I work out hard. I try to push the limits of what my body can do and today I can do way more push-ups than I could do 12 weeks ago (which was virtually none.) I can do burpees! Which I something I both loathe and love but certainly something most people looking at me would never guess I can do. Still, after all that sweat and grunting, I relish something softer. Let me be clear that does not mean easy! I mean something to put my body back in alignment, stretch those tired muscles and soothe my worked out soul. Basically, I LOVE YOGA!
If you have never done yoga you should know that you can sweat and strain as much in yoga as in anything else but there are many types of yoga for you to try and finding the right one for you is essential. So I say go out there and try them all!
Some of the fabulous DMB ladies and I recently tried a new type of yoga (or new to me) at the Yoga Shelter of Rochester Hills. We took an aerial yoga class. Sounds cool right? Let me tell you, it is! I had seen it in my Facebook feed for a while and known some people who tried it and liked it. I wanted to try for myself but had 2 questions: 1. is there a weight limit? (Answer: nope!) 2. how much of a yoga expert do I need to be (Answer: beginner to novice!)
We were greeted by our instructor Emily who was sweet and patient with all of our questions even before the class began. Once we got all of our questions out, she patiently waited for us to play on the hammocks and get used to them. She encouraged us to learn to trust the hammock and how they support your body before starting. She showed us every move we would do before having us begin it and was wonderfully attentive with spotting us and helping us in our moves (read as: stopping me from swinging myself all over.)
We started with basic moves and worked our way into progressively more acrobatic moves and I found myself eager to try the next thing; anticipating what cool move lay ahead. I felt adventurous and brave which is always good for the soul! After our yoga time was over we ended in the traditional way of cooling down by lowering the lights and enjoying the peace. However, we were inside our hammocks which engulfed us like cocoons. Gently swaying in that fabric with my eyes closed I thought I found nirvana. What I also found was an incredibly fun and challenging workout to add to my repertoire!
Yoga Shelter has locations in Birmingham, Grosse Pointe, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Southfield and West Bloomfield. They offer several types of yoga to find your best fit!
My top five reasons to try Aerial Yoga:
- The cocoon. Trust me; you will want to LIVE in that thing.
- The core. You will be amazed at the core strength you have and the core strength you will build with this practice.
- The stretch. Every muscle in my body felt elongated and stretched back into its proper place. No longer sore they felt strong.
- The positions. I never envisioned myself upside down doing yoga. It was a completely new and invigorating experience.
- The fun. Bring a friend! We laughed; we tried new things and loved every minute of it!
