A year ago, I discovered Acroyoga, thanks to my friend Anais. At first I was a bit perplexed at how this discipline is called “yoga” (Acrogym seemed more appropriate to me!), but I quickly fell in love with this challenging acrobatics practice and found that the physical and mental disciplines of traditional yoga are very much at its foundation.

One of the advantages of Acroyoga is that right from the start you can already have fun with some simple but pretty impressive poses.

What is Acroyoga?

Acroyoga is a mixed yoga discipline that combines yoga with acrobatics, and sometimes massage and stretching as well. The two primary positions are “base” and “flyer”: the “base” is the person who is typically on the ground, using their arms and legs to support the person on top. The “flyer” is the person elevated off the ground by the base, moving into the different positions with the help of their partner’s support and gravity.

What to wear?

I recommend a tight outfit, simply because as soon as you launch into any head-down position, baggy pants will be at your thighs and a loose tee-shirt will fall on your face.

Why do I like it? 10 Reasons:

1. Self-challenging (you know me!)
2. Works on your balance
3. Helps to better understand body positioning and body space (not simple when you have your head down)
4. Discover that your body can do things you didn’t imagine!
5. Tone up with fun (the day after a 1-hour session, your muscles will be aching, trust me!)
6. Build self-confidence
7. Learn to fall and pick yourself up again
8. The incredible mindfulness. You can not afford to lose focus for a moment, so those files on your office desk will have to wait. If your mind wanders, you are guaranteed to lose balance!
9. Learn to trust others
10. Partnership & sharing: one person first serves as the base, and then the other becomes the base in turn. We support each other and recognize the importance of our roles at every moment!

To progress faster without hurting myself, I opted for a few private lessons to be sure that my “base” (the one who supports the “flyer”) would know how to hold me. I made some really nice progress with my teacher Zach! In Acroyoga you get quite attached to your “base” that sometimes it’s difficult to even try a new partner. Indeed, when Zach went on vacation, I actually stopped AcroYoga for a month!

Can everyone do it?

Yes! Of course, if you have any medical/physical problems, you should always check with your doctor or physiotherapist first. But generally speaking, everyone can try AcroYoga. Naturally, your ability to successfully hold the positions you try (as well as your general progression) will depend on your fitness and flexibility levels.

I know that with the limits my body imposes on me (chronic pain, etc.), I will not be able to do everything, but what’s great about Acroyoga – as in all forms of yoga – is that every day we discover new positions which allow us to go beyond ourselves just that little bit more.

We don’t judge our partner, and no judgement is passed on us – it’s really very relaxing! The weight or shape of your body is not really important. Contrary to what one might think, you can be overweight and do Acroyoga; you can be not particularly flexible and still manage pretty well; and you can be scared to try something and then suddenly find yourself in a perfect upside-down position without having even thought about it. There is a magical flow to this practice that carries you through and surprises you in wondrous ways when you let go!

Where to do it?

In many local yoga studios (check your area), gyms, community centers, etc.

Have you ever tried Acroyoga? Curious to experience it yourself?
Come on, now it’s your turn to discover this really fun activity!

Small warning: If you aren’t careful or guided professionally, you can get hurt pretty quickly in Acroyoga: a position poorly executed, a fall on your back or neck, an unstable base, etc. So only practice Acroyoga if you feel safe and confident, if your base is very stable, and if you know how to fall like a cat ;). If not, be sure to start out with very small, safe steps.

If you go for about 2 sessions a week, you will experience very good results pretty quickly!

Don’t hesitate to share your Acroyoga photos on Instagram by tagging me @valerieorsoni #LeBootCamp so that I can follow your experiences!

Have fun,

Valerie Orsoni
Your LeBootCamp Coach