I lifted elizabeth into the air.
She teetered precariously on my feet.
As I shifted my weight and bent one knee I sent her body spiraling in a rush of momentum. Her leg, with pointed toes, arched through the air like a rainbow. We deftly released and reconnected our hands. At the top of the movement we paused momentarily, both of us beaming a great smile. We had finally completed the difficult maneuver that we had tried a dozen or more times.
But in that brief moment of celebration we somehow lost balance, and she came crashing to the earth.
I caught her safely in an embrace and we immediately began giggling furiously, overjoyed with the success we had and the silliness of mistakes we made.
acro yoga is just plain fun. What more can I say. You have two people working toward something. It is challenging and rewarding when you achieve your goal together.
Learning to communicate through touch.
Rather than speaking a command we exchange ideas through shared movement. A shift of weight. A bent or straightened limb. An shifting of hand or foot placement. All of these things tell your partner something. Expressing the direction of the next movement. A kinetic suggestion of where we might place any of a dozen body parts.
The most joyous of physical movements.
A smile.
The subtle movement of the face for the sole purpose of expression. This communicates to your partner that something good is happening. There is joy being created.
Touch makes us feel good.
Evoking a connection to another person. Stimulating nerve endings and ripening emotions. Touch is something that we recognize and respond to from the earliest points in our lives. As babies we couldn’t directly understand words. We could, however, understand someones intentions through touch. Whether good or bad, the way we were held as children teaches us. That touch told us something about the other person.
I encourage you to give it a try. If you already have a strong yoga practice, previous dance or athletic experience, it will come very naturally to you.
If you are new, beginner classes are available in most major cities. Acro yogis are very friendly and accommodating. You generally don’t need a partner because everyone plays together. If you have a friend who is interested, feel free to bring them along.
Like some good music to set the mood of your acro practice? You can find my album at the following links