Ever since I was a child, I've been dreaming about flying.
Silly? I know. But flight was something hypnotizing for me. Like it was yesterday, I remember how I was sitting on a cliff in Portugal during one of our family vacations. I was probably 14 and watching seagulls. And I was so jealous of those stupid birds being able to fly and hover, go up, down and anywhere they wanted.
So overtaken by that impossible dream, I've tried parachuting, hand gliding and rope jumping. While it gave me the sense of freefall, it wasn't fulfilling. It was mainly about adrenaline. Don't take me wrong, the freefall was still awesome, but it wasn't flying. I probably didn't go far enough and wasn't consistent with my dream, but I just felt that dedicating more of my time to any of those still wouldn't turn me into a bird and allow me to fly.
Last week I learned that there is a less extreme and more realistic way to get a notch closer to flying. I tried aerial or fly yoga, and it was unbelievable.
Of course, I wasn't flying like a bird, but I was flying. A hammock would hold my body while it was stretching in all directions and dimensions. I was hanging upside down and sideways, and I could literally feel how my spine was elongating, relaxing and releasing any tensions, allowing blood to flow.
I was told that the point of fly yoga is to get rid of expectations, stop comparing yourself to anything or anyone, focus on yourself, your body, your breath and your senses, and do what your body needs. With that, everyone looks beautiful when working in a hammock, as it’s a unique expression of you.
The amazing part of it was that my body was not really holding me up anymore. I wasn't touching the ground and the hammock was doing all the work while gravity would stretch my body. I try to keep myself on the active side, but I never get enough time to actually be in shape, especially when it comes to flexibility. I'd say I'm rather on the wooden side of the scale of stretchiness. So when I was invited to try fly yoga, I was sure that I'll just be sitting in the hammock. I was wrong.
With the talented and gentle coach, I actually went flying. Not only that, but the workout didn't feel hard. Every muscle of my body was engaged, while my brain, focused on the practice, let all other problems go. And that engagement felt natural and light.
When the coach was showing some of the poses, my eyes were wide open. I was sure it was impossible for me. And then a minute later I was doing it (not as well, but still), and I was safe and relaxed in those poses too.
I could feel how I was getting taller and stronger and happier all at the same time, but also lighter and enlightened. After hanging upside down, my head and my body felt reset.
To say the least, it was an amazing experience. My body was singing after this antigravity workout and for several days after. It didn't take much to get the muscles going and to change how I felt.
That once again made me think about how much we miss out on when we don't have enough physical activity in our loaded sitting life. And there are so many options for staying active here.
I just discovered the magical fly yoga for myself, but there are so many other ways to get your body singing. There is a pool and squash and tennis courts at the leisure centre. There are indoor and outdoor skating rinks. There are several gyms, which outside of weight rooms, offer many options for group training. There is a yoga studio with all different types of yoga classes and also yoga instructors working out of different locations.
There is Fresh Air Fitness for outdoor workouts and groups like the Estevan Road Runners for running fans. There are activities like the Energy Dash and Splash – a run and a polar bear dip planned to happen mid-March at Boundary Dam. There are many hiking trails in the area, and there is a biking group that explores the plains every summer.
There are many beautiful golf courses all around the southeast. I know, it feels like it's too early to talk golf, but hey, it's less than a month until spring. A bit longer, and golf courses will welcome the players.
All it takes is a little push to get into any of the above, and then you will start feeling your body, and it will be quick to thank you. It gets so stiff, especially over long winter sitting streaks. But once your body feels more alive, you feel happier - a great feeling nothing else can give you.
And if you haven't tried aerial yoga yet, make sure you do. Apparently, there are hardly any restrictions to do it but there are definitely tonnes of benefits to it. And that feeling of fireworks inside is just one of the many.
