I know you must think I’m crazy or have stood upside down on my head a little too long, but the truth is everyone can do Acro Yoga.
You don’t have to be a gymnast or an advanced Yogi to get involved. Trending in the Yoga community, Acro Yoga – a dynamic mixture of yoga and acrobatics – is simple and fun.
Acro Yoga is playful, addictive and a great way to further explore your body, partner and practice. If you have someone special in your life, it can deepen your connection or break the ice with a new partner. Practice with friends or meet new people; it’s time to drop your boundaries and let someone get close!
Partners work together exploring postures and sequences through touch, breath, and movement. Engage and connect with your partner as you depend on each other for support, especially in balance poses. This builds trust, communication and confidence.
Practicing with loved ones can bring you closer, creating stronger bonds and intimacy too. It teaches you to work together through challenges, not taking ourselves too seriously. Life is about having fun and enjoying the journey, a main principle of Acro Yoga!
Back Bends are integral Yoga poses. We rarely get to move our spines backwards in in every day life, so it feels great to reverse and arch the back and stretch out the front of the body. It is important to keep the spine flexible as we get older, but it can be scary to do a back bend by yourself. Partner Yoga is a perfect place to explore this with support.
How to do a Acro Yoga backbend
You can start out slowly with a seated or standing forward bend with back bend. Stand back to back. One partner folds forward, until the other feels a gentle stretch moving in the same direction, lying on your partners back. Hold the pose for at least 5-10 breaths and then switch roles. One partner gets an intense forward fold, building core strength, stretching their hamstrings and spine. The other gets a juicy back bend, opening up the chest, shoulders and arms without pressure on the wrists when doing a wheel pose.
The Hero Poses are breathtaking and always bring lots of laughter and a sense of achievement. We have all seen images of Yogis balancing each other effortlessly on their hands and feet. You can get creative, its not as hard as it looks. Technique is the key, you will find your body is strong enough to hold someone double your size flying high over head. Don’t be scared to trust your partner or yourself. And don’t worry if you topple over: falling out is part of the journey.
So in summery, Acro Yoga teaches us to let go and enjoy life. So, find a partner, connect and take flight!