For weeks I’ve been saying, “I just need to hang upside down!” My prayers were answered by Raffa Yoga offering this class for beginners on a Sunday morning.
This class is a fusion of yoga and acrobatics. Yoga, because of the focus on the mind body connection and the breath. Acrobatics, because you’re hanging from the ceiling by a large silk, contorting, and dismounting in fancy ways.
Class started with a warm up to get used to balancing in the silk, and get your legs and core ready. My legs were good to go, but my core was not ready. We held a boat pose in the silk and were told to pulse our arms in front of us, for what seemed like forever. The entire room was groaning, a few even screaming in horror from the pain. We all gasped in relief when it was over.
Finally we got into the fun stuff – learning to mount and hang upside down! At this point I cannot stress the importance of listening carefully and making sure you can see the instructor. It took me a minute to get the hang of, but now I feel 100% confident attending the all levels class vs. the beginner’s session. Everything else kind of builds on this basic mount. Once you get the hang of it, everything else just flows.
I LOVE hanging upside down. I literally had no back pain for the rest of the day afterward even though it had been bothering me recently (too much driving!). We inverted three times during class for several minutes each time. We could stay inverted as long as wanted, or come out if we were uncomfortable. I could’ve “hung out” all day.
If you plan to come to this class, I urge you to book ahead of time by at least a few days, if not a week. The class was 100% full and had a long waitlist. The lobby was PACKED with people hoping to get in.
This class is great for anyone at any level of yoga experience, unless you have an eye condition, vertigo, or blood pressure issues. Basically if your doctor says you should not invert due to a medical issue, you should not take this class.
Next time I come to Raffa Yoga I really should just make a day of it. They have the Urban Sweat center with saunas (which I’ve been to before and it’s amazing), massage therapists, and a ton of other yoga and fitness classes to partake in! This is a place that everyone needs to visit at least once, and you’ll be dying to go back the moment you leave.
New England Yoga Tour 