Aerial Yoga: Elevate Your Teaching Journey (Literally!)

Fellow yoga teachers, have you ever considered taking your passion for yoga to new heights? Literally! Today, I want to share a little secret about my own journey and why I believe adding aerial yoga to your repertoire can be an incredibly rewarding and unique step in your teaching career.

Now, some of you who know me well might be surprised to hear this, but I'm actually quite a traditionalist when it comes to yoga. So, when I first encountered aerial yoga teaching in California over a decade ago, as my home studio ventured into this new practice, I’ll be honest – I was skeptical. Suspended in fabric? It felt a bit… unconventional. But curiosity got the better of me, and when I finally tried an aerial class, I was hooked! I absolutely loved the sensation, the new ways to explore familiar poses, and the surprising benefits I felt. I was fortunate enough to get certified through the studio's teacher training program as they needed more instructors, and that experience truly broadened my perspective on what yoga could be.

Here’s another little-known fact about my journey: my first move to the beautiful Costa Rica was actually driven by aerial yoga! I came here to teach at a wellness center in Manuel Antonio, and they were specifically seeking an aerial yoga teacher. At the time (and still today!), qualified aerial instructors were a rarer find, making it a valuable skill to possess. And well, the rest, as they say, is history! For years, I’ve held a dream of opening my own retreat center here, and from the very beginning, I knew aerial yoga would be an integral part of it. I now absolutely love hanging in our open air yoga deck here at Hari OM Yoga Ashram, sometimes with the monkeys (literally)! Btw, I like to crack that joke when I suspend people in their first aerial inversion during class, that they are now officially just like Costa Rican monkeys, just hanging out. It always kills with my visitor and tourist students, many of which venture into trying yoga and aerial yoga for the first time in Costa Rica, and with a good reason as it's a perfectly complementing environment to infuse wellness and mindfulness into one's vacation, or pick up a new skill to take home.

One thing that’s unique about being an aerial yoga teacher is the setup. You can only truly practice and teach it in a space equipped with aerial hammocks, which means I personally haven't taught as many aerial classes as traditional mat classes simply due to the availability of those specialized spaces. However, this very fact works to your advantage! It inherently means that to teach aerial yoga, you absolutely need to be qualified, knowledgeable, and experienced.

If we're being truly honest, living here in Costa Rica, I've encountered many wonderful people who identify as "yoga teachers" or offer various wellness practices without necessarily holding formal certifications. But aerial yoga? It's a little harder to "fake it 'til you make it" when you're suspended in the air!

So, why should you, as a dedicated yoga teacher, consider adding this unique string to your bow? Here are just a few benefits of carving out a special niche in the yoga world:

Benefits of Adding an Aerial Niche to Your Yoga Resume:

• Stand Out From the Crowd: In an increasingly saturated yoga market, having a specialized skill like aerial yoga makes you a more unique and sought-after teacher.
• Expand Your Teaching Opportunities: Wellness centers, retreats (like the one I manifested), and specialized studios often actively seek out aerial yoga.
• Attract a New Student Base: Aerial yoga can appeal to students who might not be drawn to traditional mat-based yoga, opening you up to a wider audience.
• Increase Your Value: Specialized skills often translate to increased earning potential as you offer a unique and in-demand service.
• Deepen Your Own Practice and Understanding: Learning to teach aerial yoga will undoubtedly deepen your understanding of movement, alignment, and the body in space.

Benefits of Aerial Yoga for Your Students (and Your Teaching):

• Offers a New Kind of Challenge: For students (and teachers!) looking to push their boundaries, aerial yoga provides a fantastic way to build core strength, explore inversions safely, and discover creative transitions.
• Enhances Mobility and Flexibility: The hammock can support deeper stretches and help students access greater ranges of motion.
• Makes Inversions More Accessible: Many students find inversions like supported headstands and handstands less intimidating and more achievable with the support of the hammock. This is actually my personal favorite benefit of aerial yoga - enjoying the inversions, "queens and kings of yoga poses" without putting any strain on shoulders or neck.
• Provides Unique Prop Support: Just like using blocks or straps, the hammock can be an invaluable prop for students with injuries, mobility limitations, or seniors, offering support and allowing them to experience modified versions of poses (think of it as a dynamic, full-body chair!).
• Adds an Element of Fun and Playfulness: Let's face it, swinging in a hammock is fun! This can make yoga more engaging and enjoyable for students of all levels.

Versatile Practice:

You might be surprised to know that aerial yoga isn't just one style! It can be adapted to various yoga modalities. Whether you want to teach a gentle beginner class, a more advanced and challenging flow (which is definitely my personal teaching style!), or even a deeply relaxing restorative aerial session, the possibilities are wonderfully diverse.

Ready to take your teaching journey to new heights? Our Aerial Yoga Course in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, is an immersive experience designed to equip you with the foundational knowledge, skillful sequencing techniques, and practical teaching experience you need to confidently and safely guide aerial yoga classes. Whether you're looking to add a unique offering to your current teaching schedule or dream of leading aerial retreats in breathtaking locations (like Costa Rica!), this training will not only deepen your understanding of aerial yoga but also enrich your approach to your regular mat-based classes.

We invite you to explore this exciting and rewarding niche and discover how aerial yoga can elevate your teaching and inspire your students in new and wonderful ways. Not ready for an aerial yoga course yet? Join us for aerial classes or retreats infusing aerial yoga practice.

Pura Vida and happy flying!