Turning the Festial upside down! Acroyoga
Acroyoga is a beautiful and innovative practice based on communication, trust and spreading joy, which is why it is pretty fitting to have three international acroyoga teachers spreading the message of community at the Bali Spirit Festival again this year. For many the practice may appear to be a new innovation, weaving far from the more traditional style of yoga. However, Krishnamacharya (the founding father of modern day yoga) was known to be found of flying his students!
A combination of yoga, acrobatics and therapeutic Thai massage each class if uniquely different offering different challenges and skills. This morning was no exception and Ale Ruiz from Mexico, Justin Caruso and Samantha Miller from the US taught a fun filled therapeutic workshop, turning worlds upside down with the mission of full relaxation, preparing festival goers for the days and nights ahead.
With a record number of supporting acroyoga teachers (there are eleven flying monkeys playing at the BSF this year) the team provided a safe and fun environment for first time flyers while offering new techniques to more experienced practitioners.
The workshop began with trademark acroyoga circle ceremony. We shared a gentle warm up of moving as one with the breath followed by sharing metta – loving touch – to friends sitting either side of us in the circle. The simple practice provided important skills of sensitivity of touch; a necessity in a world increasingly disconnected from the power of healing touch. Groups of three were then formed (the smallest number in a community) as the team led a fun series of poses to warm up hamstrings and shoulders, as well fostering trust our new friends.
Then the flying began…Ale and Justin led a beautiful demonstration explaining the basic principles for flight combined with precise body work moves. They were captivating in both the fluidity of their movements and heir sincere joy in the practice. Soon all were upside down, seeing the world (or at least Punarti) differently. Every person having the opportunity to base (offering stability and support to the flyer), fly (being gifted with several minutes of total surrender to gravity and positions to release any tension in the back) and spot (an essential part of the practice, as the spotter takes care…acting as both the guardian angel and coach).
After each round the group was brought back into a circle for refinements and sharing of the experience. Finally Samantha and Ale put together the different skills learned into a mesmerizing flow followed by what is known as “leg love” the gift of relaxation by both the flyer and spotter to the base.
It was incredible to see such a huge group of beginners achieve such assurance in the air and trust in one another. The vibes were high and smiles soaring, reminding us of the beauty in coming together to achieve what would be impossible individually, as well as the flexibility of yoga in general – sharing messages essential for living collectively in the modern world.
The acroyoga team will be teaching again in the Lawn Pavilion tomorrow at 3.15pm. They will also be running a five day acroyoga immersion at the Yoga Barn after the festival from the 27th to the 31st March. Neither are to be missed!
Photo by Ulrike Reinhold.
Written by : Administrator