Tag: Community

Connecting Through Acroyoga: 5 Reasons to Try It (+ Videos)

Connecting Through Acroyoga: 5 Reasons to Try It (+ Videos)

What happens if you combine yoga, acrobatics and Thai massage? Acroyoga is born!

It is a very new sport, with the term used for the first time in 1999 by Acroyoga Montreal in Canada. In its beginning stage it was used in performance arts and dance. Later in 2003, Jenny Sauer-Klein and Jason Nemer from Acroyoga practice incorporated healing arts.

Acroyoga is a type of partner yoga combining concepts of acrobatics with yogic principles. The practice consists of three persons, one taking the role of a so-called flyer, the other functions as a base and a third person is the spotter. The base assists the flyer in various poses and the spotter supervises the movements and can help if the base and the flyer are unstable.

The base can assist the flyer in stretches and can knead him or her – these practices are used during Thai massage. Primarily, the base’s legs, core and arms get strengthened and depending on the flyer’s position their back is released, muscles are stretched and strengthened.

5 reasons to do Acroyoga

1. Every Body can do it! Yes, you too!

Have you ever seen people doing acroyoga and thought it is only for acrobats? Did you think that only flexible, strong and daring people can do it? Nope! Most of acroyoga’s magic lies in the bone stacking technique. This means that basically every body type can be lifted since much of the stability lies in the structure.

2. It’s especially rewarding for beginners!

It can be done by every level of experience. You learn while doing it, so there is no reason to think you are not good enough to do it. Seeing impressive-looking lifts may seem intimidating, but only by trying, making mistakes, practicing more and more you will eventually be able to do these poses!

3. It’s a fun way to get fit!

Doing yoga and acrobatics simultaneously helps to strengthen the body by using the benefits of both sports. The yogic practice of synchronizing the breath with the movement helps to oxygenate the body and increases focus, which in turn helps with balancing to successfully do the poses. The Acroyoga practice helps to build stronger arms, legs and core and it lengthens and stretches the spine.

At yogabarn in Bali

4. Getting out of your comfort zone!

It is not just a workout that will make you more flexible, balanced and strong. Doing new challenging activities helps to boost self-confidence.

Going to an acroyoga class or meet-up does not mean you have to bring a partner. As long as there are more than two people, acroyoga can be done! It is wonderful to see couples, friends and people that just have met trying new, challenging things together. Between people bonds are made or strengthened and a great environment to overcome boundaries together is set.

5. It improves understanding between one another and builds community

You have to feel the other person to form a stable structure and to lift him or her up. Understanding the other person’s body teaches you about him or her. Both flyer and base are dependent on one another to make the movements work. Otherwise the flyer will fall on the base, which nobody wants!

Communication and trust form the basis to successfully doing acroyoga. Many people may agree that those are also the basis for a healthy relationship. To zoom out this understanding, good relationships between groups of people helps to form healthy communities!

Acroyoga session
At yogabarn in Bali

 

Have a look at these beautiful acroyoga videos:

Ready to start flying? 

Here is an Introduction and a youtube learning series to get started!

 

For A Better Future: 5 Things We Can Learn From Ecovillages

For A Better Future: 5 Things We Can Learn From Ecovillages

First of all, what are ecovillages? Here is a wonderful quote that explains what ecovillages are in a nut shell:

“Ecovillages are human-scale, full-featured settlements in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development, and can be successfully continued into the indefinite future.” – Gilman

The way we live and what we do daily, changes the world. Every small and big step counts. The idea of starting or joining an ecovillage is an attractive idea for people looking for ways to better the world. The opportunity to be a part of a meaningful and intentional way of contributing to the planet is an exciting thought.

66% of world’s people in 2050 are expected to live in urban areas, rising from 54% in 2014. Sustainable urban development has to find ways to adapt to this increase. Ecovillages have an important part in this since they are working on finding and experimenting with different ways to live sustainable.  Their example can have a real impact on the course of global sustainability.

Photo taken by Mackenzie Black
Photo taken by Mackenzie Black

5 things we can learn from ecovillages

Here are 5 things we can learn from ecovillages:

1. Economic sustainability

Ecovillages not only wish to change their environmental impact but how their economy works as well. Their economic goals encompass community self-reliance, sustainability and social justice.

2. Sustainable building

The focus of the houses are to live as energy-efficient as possible with a low footprint on the environment. Recycled or local resources and sustainable materials – such as straw bale, hemp – are used with a focus on high insulation and durability.

3. Renewable energy use

The ultimate goal is to use less energy than is produced by the ecovillage. This is reached by ingenuity and using renewable resources (solar, wind, water, bio-gas etc.) as well as reducing the energy consumption.

4. Sustainable agriculture

Simply put, sustainable agriculture is the production of food, plant or animal products using farming methods that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare.

5. Community living: shared space and sharing skills

Every eco-community consists of a different group of people and therefore have different social ideals. The main common goal is to increase face-to-face organisation as well as interaction in a setting where people can thrive and develop their potentials. Sharing skills takes place with the prospect of bettering the community and therefore their quality of living.

In following posts we will take you on a journey to explore how ecovillages master these points, featuring one ecovillage in each article. In the meanwhile, we recommend to watch this video by the Global Ecovillage Network:

Further readings:

Documentary:  A New We: Ecovillages and Ecological Communities in Europe (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4110244/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt)

Sources:

KT Litfin, Eco-villages: Lessons for Sustainable Community (Polity Press, Cambridge, 2014); [2] J Fosket and L Mamo, Living Green: Communities that sustain (New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, Canada, 2009)

http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/world-urbanization-prospects-2014.html