When I first started acrobatics, I was like a young puppy, a kid in the candy store.
There was so much to learn and explore!
And with that came opportunities to fall flat on my face as well...
I learned the hard way that to enjoy acro, I needed to listen to my body.
A fair share of injuries and one surgery later, I now cherish the gift of my physical body much more.
Taking care of yourself
If you want to have a sustainable AcroYoga practice, you have to take care of yourself.
AcroYoga is fun, but it can be quite demanding when we do it a lot, which should not be underestimated.
You are lifting human beings in the air, after all! (Or you’re the one being lifted in the air)
Fortunately, we have yoga and Thai massage to (partly) take care of that,
which is what attracted me to AcroYoga in the first place:
It's not just about doing cool tricks, but it's also about awareness and loving kindness.
But yoga and massage aren't always enough to take care of ourselves.
The thing that makes this practice so great and fun - playing with other people -
can also be the challenge sometimes.
It requires honesty and communication skills.
Physical boundaries
I know from experience that it's very easy to overstep your physical boundaries from fear of letting your partner down.
For instance: maybe they're super excited to practice a certain flow or trick, but you feel that your knee or back is a bit sore, and actually you need a break.
Do you have the honesty to let them know:"Great, but not right now, maybe next time"?
Or do you let their enthusiasm persuade you?
Wanting to be good enough
Another example of overstepping boundaries could be the tendency to project your desire to be "good enough" onto your AcroYoga practice.
(Newsflash: You won't find it there, because there will always be someone better than you).
This can look like getting angry with your body when it isn’t strong, flexible or capable enough yet, and gives a painful signal, just while you’re trying to get better at something.
Practicing from a place of frustration can be tricky…
This is why we like to emphasize: ”The best AcroYogi is the one who’s having the most fun!”
Because your level of fun also shows you if you’re still in alignment with yourself. And that makes it much safer to play.
Shift the focus
It might feel like a challenge to change from trying to achieve goals or please others
towards listening to your body and enjoying the pleasure of the movement itself.
But if you can make this shift - basically going from "should-ing" to "allowing" - you'll set yourself up for a very pleasurable, fun and sustainable practice in the long run.
Over to you How do you take care of yourself and your body in AcroYoga?
What helps you find balance?
Let me know in the comments below!
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