Take your workout to a whole new level with AcroYoga

Main elements of AcroYoga

Source: AcroYoga International

From a college demo class to the circus, it was a natural progression for Austin Rivera.

The then University of Arizona student was hooked on AcroYoga from Day 1.

“I wanted to get better faster, so I found a small local circus troupe and took classes with them,” Rivera said. “I would also practice with friends and watch YouTube videos. I was always trying to do things here and there.”

One part acrobatics, one part yoga – AcroYoga equals complete fitness and fun. It’s a physical practice that combines yoga with acrobatics. In addition to the exercise and strength building aspects of AcroYoga, the partner balancing improves concentration and the massage elements can reduce stress.

“It’s a lot of fun and great for stress relief,” Rivera said.

Now an officer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Rivera shares his love of AcroYoga at workshops and yoga studios throughout the Miami Valley. He will participate in the upcoming Urban Yoga Movement – on Jan. 9 – designed to bring yogis of all experience levels together for a day of active and educational sessions focused on a variety of disciplines of yoga, meditation and wellness.

All in moderation

If the thought of balancing precariously in an inversion atop your partner seems a bit intimidating, you are not alone.

“It looks like a mountain, but it’s really just a series of steps,” Rivera said. “When we teach intro classes, we always tell people to go slow, they can always move up. And we always modify.”

AcroYoga is not a solitary practice as there is a “base” who provides support for the “flyer” and a spotter, because taking a tumble is inevitable.

“It’s not a matter of if you fall because you will fall, so having a spotter is important for safety,” Rivera said.

Total body benefits

While Rivera is a lifelong athlete — a diver, swimmer, runner and wrestler — you need not be an accomplished athlete to try AcroYoga. The 25-year-old AcroYoga enthusiast blends equal parts of yoga, acrobatics, and therapeutics into his practice to ensure a balanced, challenging, and restorative experience making it beneficial for a wide variety of ages and ability levels. Rivera has worked with kids and college students as well as people 50-plus and all have reaped benefits.

“It helps increase flexibility and improve physical endurance,” he said. “But it’s also rewarding mentally when you accomplish something you couldn’t even imagine doing before.”

And the massage elements help provide stress relief and relaxation.

If AcroYoga sounds intriguing, you can find out more about the Urban Yoga Movement and the Dayton Acro group on Facebook.