I started in early March, 2011. I saw some aerialists performing on set and it looked like so much fun that I wanted to learn to do it, or at least give it a try. After doing some research on the web, I decided upon The Aerial Classroom, and after one class I was hooked! I caught on pretty quickly; it's as though I was meant to do it all along, and haven't stopped since. Although my ultimate goal was to eventually become a performer, I was content just learning and practicing because it's the most fun I've ever had! I love it more than anything! More than yoga, more than sleep, more than food or air! Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little, but I do love it and wish I could do it every day.After tireless silks training, my teacher invited me to begin performing almost exactly a year after beginning. My first live performance was a showcase for The Aerial Classroom at the Calabasas Community Center on St. Patrick's Day, 2012. And I love performing! There's nothing like hearing the crowd's appreciation for your hard work. Plus, I love dressing up in costume!
Now, I'm also training in hoop/lyra, static trapeze, and hammock. I love it all, and I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't do this.I've also stopped running. I happen to think that aerial and hot yoga are better cardio than running; running is terrible for your inner organs, your joints, and most of all, your flexibility. Flexibility is a key factor in being an acrobat, and I've stretched my muscles out so well, that I don't want to lose it. When you run, every time you take a step, your muscles contract. This is due to the firing of your myotatic stretch reflex, the one that causes your knee to straighten when the doctor taps your kneecap with a rubber hammer. Without elongation, the constant contraction becomes permanent. This is why seasoned runners are so inflexible. And, because of the constant impacts on the joints (knees and ankles especially) and inner organs, why they often have health problems later in life, or have to quit running or even exercise in general after many years.
To demonstrate the negative impact of running on flexibility, see my photos from the Atma Yoga intensive in Germany, 2010. Look at the difference between my Downward Dog on the first day of training, versus the last. Head to the floor aside (that's shoulders, not legs), after all that running, I could not straighten my legs. The backs of my legs have always been annoyingly tight, but never so much as when I was running 2-3 miles/day, 3-4 days/week. Now, I can actually do the splits, because I've quit running and loosened them up so much. It is possible, you can do it, too! When I first began practicing yoga 5 years ago, I could not even bend over and touch my toes!
I still love yoga, and plan on going for my 500-hours RYT, but for now, aerial is my hobby, my release, and my exercise. I'm so glad I found it, and so grateful I've had the privilege to study it, and I will continue to train hard and become an expert on all the apparatuses.
Love, Light and Namaste!
