Here at Soul Fire, Aerial Yoga is one of our most popular offerings. We’re the only yoga studio in Sheffield that charges a standard class rate for aerial, and it’s fully included in all our membership options, so it’s no surprise people flock to us for some hammock time! But is aerial just an Instagram photo opportunity? What are the actual benefits? Well, read on, my friend, and learn all about the amazing benefits of Aerial Yoga!
Aerial is a fun and inventive form of yoga, that compliments are more traditional, mat based practice. It allows the yogi to experience the childlike joy of flipping, flying, and balancing on the silks, whilst being safely held through the balances taught in the class. In Aerial yoga you learn how to work with gravity, surrender to the body (often against what the brain might be saying), and place trust in the practice and the silks.
Aerial gives newcomers the confidence to play with inversions and go further with balances and more difficult asanas than they would be able to on the mat, as part of the body is always supported by the hammock. This means that you can attempt arm balances, head stands and more complex inversions far more quickly than you’re able to with a traditional practice, which, in turn, means your confidence grows rapidly. You learn quickly to honour your body, moving through poses gently. As well as this, aerial is a wonderful way of learning focus, as you must be very mentally engaged throughout the whole practice. Listening to the teacher, following poses, and finding your own balance, creates an intense concentration for the duration of the class. So, it’s a workout for the mind and body in one!
Within your aerial yoga practice, you will be challenged to use muscles not typically employed during a traditional mat-based session. A lot of time is spent warming up the shoulders and back muscles, so as not to hurt anything when you pull your body weight up on the silks. Through regular practice you will improve your back and upper arm strength, as well as developing good core muscles, which will be relied upon in planks and floating poses.
However, aerial yoga does not have to be so work out focussed. Restorative practice uses hammocks at a much lower height, and the yogi will use the floor much more as an added balancing opportunity. These sessions are meant to nourish and restore, with the participants cocooning themselves in the hammock and fully embracing the work of gravity to relax and let go of that which no longer serves.
After your class, you will finish with an Aerial Savasana, which is the perfect moment of complete relaxation, allowing the body to rest fully into the hammock, enjoying being held by the material and fully feeling the supportive embrace of gravity.
Our Aerial Yoga in Sheffield offering covers 3 different types of class. Aerial Open, Aerial Restorative and Aerial Technique.
For beginners, either Aerial Open or Aerial Restorative are both perfect classes to attend, depending on what you’re looking for within your practice. With Aerial Open, newcomers will get more support and guidance, and those who are more familiar with the practice are left to explore variations with less hands-on teaching. With Aerial Restorative, poses are held for longer (around 5 minutes), with the aim of the class being full relaxation. You are guaranteed to leave feeling refreshed and restored! Aerial Technique is for a slightly more advanced student. If you’ve attended four or more Aerial Open classes and are comfortable using the hammocks with a little bit less instruction, you should be able to take part in a more advanced class. These classes will focus more on inversions, arm balances, back bends, and other more difficult poses.
We offer Aerial Yoga in Sheffield for the same price as all other classes, and it is included in all our membership offers. So, you can buy an intro offer (£29 for 21 days of yoga) and come try as many aerial classes as you’d like (and all our other classes as well, of course!) Aerial classes at Soul Fire Studios are very popular and well attended, so make sure you book in advance to avoid disappointment!
