If you’ve always wanted to dangle upside down like a bat, take heart: there is a way to do this without looking foolish or falling on your head. It’s called AntiGravity Yoga, a recent fitness trend that has become immensely popular across the world.
Few years ago, New York-based Christopher Harrison founded AntiGravity, an acrobatic performance troupe that uses, among other things, the AntiGravity hammock. This hammock is a 10-inch-wide piece of fabric that is suspended about three feet above the ground and attached to two overhead points. Users lie on it and perform asanas, do aerobics and pilates, while flipping though the air.
Aficionados of this form of exercise claim it has numerous benefits: it decompresses tight joints, and relieves pressure on the spine while at the same time aligning the vertebrae; people can perform advanced yoga asanas without fear of injuring their backs or necks, and it allows you to stretch further with less strain. AntiGravity Yoga is also one of the best options for those who have always been a little intimidated by the convoluted positions yoga instructors expect them to get into.
With techniques from dance, pilates and calisthenics added in, AntiGravity ‘Yoga’ has become a complete fitness regimen. Warm-ups, sun salutations, breathing techniques and strengthening exercises all form part of the routine. It also builds core strength and enhances flexibility.
More than anything else, the feeling of floating in the air, weightless and suspended, is a feeling like no other, claim enthusiasts, making AntiGravity Yoga super fun.