I was excited to do aerial yoga. I’d seen it on YouTube and in magazines and had to try it! I had attended floor based yoga classes but I was looking for something more dynamic. I soon found that being aerial (even though I was still close to the floor) pushed me right out of my comfort zone. I didn’t realize how disoriented and afraid I would be. I had totally lost that “no fear of falling” thing I had as a kid. I watch my kids do it now – they rumble and tumble off the couch. No matter how many times they fall or I tell them not to, they still do it. They are not afraid to fall, and every day they learn something new.
I am afraid to fall. Not only physically but also to fail in other areas of my life. So, as I was dangling from the fabric sling, I realized I needed to relax and get over the fear. The worst thing that could happen would be that I would hit the floor, bruising my ego. But I didn’t fall. My instructor was not only patient with me but also checked that I was wrapping the sling correctly so that I would not fall. I just needed to learn to trust the sling and listen to her instructions. Then I had a revelation, and fear turned to fun! The mood in an aerial yoga class is very supportive too. We are all overcoming fears of some sort, and we don’t all perform every exercise perfectly. The classes are peppered with grunts, snorts, farts, laughs and fails. My challenge now is not how to overcome fear but how to transition smoothly into my aerial circus sit – come to a class at Miss Fit Dance Studio and you’ll find out what that involves!
1. Hanging upside down is fun. Seriously, how often do you find yourself hanging upside down? I was never the kid in the playground hanging upside down on the monkey bars. I erred on the side of caution, and at 32 I went upside down for the first time. Being able to hang completely suspended creates the most fantastic de-compressive stretch – your back will love you! This is now my favourite part of the class.
2. It is okay to leave your comfort zone. I am a creature of habit and do not readily change my daily rituals unless I have to. Doing aerial yoga broke the tightly bound laces I have wrapped around myself. How many times have I missed out on something because of inner fear? I realized it is time to take chances not only with my exercise routine, but in life.
3. It’s okay to not know what I am doing. I admit it I am a control freak. I love knowing what I am doing, and being wrong is so hard for me. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I walked into that aerial yoga class. It’s quite different from any other yoga or gym class I had attended previously. With the teachers guidance I managed to do things I never would have tried on my own. She showed me what to do, and then she had to show me again because I just didn’t get it the first time. I usually never ask for help, because I hate being the one to not know what I am doing. I realized that keeping mute is not going to get my questions answered.
Flying is Fun!
Jenny, Sydney.
When you undertake to do a course with Miss Fit, you make a commitment not just to improve your fitness, but to challenge your limits and discover something about yourself that was previously unknown. We will guide and help you to push through the barriers of “I can’t do this”, to reveal your inner strength and the beauty that is to be found when you conquer fear and become your ultimate self. Visit our website to book yourself in for a Taster Class
