It is alarming to me the number of “aerial yoga" teachers teaching aerial sling/hammock classes without crash mats or proper rigging, so I want to get things clear for you to understand and stay safe.
Aerial yoga is a YOGA class that uses a hammock for a prop. This use of the hammock should be used to support you in positions that look and feel similar to the asanas you would do on the ground, movements should be controlled, breath and focus should be cued, and the class should be fairly seamless from start to finish. These classes aim to balance the nervous system, increase a sense of wholeness, and have the benefit of creating more strength and stability than most ground practices. The support of an aerial yoga sling can help decompress the spine in inversions, access core engagement in a new way, and assist in myofascial release during the yoga flow. All benefits of aerial yoga classes help to deepen your awareness and connection to self.
Aerial hammock/sling classes also create a sense of wholeness and improved well being, but in a more vigorous way. They should have crash mats, more cardiovascular and dynamic warm ups, teach both postures and acrobatic maneuvers sequenced together and stacked on top of one another, which often will include drop sequences after proper core and spinal stability is established. These classes focus on fun, strength training, and performance artistry. Aerial hammock/sling students and professionals should always have a cross training modality to help balance their bodies since aerial dance and acrobatic classes are more intense on the body as a whole.
Your aerial yoga class should never include a drop nor an inversion higher than from standing. EVER. Standing inversions? Sure, from hip hangs or with proper progression training to ball ups. From standing in the hammock, no way. Drops? Never. Without the right progressions these drops can be really dangerous to your body because the proper support and engagement hasn’t been trained to prevent whiplash or disc injuries.
Not only is a yoga mat not a sufficient safety net for an aerial drop should something go awry, most aerial yoga studio setups are not rated for the impact these drops and inverting movements can put on hardware and ceiling setups, so you could be putting your life on the line for a teachers desire to bring acrobatics into your aerial yoga flow. The insurance for aerial yoga vs aerial hammock classes is also significantly different and, in my experience as a circus studio owner, does not include drops or momentum movements, as they should not be practiced in an aerial yoga class offering.
Your life matters more ego or misunderstanding of the insurance classifications and risks.
Things to look for:
If you see an aerial yoga class or even attend one that starts to seem more acrobatics than yoga… please leave or protect yourself. Your teacher should care about their and your safety and should never ever have you do a drop without an appropriate mat and safety standards as you are learning.
If your teacher or studio owner doesn’t know what their rigging is rated for, please leave and find a studio that does. This is essential information for safety.
If equipment seems to be falling apart, please choose a new studio. The equipment is your life line, it needs to be safe and sturdy.
If they let you keep your jewelry on, please bring it up, take it off, or leave. You can seriously injure yourself and damage their equipment with jewelry and it goes against many insurance policies.
You want a teacher that knows how to work with your body in either practice, so please make sure they are working with you and explaining how to work through the different sensations that come up with aerial yoga and hammock classes.
Both aerial hammock and aerial yoga are fabulous and complimentary practices! I encourage you to be aware, ask questions, support yourself, enjoy the community, and have a blast exploring the new modalities. Be safe and indulge in aerial shenanigans. We all want to fly, so why not give it a try?
Want to explore these classes yourself? Book a private session or class today.