Aerial Yoga: Week 16
This weekend was full of of wonderful highs and disappointing lows, but tonight I’m pretty content, so we’ll call it even.
Friday after work, I went back to yin yoga for the second time. The first class I tried gave me a good stretch, but was a little smelly. This one went much better.
It was a sunny evening, Ria and Mandy joined me and the class was packed. Micha, our aerial yoga instructor taught the class. She was fantastic, getting us into difficult poses in a way that I wanted to breathe through the pain because I knew I’d get amazing results. Half the time I was thinking ‘owwwww why am I doing this??’ and half the time I was feeling really positive and grinning like an idiot.
There was just one teeny, tiny thing that wasn’t so great. Mandy and I had apparently set our mats up on an ant farm. The entire time I was trying to focus and breathe, ant after ant climbed out of a crack in the floor and headed straight for me. I felt bad for squishing them in such a soothing, positive environment, but it had to be done, bugs crawling toward my crotch disrupted my zen state.
The session was a huge stress relief after a week of incredibly frustrating work. They created such an open, accepting space that people were moaning and one woman even started sobbing. It was a little distracting, but the energy in the room was incredible. I think I’m going to be a regular from now on.
Saturday I had my last class of the second session of aerial yoga. After mastering dophin last week, I was determined to try hip circles (watch this video to see what I’m talking about). Holy bruised hips was it painful! Of course I ignored the pain and attempted it over and over. I haven’t been able to flip completely around, but mark my words, it will happen!
The other trick I worked on was splits. First off, let me say I have never in my life been able to do the splits. NEVER! For all the dance classes I took, I could never do the splits or a cartwheel…I was a fourth grade failure. Once I had both foot locks on I just sort of slid down and suddenly…SPLITS! It was one of the tricks I never thought I’d be flexible enough to do, but all my hard work and late-night tv watching stretching sessions completely paid off.
When I got home I pulled a photo out of my planner that I had printed out a couple days before. I wanted to add it to my vision board because I want to quit my day job and become a full-time circus freak. Yeah, for real. I burst out laughing when I realized what trick I had printed…
Yep…I can do that :)
05.16.10 in aerial yoga
Dude, can I see photos of the splits? THIS IS SO BADASS, you don’t even know. Or well, you do. Because you have that picture. But still, we wanna see you busting it out!
I am so in awe of you always.
ps- Robo.To is SO COOL!
Yay! So happy that you like yin yoga. I’m going this Friday – you going to be there? But no ants this time – I would have freaked out, just like I did that one time with the spider. Bugs=no zen like state.
And let me appluad you for doing the splits and hip circles – you are a super awesome woman. I can’t wait to go to your first show… which I know will be soon :)
Also, I have never ever been able to do a cartwheel and I still can’t. Everytime I try I get hurt or something. No fun.
Miss you lady :)
Yes I’ll be there on Fri! We will practice our cartwheels this summer :)
This aerial yoga fascinates me! Exactly how difficult is it to sit still while being suspended on the ropes?
And awesome about the splits! :)
ps…i took dance classes for 9 years and could never do the splits. i wasn’t able to until i started taekwondo.
glad yoga was better this time around. yep you can totally do that! :) can’t wait to hear how the saturday class with the hammock is going to be!
Wait wait wait…you can split!? You rock. I’d probably break my hips or something. Haha!