Air Yoga

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer

It was one of the coolest things I've covered this year.

I'm always enthralled when I cover something I could never be good at, like yoga.

But to combine that with aerial silks!

I'm always amazed at the ingenuity of people. 

Allan North, centre, begins the warm-up with the cat-cow pose for Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga. Pickering's Suzanne Hennig has come up with Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga (ZGA), a yoga/acrobatic/ fitness program designed to increase overall health, physical strength and flexibility while having fun.

The class does the dancer pose with the help of the suspended silks at Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga.

The silk is used to support a Linda Moore's feet at Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga. The "silks" differ from those used by aerial artists only in the bottom, those for aerial acrobatics are open on the bottom while those used for yoga are closed, forming a hanging silk loop.

Allan North suspended by the silks performs the inverted cobbler pose at Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga. Pickering's Suzanne Hennig has come up with Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga (ZGA) through her experiences and expertise as a Yoga Teacher and with top aerial artist Rebecca Leonard. 

A suspended bound angle pose at Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga. 

Allan North does the side plank during Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga.

Meaghan Morse, left, goes into a shoulder stand during  Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga.

Desiree Norlock does a shoulder stand during  Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga.

Desiree Norlock does a knee to chest pose during  Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga.

The silk is used to support a Linda Moore in the easy seated pose.

Meaghan Morse relaxes in a cacoon of silk.

Meaghan Morse goes into the eagle pose during  Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga.

The class goes into the eagle pose.

The class uses silks to manouver themselves into various adapted yoga poses. 

Sarah McCarty experiences a little pain trying out a new pose during Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga.

 

 

Comments

[Tim]

Oh really? Zero -Gravity, amazing, except that you don't get zero-gravity by hanging from ropes. You could simulate by doing this under water, or you could travel to space. Otherwise this should be called hanging from ribbons yoga.

[tactless]

Do they know what "Zero-Gravity" means?
are the silks replaced and cleaned after each session?

[Nik]

Hipster yoga...

[David Goorevitch]

Wonderful! Made me smile.

[angela]

Okay! Love this!

[Diodeus]

Is being upside-down now considered "zero-g"? Wow! Maybe if I turn over I can fly off into space.

[Susan]

The names of these poses are incorrect. Shoulder stand is a pose that puts pressure on the thyroid gland at the base of the neck and is very therapeutic. It also helps reduce tension in the shoulders. This version does neither, although as an inversion you do get benefits (as with shoulder stand) from the head being below the heart and the blood draining from the legs. And eagle pose? this version is not even close.

I wouldn't call this yoga. Perhaps "fitness entertainment" is a better term. That's really what it is, since these students are not getting the same benefits they would from doing classical indian yoga.

[janetfenton12]

Wow!Wonderful pics,It's all really touching to my heart...

[nora]

Awesome pics. and Steve, you never "get good" at yoga... it's a practice, and the point of the practice is NOT to look like some super-bendy levitating monk... you can get the same benefits no matter what your level of flexibility/strength is. It doesn't matter if you can bend yourself in half like a paperclip or if your version of a forward bend looks more like a giant L shape. If you're doing it right; you'll get the same benefit from the pose no matter what it looks like... I would give it a try. You might just like it.

[Court]

What studio in Toronto is this at!? i am madly trying to find a class like this!