It has been ages since I last went for a Fly Yoga class. I must admit, I enjoy Fly Yoga more than I do Acro Yoga, mainly because it is a practice that I can get into and on my own. It is versatile enough that it can be a little like fitness, and yet it can also segue into a proper yoga practice, with a flow and breathing practice as well.
So since my sessions have been slowing down because of the holiday season, we decided to drop in at Aravind Yoga‘s Fly Yoga class, conducted by my good friend and fellow teacher, Chris Teoh. Firstly, it took ages and ages for me to find my centre of balance. It wasn’t that difficult on the mat, but even when it came to one-leg movements, I noticed that my left leg grounding was a lot less sure and able than my right, the latter with which everything went really smoothly.
Secondly, I have to admit, I was very mindful of my knee, maybe more than I should have been. Anything that was required a unilateral leg, even stepping into the hammock with the right leg caused me to hesitate. It is the usual “once bitten twice shy” attitude. It is a mindset I need to break out of. There is a fine balance in being cautious and being scared stiff.
Thirdly, fly yoga is fun! The number of times people fell out of the hammocks or got tangled up caused everyone, the practitioner themselves as well, to laugh and giggle. I think if my body weren’t so aching from the gym workouts I recently have done, I would most likely have enjoyed the session more. As it was, I couldn’t differentiate between muscle soreness and potential knee issues. Ah well… That’s part and parcel of life as a personal trainer / fitness coach / yoga teacher.
Another thing I find interesting about Fly Yoga (and Acro Yoga) is its interpretation of traditional poses within the confines of its own practice. And of course, the new names like Batman (!?!?!?) for example. Acro Yoga has Free Bird, which is a combo of dandasana (for the base) and either salabhasana or dhanurasana.
In any case, we did do a lot of really cool poses, including natarajasana, which I failed to do properly because of the wonky knee and the tight groin, but I still had a lot of fun. I should go more often!