Afraid of being upside down? Or do you dream of flying, being tossed in the air like an acrobat?
Either way, you should check out Acroyoga. Described as “acrobatics with a yogic consciousness,” this dynamic and invigorating practice pushes physical and emotional limits,
cultivating confidence and self-knowledge in the process.
We sat down with Acroyoga creators and partners in work and life, Jessie Goldberg and Eugene Poku, to find out how exactly they came up with this transformative practice.
So how is Acroyoga different from any other yoga practice?
Eugene: Acroyoga is being in the moment in balance with another person. We’re taking the yoga practice and basically doing it with someone else: in balance, on your feet or on your arms, on different ledges of the body, and through that,
a conversation develops.
A conversation?
Eugene: When you’re working with another person, it tends to bring up a lot of issues. If you can stay in the moment and deal with those issues consciously, you’ll start to develop, you’ll start to grow as partners.
Jessie: There’s a lot of reciprocity in Acroyoga. There’s a lot of reciprocity in yoga, but it’s very much a solo venture. We can practice together but the give and take is all within your own framework. Acroyoga is kind of like having kids: so you’re a couple and then you have a kid, and all of a sudden it’s a whole different ballgame.
So how did you develop the practice?
Jessie: We started doing Acroyoga many years ago. I’ve been working with Eugene since 1982. We started with dance and had a lot of acrobatics. We toured with acrobats and people who were working in the body – a lot of jugglers, a lot of variety acts. Kind of like a post-vaudeville scene.
We got together with Dan Aubin of the Acromaniacs in Winnipeg about fifteen years ago. It was at the Kids Festival in Winnipeg and we were in the hotel room until three in the morning showing him yoga and he was showing us acro and just BOOM! Right then it started to really fuse.
So what are some of the things you would do in a beginner’s class?
Jessie: We start with the
fundamentals of yoga, counterbalance, helping each other get up off the floor without hurting our backs. Taking the weight before lifting up in the air. Working with three so you always have a spot.
Eugene: Yoga, core, sensitivity exercises.
Sensitivity exercises?
Eugene: We use games to create sensitivity and communication.
Jessie: These are tactile games. Person to person: forehead to elbow, elbow to shin. So we start, in a non-invasive way, to make contact. You will go upside down sooner or later. If you have
issues with going upside down then Acroyoga is the place for you because we start very slowly.
And what are the main benefits of doing this kind of a practice?
Eugene: Well, physically, it keeps you in touch with your core. Once you do this you realise that the more you can activate your core, the easier it is. It also works you strength-wise, aerobically.
Jessie: Plus endurance, because we do a lot of holds. Sometimes three to five minute holds. There’s also psychological and emotional benefit that come over time. It
helps you to communicate. What I said and what I should have said become very real in this practice.
Who do you think can benefit most from Acroyoga?
Jessie: Acroyoga is for everybody. For people who have fear of touch or being touched, or being upside down: we’ve realised that over time in a supportive environment, they love it. And we go from terror to fear to caution to awareness. And to go from terror to awareness is amazing.
Want to push your physical and emotional limits? Check out the Acroyoga website to find a class near you.
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