‘They keep coming back’: Suspension yoga takes meditation to new heights in Halifax

Halifax Yoga offers a class in suspension – where participants strike a pose while hanging around.

Suspension yoga is a new twist to a traditional practice, but it’s really taking off.

“Some people come in with curiosity of what it is,” explained Chere Jones, an instructor at Halifax Yoga.

“Some people have doubts that they can ever do it, until they get in here and they do it and they’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, I didn’t know my body could do that. I didn’t know that it would be so accessible for me.’”

Offering one class a week now, owner Amanda MacEachern said this type of yoga is consistently popular.

“We do suspension yoga with the suspension slings. So, it’s a very strong class,” she explained. “It’s a challenging class, a whole different kind of a thing where you’re in a cocoon, a little bit of a nest, and it’s a really beautiful practice.”

Starting in July, they will have a six-week course in suspension, but Jones said if you go once you get hooked.

“We teach a very accessible style of suspension and silk yoga,” she said. “People come in, they may be a little bit nervous, but they usually leave with a different form of confidence because we do some inversions.

“And being upside down, if you’ve never been upside down for the first time, it’s a good feeling. Your spine lengthens out your body, like, that gravity takes over, and it feels really good.”

Jones and Nevena Nikolich teach at the same location, focusing on the experience and being more hands-on than traditional yoga.

“We kind of have to be,” Jones said. “So, if somebody needed an adjustment where they’re having some of their limbs maybe in the strap, we’re going to have to come over and get them an adjustment or do a demo first.”

She added they make the class work for the participants.

“It’s low to the ground, there’s a mat underneath. Sometimes we do use props, depending on the style that we choose to teach for that evening or for that group. So, it’s more accessible than people realize and a lot of fun,” she said.

The response from those who have tried it continues to be positive.

“Well, they keep coming back. So usually after they try it, they are pretty impressed with their strength that they didn’t know that they had,” Jones explained. “Or like, when you come into a suspension, if you’ve never been up or if you’ve never flown before, you’re probably completely out of your comfort zone.”

“You’re doing things that your body is not used to. So, they leave feeling very, very gratified, like the confidence, you can see that boost, like they walk a little bit taller when they leave the room.”

They’ve also added a restorative class, on-top of their ever-popular yoga teacher training program.

“Well, people want to teach. They come for classes and they have such an amazing time and experience a lot of personal transformation and growth, and they want to give that back,” explained MacEachern.

“There are a lot of them are teaching right away. And we have this class that after the graduation happens, the new grads get a spot on the schedule. We open it up for weekly public classes. The new grads teach, the people come and their packed classes and the clients come, and it’s very celebratory.”

With an emphasis on the traditional portion of yoga, the class delves deeper than the body.

“I find that yoga is more than just a movement practice more than just the process,” explained Andrea Garcia, an instructor in the teaching course.

“It goes beyond that. It goes much more into the subtle practices, such as which is the breathing practices, a mantra, chanting, meditation, all that stuff,” she says.

Having practiced yoga for over 15 years, Garcia wants everyone to experience the full capacity yoga can offer.

“We are trying to move energy through the body with the poses, but we are also breathing, moving into the breathing practice, trying to move that same energy,” she explained. “So, seeking the roots of the practice is important because it is a practice that is well-rounded in many ways.”

Those roots can also be found in the air with suspension, which keeps clients coming back and trying to improve their own practice.

“It’s a good thing,” laughed Jones. “It’s a good addiction to have.”

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page