A Guide To An Easy Aerial Yoga Flow

Our everyday lives can get pretty tough. You might find yourself bouncing from one meeting to another with very little time for breaks.

A lot of us are constantly working on deadlines throughout the week, so by the time the weekend comes, you just want to lay in bed all day and not worry about your tasks.

Yoga might have been one of your choices if you’ve looked into ways of de-stressing.

You just need the right tools, and you can start your first session, even at home!

So let’s take a look at some easy aerial yoga to get you started..

 

Getting Started With Aerial Yoga

While the thought of being suspended in the air can be quite daunting for beginners, there is so much more about aerial yoga that will help relieve our stress and anxiety.

It won’t matter if you’ve been practicing for a while or just starting out.

A lot of aerial yoga routines are definitely doable and can be freely enjoyed by first-timers.

There are many beginner-friendly routines that can help you meditate and de-stress without needing a present trainer or teacher.

You can just hop on your browser and look for resources in the form of vlogs and articles that can guide you through it. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, trying out new things, such as aerial yoga, will be easier.

As intimidating as it sounds, aerial yoga flows can also be beginner friendly. There are a lot of yoga teachers and content creators out there who have made this practice more accessible for many.

 

Before starting, here are some of the things that you need to know:

• Research first. Though aerial yoga can be beginner friendly, it’s always best to have a deeper understanding of the practice before going into it. This is to prepare yourself, mentally and physically, for the routines that you’ll be doing eventually. Since this is different from traditional yoga, there might be some adjustments that you have to make, especially if you’re just starting out. Also, this is helpful if you have some physical restrictions that you need to be cleared for by your physician or therapist.
• Get the right equipment. After doing your research, the next thing you need to do is to get the right equipment. For aerial yoga, there are a couple of tools you’ll need. There’s the yoga swing and hammock that you can either attach to your ceiling or portable yoga swing stand. The latter could be ideal if your space is limited and you prefer changing your location every once in a while. This is also a popular choice for those who rent and have stricter building regulations. Other than this, you’d still need a yoga mat to ensure that you have proper cushioning and to help you execute your poses better.
• Do not force yourself. Everything is a process. You do not have to force yourself to do routines that you’re unfamiliar with or uncomfortable doing. Yoga aims to develop your mind and body awareness and relieve physical and mental tension. There are a lot of beginner-friendly flows that you can follow first before jumping to more complex exercises. It’s better to know how your body adapts to this so you can also gauge if it’s the right fit.

 

Beginner-friendly Yoga

To help our beginner yogis out there, here’s a quick guide to an easy aerial yoga flow.

First, ensure that the hammock is underneath the knees when you’re standing. We’ll start with low and restorative flow first to get you started. Feel free to stay in the position longer if you feel like it.

 

Aerial Raised Legs Pose

The raised legs pose is one of many starting points, and is one of the most easy aerial yoga poses. This is done to help regulate your breathing and stretch out your lower body muscles in preparation for the whole workout.

You won’t be straining your legs or core too much as we’re starting with a low point.

You may always raise your hammock depending on your level of comfort.

• To start, place your feet on the hammock. Make sure your ankles are supported by the fabric.
• Place your hands to your side and slowly lay on your mat.
• Release your neck and your shoulders. You may move them slightly to relieve any tension and pressure.
• Move your arms straight to your side. Palms facing up.
• Take a couple of deep breaths. Inhale through the nose and exhale through your mouth. Open up your chest more.
• You may opt to close your eyes so you can focus more on your breathing.
• Do this for 60 seconds or longer.

The goal of this exercise is to bring more awareness to your body and breathing. This is a good time to identify any tension and slowly release it from your body.

You may also add variations such as gently swinging your feet from side to side as well as your neck to slightly open your back and hips.

 

Aerial Sphinx Pose 

Once you feel satisfied, we can move on to the next pose which is the Sphinx Pose. Like the previous pose, this also requires lifting your legs using the hammock, but this time, we’re putting more emphasis on the back.

• From the initial pose, gently remove one foot off the hammock.
• Then, slowly turn your body facing down the mat. Use both your hands for support.
• Once you find a comfortable position, slowly put your other foot back in the hammock.
• Make sure your arms are flat on the ground, palms now facing down.
• Lift your upper body slightly higher. Do not raise your neck too high to avoid straining it.
• Keep your gaze soft. Feel your back elongate and stretch behind you.
• Take deep breaths. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
• Stay in the position for a few seconds. Stabilize your breathing.
• Then, just like earlier, you may gently swing your legs from side to side to help open your back and hips.
• Stay here for a couple of seconds before bringing your feet down and going back to the child’s pose.

You may take more time in the child’s pose to prepare your body for the rest of the sequence. Still, take the time to work on your breathing and let go of any stress in your mind.

 

Aerial Butterfly Pose

Coming from the child’s pose, face the hammock and gently place your ankles in the swing again. Opening your knees wider to achieve the butterfly pose.

• As your knees remain wide apart, wrap your arms around your toes and slightly pull them closer to your body.
• Ensure that your back is straight and you’re in an upright position.
• Gently inhale through your nose and as you exhale, bring your body forward, close to your feet. This is to help lengthen the spine more and bring focus to your torso and back.
• You may bring your head down if you can. Stay in this position for a couple of breaths.
• As you inhale and exhale, see if you can extend your body more and bring your chest closer to your feet. You’ll feel a bit more stretched as you go.
• Stay in the position you’re comfortable with for a few seconds. Don’t forget to control your breathing.
• Go back to the original position once done.

 

Aerial Lotus Pose

The next pose might feel a little bit tricky for beginners as we’ll now use the hammock to support our whole body mid-air. It is important that we’re starting low so you get to adjust your grip and support your body better.

• As you’re in the butterfly pose, keep your knees wide apart and back straight.
• Take a deep breath and, bring your hands up high as you inhale and hold on to the fabric in front.
• Then, you’re going to pull yourself up with the help of the fabric. Push your feet down as you lift yourself to maintain momentum.
• Once in a suspended lotus position, with your knees wide apart and feet together, you can slowly put both pieces of fabric behind you.
• From the front, use both your arms to hold on to each fabric. Let them rest just a bit higher than your head.
• Once comfortable, let your body swing forward and backward. Make sure you’re still working on your breathing.
• You can also close your eyes and put your hands together in front if you’re feeling more stable.
• Stay here for a few seconds.
• To get off, extend your arms and hold on to both the fabric again.
• Bring the fabric in front of you. Pull yourself up slightly.
• Extend the legs forward and slowly slide down back to the mat.
• Adjust your feet and legs in the fabric. At this point, you’ll be back to your initial position, raised legs pose.

 

Aerial Plank Pose

In preparation for this next easy aerial yoga pose, you may opt to stay in your previous position or go back to the child’s pose to mentally prepare yourself and regain control of your breathing.

You may stay in either pose for a couple of seconds.

• For the aerial plank pose, start by being on your knees.
• Make sure that your hands are hip-width apart.
• Place upper body through the middle of the two fabrics. The ‘U’ should rest just against your hips.
• Then, slowly bring your upper body down. Your palms and forearms should be facing the ground.
• Extend your leg behind you, creating a plank position. Feel free to adjust your body or the fabric to ensure that you’re comfortable in the pose.
• Bring your head slightly down and gaze soft. Avoid straining your neck.
• Stay in the position for a few breaths.
• You may also move back and forth to keep your legs stretched and core engaged.
• Maintain for a couple of seconds.

 

Aerial Puppy Pose

From the Aerial Plank Pose, you may now go to the Aerial Puppy Pose.

• To start, gently bring down your knees and keep your lower leg flat on the mat.
• Then, extend your hands to your front. Keep them stretched forward.
• Slowly lower your chest and chin to the mat.
• You will feel your upper body stretched. Take a couple of deep breaths.
• Stay in the position for a few breaths. Once done, slowly come up and remove your body from the hammock.

 

Aerial Bridge Pose

To start with the pose, arrange your fabric again and work on the folds. This pose will involve sitting on the hammock, so you’ll need to be properly supported all throughout.

• First, make sure you’re on your knees in front of the hammock.
• Adjust the fabric opening behind you and take a seat. Ensure that you have good coverage, especially the small part of your lower back.
• Grab on to the fabric above you. Extend your arms.
• Slowly lean back. Make sure that your feet are flat on the ground and your knees just slightly apart.
• Next, using the fabric as support, bring your upper body down until your shoulders are against the ground.
• You may also extend your legs more so that you can fully use your hammock as support.
• Place both arms to your side. Palms facing down.
• Take deep breaths. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
• Stay for a couple of seconds. Use the time to let go of any tension in your body and mind. Clear your headspace and put more focus on your breathing.
• Once done, gently pull your upper body up so that you’re back to the seated position.

 

Cooling Down

After your bridge pose, you can get off the hammock and return to the child’s pose.

Release all the tension in your back, lower and upper body. This time, you may stay in the position for longer than a few minutes.

Fully immerse yourself in the pose and release the remaining worries and anxieties that you’re feeling.

By this time, you’ll be more aware of your breathing and how your body feels with every pose.

As you get deeper into the practice, you’ll also get better. In the end, it’s important to enjoy the flow and just let your body move with it.

So there you have it – a nice gentle and easy aerial yoga flow – hope you enjoyed it!