In our world of social networking and online communities, connection is the norm. But as we meet and interact electronically, many of us miss an important aspect of community: physical contact. We crave the magical interaction that occurs when flesh meets flesh, when energies entwine. AcroYoga, a recently developed   blend of many forms of ecstatic movement, is one way to fill this void.

AcroYoga was first developed in 2003 by Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer-Klein. It took shape at San Francisco’s Circus Center, where they combined Jason’s expertise in partner acrobatics with Jenny’s experience with partner/contact yoga. Carolyn Cohen completed the core teaching team in July 2004 when her knowledge of Thai massage was added to the mix. Says Klein: “The practice of AcroYoga allows people to relate to each other from a place of essence, beyond names, ages, professions and the details of day to day life that can act as veils of separation—and it’s fun! There is so much joy in this practice, it’s contagious.”

Workshops generally begin in a ceremonial circle, which encourages community and the erasing of boundaries. Next comes an asana warm-up and a flow section in which one partner follows another’s poses. Then the real
fun starts: partners help each other achieve inversions, acrobatic poses, and “flying,” which helps open the spine. Finally, a stimulating Thai massage completes the experience.

I tracked down Tyler Blank, a longtime AcroYoga teacher, to give us his take on this amazing form of yoga.

Conscious Dancer: What do you think makes AcroYoga special?

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“There’s a sense of freedom and surrender in flying …”

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Tyler Blank: It asks a lot of each participant— to show up completely. Some of the magic happens in that no one is ever quite sure what is going to be taught and who you might be partnered with. So some of the uniqueness is about asking yourself who and how you are in the moment, and asking yourself to connect and inquire into someone else—the partner you’re working with.

CD: In a practice where you are transferring weight and doing poses together, it seems like trust becomes a very important component.

TB: We work a lot with trust and with the fear of not trusting oneself or fear of trusting others. We build trust throughout the class, starting by building a container when we form the circle. We meditate and move together as a group/ team, then we break up into partners and start using our bodies with our breath and there’s a lot of communication that happens nonverbally— just stretching and moving and seeing each other.

CD: Describe being a flyer versus a base.

TB: Being a base is being a part of the earth— connected and grounded. You generate chi and energy to support the person above you, while at the same time maintaining composure, calm, and comfort. You create trust so the flyer can then feel free to total abandon, to hanging, dangling, soaring, and being lifted. There’s a sense of freedom and surrender in flying, while there’s a definite sense of support and groundedness as the base.

CD: How does AcroYoga benefit an individual, compared to traditional yoga?

TB: AcroYoga creates instant community.The communication and the knowledge of another human being is like having a one-or-two-hour relationship. You have this instant rapport an friendship. I find having a partner there to help makes all the difference and allows me to go deeper and relax. AcroYoga is a lot more enjoyable, fun, and playful than a solo practice.

(Above: Bird pose with Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer- Klein.)

For more information on Tyler Blank, visit: www. onebreatharts.com.

To find an AcroYoga teacher near you and view a schedule of events and ongoing classes, visit: www.acroyoga.org.