The Flying Yogi
I have always been a lover of all things flight, far before the days where I took up skydiving { 20 + years ago }. Even as a child I dreamed of travelling the skies in an airplane, taking up the helm as perhaps the pilot-in-command. Or as a flight attendant … their lives always seemed so glamourous and inviting. Anything to get me places whilst viewing the earth from a different perspective and experiencing the sensation of flight.
The feeling of body control that occurs through yogaFLIGHT and skydiving are inherent reasons behind my passion for unique forms of body movement that reject the claims of gravity, while also offering a new sensation and interpretation of human flight. So you can only imagine how intrigued I was at the thought of suspension / anti-gravity / aerial yoga … a form of yoga that uses a hammock made out of parachute material. Well of course I would be endeared at the prospect, so close to our concept of yogaFLIGHT! And today I had the chance to participate in a 2 hour intro workshop at The Flying Yogi.
What a fabulous way to enhance my yoga practice with effortless inversion poses (not requiring a partner as yogaFLIGHT does) that invoke playful empowerment and creativity through the use of a prop. And a stunning revelation through this class was the ability to pursue not only increased flexibility beyond my normal yoga practice, but reach for an unlimited variety of strength training exercises that I really hadn’t thought of before today. Amazing! If you get the chance to try this sort of suspension yoga, I definitely recommend it. We’ve tried several different ‘methods’ which use various types of proprietary slings. I do like the ‘OmGym’. But I know that there are a few different types and varieties out there. I’m certain that this will become a fitness craze. How could it not, especially considering the incredible benefits of inversion therapy and the fight against gravity and aging?!