Restorative Aerial Yoga: Floating Your Way to Inner Calm
Restorative Aerial Yoga: Floating Your Way to Inner Calm
Life has a way of rushing us through the day. From morning responsibilities to the endless buzz of emails, errands, and family needs, it can feel like we never quite get the chance to slow down. By the time evening arrives, our minds are still spinning, and our bodies are holding the tension of everything we carried. That’s where restorative aerial yoga comes in—a practice designed to help you release, reset, and float your way into balance.
At The Yoga Dance Co, our evening restorative aerial yoga class offers a sanctuary from the chaos of daily life. Guided by Auburn, whose gentle presence creates a nurturing environment, the class uses a combination of hammocks, grounding rituals, mindful mantras, and soothing music to help you sink into stillness. The result? You leave feeling calm, refreshed, and truly restored.
Let’s dive deeper into what restorative aerial yoga is all about, why it’s so powerful in the evening, and what you can expect when you join us for this magical practice.
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What Is Restorative Aerial Yoga?
Restorative yoga, at its core, is about slowing down. Unlike more active styles of yoga that challenge strength, flexibility, or endurance, restorative yoga uses props and long-held postures to release tension and promote relaxation. Now imagine combining that with the gentle support of an aerial hammock.
The hammock in restorative aerial yoga acts like a soft cradle, lifting you slightly off the ground so your body can fully let go. Instead of fighting gravity, you’re supported by it. This support allows muscles to release more deeply, joints to relax, and your nervous system to shift into a state of calm.
It’s not about fancy flips or advanced aerial tricks—this is the quiet side of aerial practice, one that emphasizes stillness, breath, and mindfulness.
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Why Evening Is the Perfect Time for Restorative Aerial Yoga
Throughout the day, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline keep us moving. While they’re helpful for focus and productivity, they can linger long after we’ve clocked out or finished dinner. That’s why so many of us find it hard to “switch off” in the evenings—our bodies are still in go-mode.
Restorative aerial yoga eases us into a state of presence and rest.
• Physical release: The hammock supports your body so you can stretch gently and relieve tension built up from sitting at a desk, driving, or running around all day.
• Mental reset: The combination of guided mantras, breathwork, and sensory elements like palo santo and calming music invites your mind to soften and slow down.
• Better sleep: By practicing in the evening, you signal to your body that it’s safe to transition into rest, often leading to deeper, more restorative sleep at night.
Think of it as a bridge between the busyness of your day and the rest you deserve at night.
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The Sensory Journey of Class
One of the unique elements of Auburn’s restorative aerial yoga class is how it engages not just your body, but also your senses and emotions. Each class is a journey designed to nurture you on every level.
1. Setting the Tone with Palo Santo
At the beginning of class, Auburn lights palo santo, a sacred wood known for its cleansing and grounding properties. As its earthy, sweet aroma fills the studio, you’re invited to breathe deeply and let the ritual mark the transition from the outside world into your inner sanctuary.
This sensory cue tells your body: It’s time to let go.
2. Slow, Supported Stretches
With calming music in the background, you’ll ease into gentle, hammock-supported stretches. These poses are designed to be held for several minutes at a time, giving your muscles space to release without strain. Whether you’re gently reclining in a cocoon of fabric or supported in a low stretch close to the floor, the hammock holds you so you don’t have to hold yourself.
You might notice your breath slowing. Your heart rate softening. The quiet whisper of relaxation beginning to settle in.
3. Mantras for Mindfulness
Auburn often weaves in simple mantras like:
• “I am enough.”
• “I release what no longer serves me.”
• “I am safe. I am calm. I am grounded.”
These mantras give your mind something gentle to focus on, a way to redirect racing thoughts into words of compassion and self-acceptance. Saying or silently repeating these phrases during class plants seeds of peace that you can carry with you after you leave the studio.
4. Floating in Stillness
The experience of resting fully in the hammock, swaying lightly while supported by the fabric, you’re reminded that it’s okay to let go. This time is yours. You get to let go of all the noise and stress you held onto as the cocoon invites you to deep surrender.
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Benefits of Restorative Aerial Yoga
Beyond the immediate sense of calm you feel after class, restorative aerial yoga offers a range of benefits:
• Stress relief: Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping the body shift out of “fight or flight.”
• Improved flexibility: Gentle stretches held for longer allow tissues to release without force.
• Spinal decompression: Even subtle inversions or hammock-supported postures can relieve pressure in the spine.
• Enhanced mood: The combination of movement, breath, and mantra helps reduce anxiety and foster a sense of wellbeing.
• Mind-body connection: By slowing down, you tune into your body’s needs and cultivate greater mindfulness.
• Better sleep: Many students find they sleep more soundly after an evening restorative aerial practice.
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What to Expect When You Come
If you’re new to aerial yoga, you might wonder what to bring or how to prepare. The good news is restorative aerial yoga is one of the most beginner-friendly classes we offer.
• What to wear: Comfortable clothing that covers your legs and shoulders so the hammock fabric feels soft against your skin. Avoid zippers or jewelry that could snag the fabric.
• What to bring: Just yourself, a mat, some water or tea, and an open mind. Hammocks and props are provided.
• Who it’s for: This class is perfect for anyone—whether you’re an athlete needing recovery, a busy parent craving some much needed downtime, or a beginner to yoga looking for a gentle entry point.
The focus is not on strength or flexibility but on rest and release.
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Auburn’s Approach
What makes this class especially transformative is Auburn’s guiding presence. She brings warmth and intuition into every session, creating a space where students feel seen, supported, and cared for. Her use of mantra, music, and aromatherapy isn’t just about atmosphere—it’s about cultivating an experience of deep connection.
Each time you join her, you’re invited not only to rest your body but also to restore your sense of self.
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Why You’ll Leave Feeling Zen
By the end of class, you’ll notice a shift. The chatter in your mind softens. Your shoulders feel lighter. Your breath is deeper. You’ve traded the stress of the day for a grounded sense of peace.
The hammock, once a tool for stretching, becomes a cocoon of calmness. As you float in the stillness, repeating your mantra, you embody the truth that you are enough. When you step out of the fabric and back into the world, you do so calmer, more centered, and more yourself.
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Join Us for Restorative Aerial Yoga
Your evenings don’t have to end in exhaustion. With restorative aerial yoga, you can create a ritual of release—a way to unwind, reset, and restore yourself at the end of the day.
Whether you’re seeking stress relief, better sleep, or simply a moment of peace, this class offers exactly what you need. Let Auburn guide you into a state of calm, supported by hammock, mantra, and breath.
Step into the studio. Breathe in the palo santo. Float in stillness. Leave feeling restored.
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Ready to experience the magic of restorative aerial yoga?
Reserve your spot at The Yoga Dance Co and give yourself the gift of calm.
