Aerial Yoga
AERIAL YOGA
You've tried yoga. Now try it hanging in a hammock, and let gravity help with the stretching for once.
Aerial yoga is yoga done with the help of a soft fabric hammock hung from above, usually at around hip height. The hammock takes some or all of your weight, so you can sink deeper into stretches, balance with extra support and even hang upside down. It mixes familiar yoga poses with a little bit of aerial circus, and it's surprisingly relaxing once you trust the fabric.
The hammock is a long loop of strong, slightly stretchy fabric, rigged from two points overhead so it hangs like a sling. You can sit in it, lean into it, wrap it around your hips or hook a leg into it. Because it moves with you, it gently supports your body in positions that would be hard to hold on the mat alone. It hangs low enough to step in and out of easily.
Plenty of poses are simply mat yoga with a helping hand. Supported standing poses, like warrior and pigeon, use the hammock to take weight off the front leg and open the hips.
Then there are the inversions, the bit everyone wants to try. In an inverted pose, the fabric sits across your hips while you tip back and hang upside down, legs in a butterfly shape or wrapped around the fabric. Flying poses see you lying forward in the hammock, arms out wide, feeling very pleased with yourself.
Many sessions finish in cocoon, where you lie back fully wrapped in the fabric and swing gently. Very few people want to get out.
Yes, although you'll need a good range of movement in your body. Your Activity Leader starts with how to get in and out of the hammock safely, then builds up through supported stretches before any upside-down moments. You can go at your own pace and skip anything that doesn't feel right. The first inversion can feel strange for a few seconds, then it usually feels brilliant. Expect a bit of a head rush when you come back up, so take your time.
Wear leggings, shorts or trousers and a fitted top you can move in. Clothes that cover your underarms and the backs of your knees make the fabric more comfortable against your skin. Take off jewellery and watches, and avoid zips or buckles, which can snag the hammock. It's best not to eat a big meal just before you go upside down.
DO I NEED ANY EXPERIENCE?
No. You don't need to have done yoga or aerial work before, but you do need a good range of mobility.
IS AERIAL YOGA SAFE?
Aerial yoga involves hanging in a fabric hammock and going upside down, so falls, strains and dizziness can happen. Only try moves your Activity Leader has shown you, and come out of any pose slowly. Do not go upside down if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, a heart condition, an eye condition such as glaucoma, a recent injury or recent surgery, unless a doctor has told you it's safe. If you feel dizzy or unwell, come out of the pose and tell your Activity Leader.
WILL THE HAMMOCK HOLD ME?
Yes. Aerial yoga hammocks are made from strong fabric and rigged to hold adult body weight safely. Follow your Activity Leader's guidance on how to get in and out.
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR FOR AERIAL YOGA?
Leggings, shorts or trousers and a fitted top, with no jewellery, zips or buckles.
Aerial Yoga at Camp Wildfire
25 Credits
last time
Camp Wildfire
- 2025
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