Acroyoga

Participating in acroyoga in a park.

Acro-yoga is a physical practice which blends elements of yoga, acrobatics, performance and healing arts.

There are two schools of Acroyoga. Acroyoga Montreal, led by Jessie Goldberg and Eugene Poku, has used the term since 2001 brings together acrobatics, yoga and dance/performance. Acroyoga Inc., which began in California with Jason Nemer and Jenny Klein and was labelled as acroyoga in 2006. The latter practices brings together acrobatics, yoga and Thai massage. Both schools offer teaching certifications, and despite some differences have many similar poses.

Roles

There are three primary roles in an Acro-yoga practice: base, flyer, and spotter.

• Base - this is the individual who has the most points of contact with the ground. Often this person is lying on the ground with the entire back torso in full contact. This enables both the arms and legs to be "bone-stacked" for maximum stability and support of the Flyer. Main points of contact with the flyer are the feet (generally placed on the Flyer's hips or stomach) and the hands (which either form handholds or grasp the shoulders).
• Flyer - this is the individual who 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 for them. A Flyer needs balance, confidence, and core strength.
• Spotter - this is the individual who has an objective view of the partners, and whose entire focus is on making sure that the Flyer lands safely in case of any slips. The spotter can also make recommendations to the Base and Flyer to improve their form.

External links

• AcroYoga.com, Montreal, Canada
• AcroYoga.org, Berkeley, CA, USA