Forget downward dog, now yoga in cocoons is the way forward

• New fitness craze sweeping America
• Participants use silk hammocks to improve blood flow and stretch spine
• Can also form cocoons to find zen state

Aerial acrobatics and the attainment of spiritual tranquility may seem unlikely bedfellows.

Yet the two disciplines have been combined to create the latest craze sweeping fitness studios across America - upside down yoga.

AntiGravity Yoga, the brainchild of acrobat and gymnast Christopher Harrison, involves a thorough workout a few feet above the ground in a silk hammock that can close around the person inside to form a peaceful pod.

Cocoon craze: Closing yourself off inside the hammock allows you to focus on your mind, body and spirit

According to Christopher, hanging upside down balances out the body, enhances abdominal workouts and opens up the spine.

New classes are being launched around the USA and franchises have been set up in Ireland and Italy. Sessions are now springing up in the UK.

 

Christopher came up with the system while playing with hammocks on an Indian retreat in 1996.

He continued to study yoga and invented apparatus for his dance troupe using flying silk to help them exercise and prepare for acrobatic displays.
Christopher, 50, said: 'I'd been travelling all over the world performing and had put a lot of strain on my body.

Newfangled dangle: Christopher Harrison's yoga class performing one of his unique postures in his New York studio