Fun at workouts

KOCHI: Acroyoga is now the newest thing that is changing the fitness scene in Kerala. Acroyoga expert Shakthi Shilpa who was in Kochi for a workshop, talks about how people are choosing this  to other fitness techniques across the country.

Ask the trainer why she opted for acroyoga over regular gym workouts and she is quick to say it was the magical blend of yoga and acrobatics that drew her to the practice.

“I felt gym workouts were becoming monotonous and I wanted to try something new. This is when I joined a yoga training session, where I fell in love with the concept. Yoga is more than mere fitness workouts. It rejuvenates our mind which makes you lively and gives you a great level of peace and internal bliss,” said Shakthi who has been practicing the art for the past one and a half years. Acrobatics, in turn, has much to do with the balancing act and the art of body lifting.

“Since both yoga and acrobatics impressed me, I decided to try out the acroyoga which is in fact, a mix of yoga, acrobatics and Thai massage. These three lineages form the foundation of practice that cultivate trust, playfulness and community building. I loved this combination and admired this magical process which gives people the confidence to do things they think, they can’t. Actually acroyoga taught me that weak and strong are abstract ideas that exist only in one’s mind. Acroyoga helps to develop trust. One has to trust the partner. As you learn to support others,you will end allowing yourself to be supported,” she said.

My bond with yoga started at the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Madurai after which I became a certified instructor soon. I was also interested in Thai massage. I got certified by The Sunshine Massage School in Thailand.

Turning her profession around

Shakthi worked as a jewellery designer and merchandiser at an e-commerce firm before becoming an acroyoga trainer.

“I still pursue design.I am happy that I could handle both my professions simultaneously and I owe the credit to yoga,” said the trainer who conducts workshops on a weekly basis. “I am settled in Chennai, so my workshops are mainly based there. However, I often get chances to spread my workshops to people out of the city and state.This is the second time I have been in Kochi. In Chennai, there are hundreds of people who are practicing acroyoga,” she said.

Her acroyoga sessions include yoga poses, counter balancing techniques and therapeutic flying. “I try to indulge my own intuitions in the sessions,” she said.