Acroyoga

Origin of Yoga

Acrobatics and Yoga have been integrated for over 1000 years. It is difficult to trace the masters who investigated Acroyoga. Krishnamacharya, the master of modern yoga, was a pioneer in fusing these arts. There is a 1938 film of Krishnamacharya flying children, similar to what we do in modern Acroyoga.

Acroyoga by Jason and Jenny

Jason and Jenny met in San Francisco in December 2003 through common yoga buddies. For many years, Jason had trained in gymnastics and competed in acrobatics and gymnastics. Jenny had previously taught children circus acrobatics and had studied Contact Yoga, a partner flying and macro practise. They jammed and explored numerous sequences for many hours at their initial encounter. After a few hours of rehearsal, a joint practise that combined their interests was established.

They began teaching pair doubles acrobatics classes at the San Francisco Circus Center in January 2004. On Valentine’s Day, they held their first public workshop at Yoga Tree in San Francisco. They sold out, which prompted them to take the show on the road in California.

Expansion of team

Carolyn Cohen, their first serious student, used to attend to every lesson and bring a new acquaintance each time. She was a Thai therapist as well as a Chinese medicine doctor. Francisco Morales- Bermudez, Jason’s roommate and friend, was a yoga instructor as well as a Thai therapist. Carolyn and Francisco were both invited to join Jason and Jenny’s team, which was then known as Contact Acro. 

In the early days, all four of them played, jammed, and spread the practise all throughout San Francisco. Contact Acro was renamed Acroyoga in April 2006. During this changeover, Jason and Jenny were instrumental in the development of this approach.

Jason and Jenny encountered many students who wanted to move further into their practise after three years of travelling and teaching, so they began Acroyoga Teacher’s Training with 19 students in August 2006.

Definition of Acroyoga

The term Acroyoga is derived from the Greek word “Akros,” which means “height,” and the Sanskrit word “yoga,” which means “unity.” As a result, Acroyoga means “High Union.” The goal of acroyoga is to bring individuals into union with themselves, with one another, and with the community. Acroyoga is a fusion of acrobatics and yoga.

Source: Elements of Acroyoga by Jason Nemer