Attributed as a beautiful practice to purify one’s soul and re-ignite the inner spirit, AcroYoga is highly recommend for fitness enthusiasts looking for attaining balance and grace. Primarily it helps strengthen the legs and release tension in the body, especially of the back. It also helps in muscle-building.
However, one must start under expert guidance as the exercises are not only tough, they need to be meticulously performed to avoid injury.
Invest in trust: AcroYoga is essentially a duet act, so blind faith between the two partners, their interdependence and confidence in each other are a must for this challenging routine. Much like the couples’ dance reality shows we see on TV.
The exercises: AcroYoga exercises can vary from 30 seconds to 1 to 5 to even 10 minutes, depending on the stamina of the performers. A pair of participants majorly performs two roles, one as a “base” the other as a “flyer”, repeating the exercises once.
- Base: The individual has the most points of contact with the ground. Often he or she is lying on the ground with the back torso in full contact.
- Flyer: He or she is elevated off the ground by the “base”. The flyer can move into a series of dynamic positions and generally lets gravity do the work. A flyer needs balance, confidence and core strength to perform the exercise.
- The Front Bird pose: While performing as a “flyer”, you may hold your base’s hands, shins or go absolute hands-free. First walk very close to your base so that your toes almost touch his or her buttocks. Ensure that his/her feet are centered on your front hip-bones and are parallel to each other. Hold hands like you are about to do “down-dog” (fingers forward) and lean forward. Allow your base to take your weight on his/her legs. Keep your core strong and stay straight, else the base’s toes will hurt your belly).
?Keep your arms straight during the whole process and allow the base to balance you with his/her feet. Look forward and open your chest. Think of the locust yoga pose with your torso and legs reaching long.
If you choose to let go of the hands, then outstretch your arms sideways with palms facing downward. Do not reach your arms forward as it’s risky to maintain your balance that way. Remain in this posture for 30 seconds before slowly being lowered by the “base”. Exchange positions and repeat.
- The Folded Leaf pose: If you’re performing this as a “base”, then start from the beginning of the Front Bird pose and move your feet outwards so that your “flyer’s” front hip-bones meet the inside edges of your feet. Ask the “flyer” to bend forward into a fold to ensure that the crown of his/her head brushes your stomach and his/her feet is above the floor. After holding the pose for 30 seconds, grip the flyer’s hands and help him/her to come up from the forward fold position. Soften your knees and gently lower your legs to the floor till the flyer’s feet touch the ground and come out of the posture. Release your hands. Exchange positions and repeat the exercise.
- Back Bird pose: In this posture, as a “base”, your feet should be kept parallel to each other and centred on the flyer’s buttocks or turned out by placing your heels on the flyer’s sacrum (a triangular bone in the lower back formed from fused vertebrae and situated between the two hip bones of the pelvis). Extend your hands towards the flyers’ arms and bend your knees.
Let the flyer lean back and shift the weight to your legs. Slide your hands towards his/her shoulders and straighten your legs. Ensure that the flyer’s lower back is comfortable and there is no pain. Gently remove your hands from the flyer’s shoulders and make sure that he/she doesn’t fall backwards over your head. Slowly lower the flier back to his/her feet and do not let him/her fall forward.
