Antigravity Yoga Hanging in Silk Cocoons

yoga in cocoons is the new fitness craze sweeping America

  • Participants use silk hammocks to improve blood flow and stretch spine
  • Can also form cocoons to find zen state

Aerial acrobatics and the attainment of spiritual tranquility seem to go hand in hand. Perhaps it’s like real “spiritual flying” or levitation? It’s called AntiGravity Yoga.

It has been developed by acrobat and gymnast Christopher Harrison and involves a thorough workout a few feet above the ground in a silk hammock that can close around the person inside to form a peaceful pod.

Cocoon craze: Closing yourself off inside the hammock allows you to focus on your mind, body and spirit
According to Christopher, hanging upside down balances out the body, enhances abdominal workouts and opens up the spine. Closing yourself off inside a personal hammock allows you to focus on your mind, body and spirit in a completely new way.

New classes are being launched around the USA and franchises have been set up in Ireland and Italy. Sessions are now springing up in the UK.

Christopher came up with the system while playing with hammocks on an Indian retreat in 1996.

He continued to study yoga and invented apparatus for his dance troupe using flying silk to help them exercise and prepare for acrobatic displays.

Christopher, 50, said: ‘I’d been travelling all over the world performing and had put a lot of strain on my body.

Newfangled dangle: Christopher Harrison's yoga class performing one of his unique postures in his New York studioNewfangled dangle: Christopher Harrison’s yoga class performing one of his unique postures in his New York studio

‘But we discovered that hanging upside down in the hammocks helped to get all the kinks out.

‘We put hammocks in our practice room and used them as part of our warm up. 

‘It was not only a beautiful apparatus for flying, but a great way to decompress our spine after long flights.

‘The combination of yoga and the silk hammock was inevitable.’

Less of a strain: The hammock helps take the weight off the spine and joints. Christopher Harrison developed his system after struggling to perform yoga poses on the ground because of wrist problems.Less of a strain: The hammock helps take the weight off the spine and joints. Christopher Harrison developed his system after struggling to perform yoga poses on the ground because of wrist problems.

Christopher struggled with yoga poses on the ground because of wrist problems but found his practice much more successful in the air.

‘Using the hammock wasn’t challenging on my wrists,’ he said. ‘I put one in my house, and me and my friends would find ourselves hanging around in it.

‘Inside the hammock, you close off everything around you and have awareness of mind, body and spirit.

‘My mother wanted to exercise but she struggled because of a back problem. But she tried AntiGravity yoga and was successful.’

Head for heights: Hanging upside down refreshes the body's systems, helps blood flow and stretches the spineHead for heights: Hanging upside down refreshes the body’s systems, helps blood flow and stretches the spine

He developed the system over the next ten years and now runs yoga classes 17 times a week from a Manhattan studio.

‘AntiGravity Yoga has become so popular that there are already similar classes springing up in England,’ said Christopher.

‘We’d like people to come to a real AntiGravity class and find out about the original.’

Hanging upside down refreshes the body’s systems, helps blood flow, and allows everyone to try postures such as the headstand and handstand, he added.

The technique uses a fusion of around 40 per cent yoga with acrobatics, dance, gymnastic moves, pilates and other disciplines and the flying silk allows participants to travel and flow freely between postures.

The only other thing I know with this much power to help you “step outside” the everyday world is Transformational Guided Imagery. I wrote a white paper on this, which you can get from here: http://www.LetterFromSerendipity.com/Transformational_Guided_Imagery.pdf

From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2021892/Forget-downward-dog-try-upside-yoga.html#ixzz1U02alSWr

  • BARRY KENDLER says:

    THIS MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR HYPERTENSIVE INDIVIDUALS SINCE, IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN, IT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES BLOOD PRESSURE.

  • Gail Cox Steck says:

    I would like to buy this or get more information where in Switzerland to do this.
    I am a physicaltherapist süpecialised in Neurorehabilitaion and have developed chronic back pain- love yoga, but cannot do this anymore. I am now 54 years old, but fit:-) This looks like an altenative?
    Many thanks
    Gail

  • Berkeleyman says:

    Barry, I don’t know why it would increase blood pressure at all. Where do you get that information?

    • Bill Woolgar says:

      The notion that hanging upside down increases blod pressure is partially correct. The blood flow to the head is significantly opposite to the natural flow. Blood pools in the cranium and the increased pressure may be dangerous to those who might have any signs of an aneurism. Be careful when using this approach. I have had nose bleeds from this exercise.

  • dt says:

    Upside down is not good for glaucoma (pressure in eyeballs that can quietly cause optic nerve damage leading to blindness).

  • marylin says:

    as a child hanging upside down was a favorite thing….i’m 68 now and when i started seeing this antigravity yoga hanging thing i got excited. with the help of my husband, i hang and do exercises in the shop while i do my laundry. wish i had more examples then just what i’ve picked up here and there on the tv and the pc!

  • Mika says:

    I tried Anti Gravity Yoga class and Aerial Yoga class and both made several tiny red spots just like rash on my face which are internal bleeding from capillary vessels. I quite liked the classes but not sure if I should carry on. Is there any way I can do to prevent from this? Thanks.

    • RenegadeGuru says:

      Make sure you are not vit C deficient.
      Capillary fragility is one of the classic signs of scurvy

      • Mika says:

        Thanks a lot for your help!!! That’s a great thing to know! I’ll start taking extra Vit C supplement and book another class.

  • Faye says:

    Just tried this last night, and loved loved loved it!! I am 58 and have been practising yoga for 12 years .