
Meditation Exploration 2
My Experience with Meditation The best way I can describe meditation is checking in with the very core of your being. On the surface, this involves moving inward and removing as much brain chatter as possible. This is easier said then done, of course, or the entire population would be full of shiny happy people. By getting back to our core we have heighten awareness of the world around us and feel more connected to life. Personally, the more consistent I am with meditation, t

Scapular Retraction in Aerial Arts
You hear it all the time in a studio, an instructor telling a student to engage the upper back. This is great, it can help prevent injury and let a student use more muscle groups to achieve moves, however many students have no idea what this means. Scapular retraction is the term for pulling the shoulder blades inward, like you are holding an orange between the blades. This engagement activates the rhomboid and trapezius muscle groups, which helps support the body in inversio

Extension in Aerial Arts
At Atmosphere Fitness, we talk a lot of exercise science and fitness in our trainings. We do this from a safety and progression standpoint, but we also include dance. Dance basics can help everyone in aerial arts and pole to find better posture, beautiful lines and that polished finish all performers desire. We wanted to select one dance principle and talk about it. Extension
Extension means lengthening through the body to find the full expression of a pose. Basically it is

Working the Aerial Mount
As discussed last week, the mechanics of the aerial inversion an aerial mount can send new students into a a depressed funk becuase the movement is difficult and unforgiving for many new students. Understanding how to move the body is important but having the strength to perform the movement is equally important. When performing a basic aerial tuck inversion, the lattismus dorsi, shoulder girdle ( teres major, infraspinatus and teres minor), arms included the long heads of t

Mechanics of the Aerial Inversion
Many people battle with the inversion, whether in pole, aerial yoga, aerial hoop or any form of aerial apparatus. There are two major reasons for this struggle, one is not yet having the strength needed, the other reason is not engaging the correct muscles in the correct order, or the mechanics of the inversion. We will focus on the mechanics today and discuss strength next week. Mechanically the the inversion is a test because of the timing required to execute the move. The

Time Effective Stretches for the Center Splits
As discussed last week, it not helpful to jump cold into the splits and imagine you are helping yourself get the splits. If you are taking the time to stretch make it worth your while, make your body happy by stretching properly. The most effective time to stretch your splits is when you are warmed up and have stretched the involved muscle groups. Stretching before a workout does not help flexibility. Most Effective Plan for Stretching the Center Splits 1. Stretch when you ar

Four Shoulder Strengthening Band Exercises for Aerialists
Some of the most common injuries in aerial arts and pole happen in the shoulders. The shoulder girdle in composed of lots of muscles that do amazing things like help us invert. These muscles can easily be neglected and can also become underdeveloped compared to larger back muscles like the lats and pecs. I have selected a set of exercises that come from physical therapy and can be used to strengthen the shoulder area. As I have said my workouts tend to be a combination of wei

What is Keeping You from the Splits?
Yes, that question opens a can of worms. In the world of aerial, pole and martial arts the front and center splits are everyday moves, but many athletes struggle to get and maintain the splits. Most of us are actually blocked by a combination of things. Obviously, tight muscles can be a block and probably not actually stretching correctly or long enough. Some of us also have to work through genetics; but it is possible to conquer genetics. If you are struggling to get the spl

Correcting the Push-up
The push-up and the plank are en vogue in training at the moment. It makes perfect sense; these two moves work with your bodyweight to build strength. Trainers and fitness instructors love both moves because they effectively train the core. The push-up also works the Pecs, triceps and shoulder girdle muscles as well. Now I know I have said, “don’t do push-ups” in past blogs, but that is for the people who are training all the time and get their pectoral, core and shoulder wor

Four Exercises for a Total Core Domination in Aerial Arts & Pole
If you participate in aerial arts or pole, you absolutely know how much core it takes to perform at even a beginning level. I liken the core work required for aerial arts to Pilates on crack; basically we are aiming for the abs of a male gymnast. I am not talking appearance, but functional strength. Many six packs out there in the world are for show and not function. The rectus abdominis, the six-pack muscles, are semi-useful but not as important for aerial arts as the transv