamond shape. Keeping the legs clipped will ease the pressure on your low back and prevent you from sliding out.

** Hip Hang: Hanging with legs straight may create too much pressure at the hip, or can pull you back so far your feet touch the ground, preventing you from hanging. Instead, bend your knees, cross your ankle, and relax your inner thighs. Keep your knees heavy and rotate your pelvis forward until you feel your low back start to flatten out (versus rounding).
**Inversion “underwire”: For any inversion, cinch a yoga strap comfortably around your torso at top of your pecs. This chest support will help you breathe easier and stay comfortable.

10) If you are shopping for an aerial hammock, get “non-stretch” fabric BUT make sure it is the type of nylon that actually stretches “width-wise” (not length-wise). Cheaper aerial hammocks sold online are made of parachute material that does not stretch in either direction and can cut badly and cause severe bruising.

As an Unnata Aerial Yoga course leader, I equip trainees with as many tools as possible to address individual students’ needs. When the teacher knows how to help a student pad & fold fabric, how to modify inversions based on body shape (apple, carrot, deep lumbar curve, etc), how to modify for larger limbs, tricky knees, overly loose or tight joints, and the potential contraindications for each posture, their teaching becomes infinitely more safe, efficient, and satisfying for both themselves and the students.

10 Tips – How Aerial Yoga Can Help You Get Grounded

Yoga has always been a very grounding experience for me. Something about feeling the ground underneath my feet, feeling every bit of connection to the floor, and experiencing the play of inhale and exhale… I have always left a yoga practice feeling very centered. I wasn’t sure what to make of aerial yoga when I first heard about it. I figured it would just be a fun novelty practice, worth trying because it looked like fun. I was surprised to find that using the hammock for yoga actually enhanced my connection to the earth and to my breath in new and interesting ways that carried forward.

As someone who spends a great deal of time working against gravity in my everyday life as an aerial instructor and performer, the way we use the hammock in aerial yoga provides a nice balance. When the hammock is used to its full advantage, the upward pull of the aerial yoga hammock enhances our appreciation for the downward pull of gravity.

I constantly have students tell me how surprised they are that they can feel so grounded after an aerial yoga class. There are a few things I incorporate into every aerial yoga practice that allow for this groundedness to occur. For anyone who’s ever practiced aerial yoga and felt a little too floaty, or even dizzy, I recommend trying these tips for grounding the next time you practice.

Tip #1
Use your breath! Concentrate on feeling the upward pull of the hammock as you inhale, and the downward pull of gravity every time you exhale.

Tip #2
Find places to relax and let gravity provide a nice downward pull to your body while you are hanging in the hammock. In many postures, the more you are able to relax in the right places, the more grounded and extended you will feel.

Tip #3
Find ways to use different parts of your body to pull the hammock down toward the floor, to enhance the sense of grounding. For example, when in a warrior pose with the leg suspended in the hammock, really pull that leg down toward the floor. You will be amazed at how grounded this makes you feel!

Tip #4
Explore the similarities and differences between aerial postures and their floor equivalents throughout your practice. Notice what aspects of each posture the hammock enhances, or challenges. Use the actual floor to provide relief and balance after hanging or inverting in the hammock.

Tip #5
Be aware of where you are in space when using the hammock. If you position yourself directly underneath the rig point, the upward pull will feel very different then if you position yourself in front of, behind, or to the side of the rig point. Be aware of your dimensions and use them to enhance your alignment in each posture.

Tip #6
Do not overdue the inversions, and be sure to balance them out with grounded and right-side up postures. Many people think of aerial yoga as an inversion-heavy practice, but it does not need to be. In fact, it is possible to practice aerial yoga without any inversions at all if that’s your wish!

Tip #7
End your practice by taking a few moments to be on the floor. Of course you can take final relaxation inside the hammock if you like, but when you come out take a little time to either sit, lie, or stand on the floor and really feel your connection to it. Take a few deep breaths to cement in the new feelings you experienced by using the aerial yoga hammock.

Tip #8
Remember that just because something can be done with the hammock, does not necessarily mean it will be useful for yoga. As someone who also teaches and performs aerial hammock acrobatics, I can tell you that there are many things I do with the hammock for acrobatics that I would never include in an aerial yoga session or class. Use the hammock in ways that will enhance yogic alignment and breath.

Tip #9
Find your center! In aerial yoga we are often grounding from our core. This includes pulling energy into the core of the body to counteract the outward pull of the hammock, breathing from as deep as we can, and sometimes squeezing into the midline as the hammock tries to pull us away in all directions. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and when using an inherently unstable/floating prop, we have the opportunity to become even more stable and grounded as a result.

Tip #10
Enjoy your time in the hammock, but remember that it is simply a (very fun) prop to help you experience how each posture should feel in yoga. The more you learn to translate that to your ground practice, the more you will benefit from aerial yoga!

Happy flying (and stay grounded)!
-Jordan

My Favorite Yoga Sutra (1.33) As Seen Through a Mirror

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As Yogis, our wisest leaders tell us that we must embrace unconditional love for each other if we are to find true transformation. And yet, many of us feel fear, sadness and anger more often than we feel peace and serenity. It’s not easy to simply drop an emotion and change our thoughts on a dime, so how can we navigate our way to that place of Yoga in our minds?

When I am confused and my mind only feels and sees chaos, I often look to Yoga Sutra 1.33 to give me guidance in how to find this unconditional love: “By cultivating attitudes of friendliness towards the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous and disregard toward the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness.” (translation Swami Satchidananda)

Usually I read this Sutra as a guideline for how I can shape my own attitude, and as a goal for which I can strive. After all, change begins from within. Today, though, I am reminded that we do not live our lives in a bubble, and I can help change myself through what I hear echoed back to me from family, friends and community. My insight today is that this Sutra can help me learn how I should behave towards others, and it can also help me determine which people in my circles are assistants or detractors to my own personal transformation.

For example, when I experience mental disturbance like anger or even rage, I can recognize that the friends and family who ignore the mental disturbance are true assistants in helping me find Yoga. I will listen to them more closely than to those who engage with the anger and try to fuel it. When I experience sadness, I will receive more help to find mental peace by listening to the friends and family who give me solace, and disregard comments from well meaning but misguided friends who say, “toughen up,” “get over it,” or “you’re being too sensitive.” When I am happy, the friends who celebrate with me will be most helpful. And, when I am trying in the way I feel best to move our society in the direction of positive change, those friends who give words of encouragement, as opposed to cynicism or despair, will be the best allies towards my own personal growth.

Most of us feel loved and supported by our friends, because we can choose our friends. But family members are a different story. We may not be able to escape the family members with whom we profoundly disagree. It’s important to remember that as family, we may even have internalized some of their attitudes as we were growing, learning, and developing as children into the adults we are now. This may be one of the reasons why it can be difficult to adopt new attitudes: family members have a profound influence on us.

Many of us are headed into a holiday season that brings us to interact (or purposefully not interact) with our families. Keep in mind that we are all at different places on our journey towards personal transformation, and we all have different “triggers” that misguide us. Remember to use the lessons from Yoga Sutra 1.33 to help discern between helpful and unhelpful attitudes – both your own, and those of those around you. And then, when you find yourself in that peaceful place of loving, no matter which actions emerge, you will be able to trust you are on the right path towards peace for all.

Om Shanti,
Michelle