Do’s And Don’ts When Buying an Aerial Yoga Hammock For The First Time

Aerial yoga is becoming more popular, as yoga enthusiasts are looking for ways to try something different from the usual.

Aerial yoga refers to yoga while suspended off the ground using equipment like a hammock or slings, hoops, poles, and fabrics. When you get addicted to this art, it can be very tempting to have your personal aerial studio at home rather than go to classes every week or several times a week.

If you’re considering putting up your own aerial yoga space and you choose a hammock as equipment, here are the do’s and don’ts when buying one the first time.

1. Don’t even think about it if you’re a beginner

If you have only started aerial yoga, even if you have been practicing yoga for years, don’t have a home aerial yoga studio or buy a hammock just yet.

Practicing alone in a home aerial studio is not something that beginners are recommended to do, primarily for safety and other reasons too.

Here are some of the things to remember:

• It’s best to start with classes so you will learn how to move in your hammock and grasp how to perform certain poses or exercises, rather than practicing at home.
• Aerial arts can be difficult, and you will need guidance to master it to avoid injury.
• Hammocks that are not professionally rigged or improper training can be dangerous. Don’t buy your own slings and think that you can simply learn from the internet.
• If you insist on practicing at home, hire a professional aerial yoga instructor and don’t practice without them.
• Choose a quality yoga hammock as reviewed in cbgna.org

2. Do consider your space

Your space is very crucial when you’re making your own home yoga studio. There are vertical and horizontal space requirements that you need to follow to ensure that you have unobstructed and free space in all directions for your practice.

Here are a few guidelines for your area:

• You will need at least four meters height to hang an aerial hammock or hoop.
• You will need at least five meters height to hang fabrics, although this can change depending on the number of drops that you want to do. In general, you can do more drops with more height, but five meters is acceptable for basic drops.
• You need at least two meters of unobstructed horizontal space in all directions from your anchor point. This ensures that you don’t get an injury if you fall out of a pose in the wrong direction.
• Delegate a space to store your crash mat. These mats tend to be large and can’t just be hidden or tucked away in the corner, so you need to consider a space for that, too.

3. Don’t belittle the rigging

Choosing the rigging configuration for your aerial hammock will depend on what you’re rigging from and the space you’ll furnish your equipment in.

The most crucial factors are your rig point, which is the place where your hammock will hang, your shock load, which is the intense force applied to your rig point, and your home value.

Here are a few tips for your rigging:

• Your rig point must be able to bear 1000 kg capacity load to ensure that it doesn’t collapse while you are hanging from it.
• You need to consult and have a certified rigger install your rig point. You don’t want to break your ceiling or weaken your home structure.
• Your movements and drops will impact the rig points, so you need to ensure that your rig point can handle your shock load. The formula to compute for shock load is weight multiplied by freefall distance divided by stopping distance plus weight.
• Examples of good rigging points can be found in steel beams in commercial structures, wooden beams in barns, or warehouse spaces.
• Setting up a rig at home can affect your insurance, so know this beforehand before risking it. Some insurance can potentially be canceled due to aerial rigs, while other homeowners purchase separate coverage for it. Do some research before having it installed.

4. Do practice safety precautions – always.

One of the most controversial issues with home aerial yoga is the concern for safety. If you want to learn and master the art with lesser chances of injury, you’ll have to take safety precautions at all times.

Here are some “golden rules” that you need to follow:

• Don’t buy aerial yoga hammocks for the sole reason that it’s cheap. You need to research the supplier, read reviews about the product, and watch available videos of product users. Your hammock will hold approximately 50% of your weight, so you have to purchase a quality aerial yoga hammock.
• Always buy a crash mat to place underneath your aerial hammock.
• Don’t rush into buying a hammock without doing your homework. Compare brands, material, and others. You can even ask your yoga studio what kind they use so that you can take it as a standard.
• Before any session, check on your rigs to ensure the equipment is safe to use.
• Hire a professional rigger to inspect your equipment once in every six months.

Final thoughts

While you might want to make a space for yoga at home, it’s best to research and learn the  important factors before deciding to buy an aerial yoga hammock for the first time.

As tempting as it is to practice in your house and buy your own hammock, it’s best to follow the dos and don’ts above to ensure your safety and reap the maximum benefits of this exercise without putting your well-being and home in jeopardy.

Have you tried — or plan to try — aerial yoga?

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