5 Tips On Climbing Aerial Silks

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If you want to improve your aerial climb, you're not alone! Climbing was one of the hardest things I learned and sometimes still struggle with. Not only does it take a fair amount of strength and conditioning, but there is totally a huge mental hurdle to get around. Your muscle memory isn't quite there yet and so you rely on your co-ordination and understanding of the mechanics. Once you've done it several times, your muscles will remember and it will become almost second-nature. At that point you can start exploring different movements when climbing such as arching your back etc... you can get creative with it. For now though, you just want to be able to master the basics... and get more than a foot off the ground..

So here are my tried-and-true top 5 tips for improving your aerial climb... whether you are a brand new beginner or a seasoned pro!

Reach up high!
Reach your arms up as high as you can while still maintaining a strong grip. This allows you to get as much height as possible, conditions your shoulders and grip, and reminds you to use those legs!

Lift your legs HIGH.
Make sure when you are ready to wrap the fabric around your foot, you have brought your knees up towards your chest and lifted your legs as high as possible. As a beginner this is especially important, as your upper body strength is not going to be there to give you the boost- so you need to use those strong quads to PUSH your body up (as opposed to pulling up with your arms!) This is waaaay easier and saves so much energy. Don't forget to really flex that bottom foot, as it is basically a shelf you are creating to step on with your other foot.

Train Your Grip
I know you wanted some magical tip that would make you awesome at climbing right off the bat- but the reality is you must work for it. This includes training your grip. A stronger grip means a safer practice. It also helps with endurance as hands tend to tire easily when we aren't used to using them like this. Get yourself a grip trainer and use it! I personally love multitasking.. on the phone at work? Grip train! Watching a movie? Grip train! Waiting for your taxi? Grip train!! (You get the picture...)

More CORE
Once again, more conditioning! Core might not seem like the obvious thing to train here but trust me.. it's so important. Your core is your main stabilizer. A strong core will reduce your risk of injury and keep you safe up there in the air. Also, lifting your legs up high during a climb relies on your deep lower abdominal muscles. Exercises like leg lifts & raises, hollow body, and oblique training as well, will help you develop these muscles and ultimately improve your aerial climb.

Pull Ups!
Aaaand one more conditioning tip! The pull up is the best exercise you can do when training for aerial dance. It works all of the muscles you need to pull and hold yourself up on the fabric; including shoulders, arms, grip, lats, etc... Invest in a pull up bar at home and do as many as you can.You can even reverse train pull ups by starting at the top and lowering yourself down until you have built up enough strength to do full ones.

Ultimately the best thing to do is keep practicing! Climbing can take a long time to learn, some students take weeks or even months to get the hang of it while others can master it in just a few classes. Everyone is different and it is never a competition. Don't risk injuring yourself by pushing yourself too hard- but also don't get frustrated if you don't get it right away. Do the work and you will get there!

Also, remember that 1 million tips cannot substitute for a good aerial coach. Find a local coach who can really show you the ropes- pun totally intended - and you will be flying in the air in no time at all.

Samantha

Failure in Circus: What it is and What it isn't

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“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” 
― Ernest Hemingway

Kate after the sweet sweet victory of achieving the Crossback Straddle!

Circus is one of those things where everyone and anyone can find their place. For me, it is a haven, a sanctuary. Here, my feet are not too flat. Here, I am not too short. Here, I am not too old. In circus you can be any shape, size, or colour and as long as you work hard it will form you into the best version of yourself. The strongest, fastest, most graceful, most powerful you. In ballet or gymnastics you might not find that inclusiveness. In those arenas you may be pushed towards a particular mould of "perfection". If you do not fit that mould then maybe you aren't cut out for it, or so they might tell you. Circus is different, and I love that

That does not mean circus is easy. You might come rearing in ready to work the hardest you've ever worked for something, and you are prepared for all of the bruises and burns. But how you take and learn from your failures will be the most important factor in determining your success in circus, particularly aerial arts, be it recreational or professional.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." 
— Winston S. Churchill

Here's the thing: circus is actually pretty damn hard. You have to be prepared to kinda suck at it when you start out. When you fail at a particular skill, it doesn't mean you won't ever be able to do that skill. It doesn't mean you aren't capable of doing other skills. And it definitely is not an excuse to quit or decide you just "aren't good at [insert circus skill here]". They say it takes 10,000 hours of training to become a master at anything.  If you can follow through with a mere fraction of that even after many many failures you are already succeeding.

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” 
― Thomas A. Edison

Here are some things you can remember that will make failure sting less and actually help you use it to your advantage:

1. Always train in progressions. Breaking down a skill into smaller steps makes learning that skill more manageable. Each time you master a progression you get a little boost and can have a little celebration of your mini-success. If you fail at a particular progression it is so easy to move back to the previous one to practice and regain your confidence before trying again.
2. Ask other successful aerialists how they got to where they are. How long did it take them to learn a particular move? How did they achieve it? Some people learn quickly or may have had built up strength from other activities, and some people might have taken a long time to achieve basic skills that you learned in one or two classes. Be mindful that everyone is unique, but  hearing about another aerialist's struggles with certain skills may make you feel less alone and you might get some helpful tips to boot.
3. Show up and be present. Don't let the frustration or fear of failure prevent you from being present in your training. Take advantage of every opportunity to get better and you will.
4. Laugh it off. Circus is hard but it is fun and light hearted too!  If you take yourself too seriously you are missing the point. I have learned that when I fail at a skill it usually brings everyone around me a good laugh, and I can't help but join in. Nothing is quite like the sight of an aerialist tangled up and sliding slowly to the floor.
5. It's not a competition. We are a circus family! And your fellow circus brothers and sisters will hold you up and support you. No one is trying to be better than anyone else, so get rid of that ego of yours and  make the only competition with yourself. Try to improve yourself each time you are in the air.
6. Videos and photos are your best friends! To best learn from your mistakes and break down exactly where you are going wrong, ask someone to take a video or picture for you. Take as many as you need. Watch yourself from different angles and when you see that you need to do something differently, then try again and again and again until you succeed!

"Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever." 
— Lance Armstrong (Every Second Counts)

"Quick take a picture because damn this hurts!"- Me after finally making this look good.

Here is one of the most important things: celebrate every tiny success, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. High fives and photos are my favourite way to celebrate a success! The more you celebrate, the more confident you will feel and when you fail it won't feel as significant.

In conclusion there is no magic tip that will make you suddenly good at aerial/circus arts or help you get that move down pat after only a couple of tries. Practice is the only way. Take the time, make the effort, push yourself, and try again and again and again and again. When you get there feel free to celebrate because damn, you earned it!

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” 
― Oscar Wilde

Why the R.I.C.E. Method Doesn't Work

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The R.I.C.E. method, coined by Dr. Gabe Mirkin in his best-selling book The SportsMedicine Book (1978), has been touted as the end-all be-all of muscle injury treatment and recovery methods for the past several decades. R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. It is so pervasive that despite current scientific and medical studies showing the detrimental effects this method has on healing, you will still find most doctors and sports professionals recommending it as a viable treatment.

Disclaimer: Always consult a doctor for any serious injuries. This blog is intended for reference/educational purposes, not to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Sources are hyperlinked.

Rest

For the acute stage of injury, rest is important. Continuing to push through your physical task when in pain is ignoring your body's message that something is wrong. Immediately stop what you are doing and take rest. For mild injury this may only be a few minutes, for more severe injury it may be longer. Intense sensation and mild discomfort are normal when building muscle and flexibility, however acute pain is not normal and should be heeded as a warning of injury. Where rest doesn't work is when it is prolonged or excessive unnecessarily. Bed-rest is especially detrimental to recovery as it inhibits circulation among other healing mechanisms in the body. After the initial acute stage of injury, movement and exercise should be introduced slowly to restore proper circulation and blood flow which carries nutrients to the injured tissue and encourages lymphatic drainage of metabolic waste. Movement will also help regain range of movement and prevent scar tissue from building up around the injury. Exercise should be used to start strengthening the muscle again. There is a mental component that comes into play when immobilising the injury for too long. You might experience inhibition in moving the affected area if you wait too long before introducing recovery movements and physical therapy.

Ice

Ice is perhaps the most pervasive injury recovery treatment recommended by professionals today. Let me start by saying this; swelling and inflammation is the bodies natural response to injury. A recent study published by The Journal of The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology showed evidence that inflammation is actually beneficial and in fact necessary for tissue recovery. That's because in the study, researchers discovered a hormone being produced in great amounts by inflammatory cells, called insulin-like growth factor 1 or IGF-1 which increases the rate of muscle regeneration and greatly improves muscle repair. Previous ( and current ) opinion of professionals is that reducing swelling encourages healing, however the results of this study contradict that notion. It was found that the application of ice and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen inhibits the body from delivering this healing hormone (and therefore inhibits proper healing ).

Ice has also been shown to reduce muscle strength, power, and endurance. It affects the way your nerves function and although this may relieve pain temporarily it will affect the healing process greatly. It also constricts blood vessels, restricts blood flow preventing vital nutrients, oxygen, and other healing properties from reaching the area.

According to professionals, Ice can be applied briefly for short periods to manage pain.

Compression and Elevation

Compression and Elevation fall into the same category as Ice. They reduce swelling and blood flow to the injury and therefore should be considered as detrimental to the healing process.

In terms of compression or immobilization, protection should be the main theme here. Focus on protecting the injured area while it heals, this includes removing it from the cause of injury, seeking out proper treatment, and not engaging in any activity that might exacerbate the injury,

The use of NSAID's have also been shown time and again to inhibit healing.

So what IS the best method for recovering from a muscle, tendon, or ligament tissue injury? I have discovered a method called M.E.A.T. that seems to make the most sense. M.E.A.T. stands for:

Movement

As I mentioned above, movement should be introduced after the acute stage of injury when pain and swelling has significantly subsided. movement should be gentle but consistent. Things like gentle stretching have also been shown to be effective. This is as opposed to total immobilization which has been shown to be less effective in long-term healing.

Exercise

Including targeted strengthening exercises will increase blood flow to the affected area, strengthen the muscle, as well as help to prevent build up of scar tissue.

Analgesics

Medication to relieve pain can be administered in moderation, but you should avoid the use of NSAID's especially since prolonged use of these can lead to stomach ulcers and other gastrointestinal stress, not to mention that they have been shown to inhibit muscle repair as stated above. Some people have found the use of Epsom salts or Arnica (homoeopathic treatment) to have healing effects, and some people use topical analgesics to relieve pain.

Treatment

Various treatments that have been shown to be effective in healing muscle/tendon injuries are: massage therapy, taping, acupuncture, alternate ice/heat in short periods during acute phase, and physical therapies.

Remember that in extreme cases for serious tears and injuries one should always consult a doctor. If you are having other symptoms such as fever, vomiting, dizziness, please seek out emergency medical care.

Shoulder Alignment: Injury Prevention 101

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I wanted to write a post on proper shoulder alignment in aerial work as shoulders are THE most susceptible to injury due to their large range of motion and complex structure. In aerial, a lot of pressure is placed on the shoulders continuously and it is all to common for aerialists to have poor posture leading to injuries such as muscle tears, sprains, & pulls, tendonitis, dislocation, weakness, and more. The anatomy of the shoulder, specifically the rotator cuff, is something I believe all aerialists should have at least a basic understanding of in order to help prevent these types of injuries.



As aerialists we are constantly holding our body weight with our shoulders during hangs, climbing, inversions, and twists. In each of these movements we should be aware of where our shoulders are and how they are engaged.

The various movements of the shoulders are as follows:






It is a good idea to practice each type of movement with your arms in different positions (extended overhead, to the side, in the front, and down by your side) so that you fully understand what the movement feels like and how they compare to each other.

For the majority of movements in aerial dance good posture is accomplished by depressing the shoulders down and away from your ears, and also externally rotating. In any movement where we are hanging or pulling with our arms overhead, we should be in this position. If we perform these movements with elevated shoulders we end up unnecessarily engaging all of the muscles in the neck and upper shoulders, which can lead to injury and fatigue in these areas (and instability in the shoulder joint).

For movements where we are inverted and our arms are in front of us, as opposed to overhead, we must make sure our shoulders are retracted. This helps us engage the latissimus dorsi muscle and
in turn, provides us with more shoulder stability in this position.

There are other applications for the different movements and you will learn these as you go, which is why it is important to have an aerial instructor who is familiar with proper shoulder alignment and injury prevention.

Paper Doll Militia has a series of videos called Aerial ABC's that are very informative:

1. Always warm up well! Get your body moving and your heart beating. Your goal here is a couple of things: warm up the body by increasing blood flow to the muscles, prepare body by introducing it to range of movement. You should be doing exercises with your shoulders that take you through the full range of motion. Static stretching is NOT warming up, and can actually lead to an immediate decrease in muscle strength and therefore could set you up for injury. You should be doing brief cardio type movements, as well was dynamic stretches.
2. Stay Hydrated! Drink enough water to feed your cells while you do ANY physical activity, (and in general). A hydrated body is a lubricated body.
3. Remember your posture. Keep your shoulder position in mind throughout your training session. Practice the various movements so you become comfortable with executing them. Ask your instructor if you are unsure about where you shoulders should be in any particular position.
4. STOP IMMEDIATELY if you start to feel pain, numbness, tingling, or extreme fatigue in any joint. Mild discomfort is normal. Pain is not. Pain tells us something is amiss in our bodies, listen to that message.
5. If you do end up with an injury there are things you can do to minimize damage and accelerate healing. You can apply ice briefly to help with pain, however swelling is the body's natural response to injury and is a healthy way for the body to bring blood and other healing components to the affected area. Avoid using the injured joint for at least a couple of days, rest is key. You can also take a NSAID to help with any pain, however these can hurt your stomach and inhibit muscle growth so only take when necessary. Once you are feeling up for it you can start to move the joint around, stretching and warming up, to slowly regain range of movement and promote healing. This will reduce stiffness and the instance of scar tissue. If pain is severe, if the joint looks like it is protruding, or if you feel numbness that does not subside, you should go to a doctor right away.

That Elusive Straddle-Back Inversion

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A straddle back inversion (AKA: Straddle Up, Straddle Inversion, V-Up...) is the holy grail for beginner aerialists. A display of strength, grace, and flexibility, it is the epitome of what we strive for as performers. But this is also one of those moves that tends to elude us, especially as beginners, as it requires extensive coordination and total body strength. And to make it look good, there are a million other things to consider such as technique, body position, extension, and flexibility.

First, for those who aren't aware, what exactly does a straddle-back inversion look like?

Me doing a Crossback Straddle Inversion with foot-locks.

An Aerialist receiving instruction on doing  straddle inversion with open fabric.

From Laura Witwer's amazing blog.

The image directly above^ shows a pretty perfect looking straddle inversion, with the fabric together. Pointed toes, straight legs, nice flexibility, high bottom, engaged lats/shoulders, and a smile!

But how did she get there? To achieve a nice looking straddle invert like the one pictured above,  you need to start with a good foundation and build your way up. The muscle groups used in this particular move are, arms & grip, shoulders & lats, abdominal especially deep core muscles, and hip flexors. The two major groups being our abs and arms.

• The movement starts with your hands gripping the fabric to one side, and your bent arms held close into your chest. (You can also start with straight arms, though this is much more advanced)
• Next you make a clean sweeping motion with your legs into a straddle, bringing your bottom up high over your head.
• As this happens you extend your arms, while keeping engaged in the shoulders, back, and core.
• Extend your legs and point your toes!
• Try not to swear too much!

Buying your own Aerial Silks

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SO! You're in love! You tried a few classes and now you can't get enough. It's all you think about, it's all you dream of. I understand! You have decided to invest in your own set, but you aren't sure where to start. What material? What rigging supplies? What do you NEED to know?





(PS: I HIGHLY encourage you to click on all of the hyperlinks in this article as you read through. They hold an abundance of information beyond what I am outlining here. )



Firstly let me say a few things..

1. Aerial Silks can be DANGEROUS. NEVER EVER EVER practice alone. EVER. Practice low to the ground or with THICK MATTS. Have someone spot you for tricks you have never tried before. DO NOT learn moves from the internet. That's how you become paralyzed.  If you like a move you've seen, talk to an experienced aerialist about how to safely learn the move.

2. Tying from trees. Trees are unpredictable. It is impossible to tell the health of a tree or tree branch by simply looking at it. There could be rot or insect infestation on the inside that will weaken the tree's integrity making it unsafe for aerial silks. You may have seen me tie to trees before and I only do it if the branch has healthy looking leaves and bark, and I only use it for light conditioning and static poses (the branch I sometimes rig to is 1.5 feet thick)... A good question to ask yourself is "Do I trust this branch to hold up a small car?". If not, best to leave it alone. Otherwise that branch could break sending you straight to the ground with a broken neck and crushed pelvis or worse. Tie to a tree at YOUR OWN RISK.

3. Rigging is COMPLICATED. There are so many things to take into account.  Is all of your equipment rated appropriately? Is the structure you want to rig to safe and structurally sound? Is it legal to rig where you want to? Will you be putting other people in danger? Will you be damaging property? Do you need to have insurance? Do you need a structural engineer to check things over? Please do some research before rigging just anywhere.

4. Dynamic movement generates FORCE. Check out this video for how a 150 lb. aerialist generates 900 LBS in a matter of seconds. Swinging, sliding, pulling, spinning, and dropping all generate large amounts of force that need to be taken into account.

5. I am going to say a good generally rule is that if you don't have a 100% safe place to rig, someone who knows proper spotting techniques with you, and you have poor endurance or technique on the silks... best to practice a bit more before you commit to purchasing a pair. Ultimately it is your decision, these are just my own opinions based on research and experience (of which I am still gaining plenty of!)

BUYING YOUR SILKS

Firstly, I am going to say: avoid eBay, amazon, or cheap fabric stores online or brick & mortar. Only buy Aerial silks from reputable vendors with experience in providing and testing fabric made specifically for this purpose. You will spend more money this way, but you will have the peace of mind that comes with a properly tested product. www.aerialessentials.com is a great resource for purchasing Aerial silks, they have plenty to choose from and decent prices, though they are in the US so remember currency conversion and shipping. www.jugglegear.com is a Canadian vendor for circus apparatuses, however I personally did not like their fabric. That being said, other aerialists use and love their fabric. You can do some research into which vendors you feel comfortable purchasing from, but always look up reviews, shipping costs, and product descriptions before you commit.

Types of fabric:

Tricot

Tricot fabric is a good fabric for beginners. It usually has little to SOME stretch which makes it easier to climb.

Interlock

Interlock fabric has medium to HIGH stretch that cushions drops but is much more difficult to climb.



These fabrics come in a variety of widths from 60" to over 100" wide. Anything under 75" is generally recommended for children. Over that width is based completely on personal or artistic preference.

Length is determined on your space. You would calculate your space height, multiply that by 2, and you have the minimum length needed for your fabric, (as it is folded in half when rigged).

Color and shine is personal preference. I do not personally like a fabric that is too shiny as I find gripping is harder. I also like darker colors that easier to keep clean.

Fabric "grippiness" is often something that comes up, however grippiness is less determined by type of fabric and more by environment. Humidity, moisture on the fabric and your skin, temperature... etc all play a part in how easy it is to grip the fabric. Cold & dry = slippery fabric. You can purchase rosin or grip aids at almost any aerial vendor, and they are generally cheap. Avoid chalk on the fabric. I personally use water on my hands when I need it, but I do love using rosin for longer training sessions in drier atmospheres.

Hardware

Pretty much all of the reputable Aerial fabric sellers will also carry various hardware options. steel or aluminium is fine. For the most part, depending on your rigging set up, you will need two carabiners, a swivel, a spanset or webbing, a descender (friction device) and possibly pulleys, ropes, beam clamps and maybe more. The most important thing when buying rigging hardware, especially from anywhere other than a specialized vendor, is the kN (kilonewton) rating. kN is a measurement of FORCE and in this context reveals the hardware's breaking strength. 100 kG's of force is approximately equal to 1 kilonewton. A person who weighs 120 lbs can EASILY create 1000 lbs of force, or,  4.5 kN. As good safety measure (a safety ratio of 10:1) I personally do not purchase equipment that is rated less than 10 kN, this gives my equipment a weight limit of about 220 lbs with a safety ratio of 10:1.


An interesting tidbit:

"For a 220 (~0.98kN) pound aerialist to do something on a silks setup that would cause them to produce 2,200lbs (9.78kN) of force on the fabrics, that performer would experience the equivalent of 10g's of force - more than enough to cause blackout and possibly internal injuries before the equipment would give away." -Chris Clark

"For a 140 pound (~0.62kN) person to produce the same 2,200lbs (9.78kN) of force on the fabrics, that performer would experience the equivalent of 15.66g's of force - more than a fighter pilot experiences during an ejection - before reaching the breaking point on the fabric. It should be noted that the military will only allow pilot's to experience such eject force twice before grounding them permanently." -Chris Clark

Aerial Fabric & Hardware Safety & Care

So your hardware may come with care instructions and it may not. Swivels may be sealed or may need graphite added to them. All hardware should be inspected regularly for stress or damage. Damaged and old hardware should be retired/destroyed and replaced. Never purchase used hardware.

Fabric should be kept in a cool and dry place that is away from direct sunlight. UV rays can & will discolor and damage your fabric. Air them out regularly, and keep scented products away from them. If you spot large holes in your fabric it might be time to replace. (Holes may affect the structural integrity of your fabric). Be careful not to snag your silks on sharp objects like ungroomed or long nails, jewelry, zippers, buttons, embellishments, branches, tree bark etc.


I think that is everything I wanted to talk about, but if you have more questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Samantha

9 Tips To Improve Your Aerial Performance

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Muscle Anatomy: Endurance, Power, Flexibility

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I truly believe that a good knowledge and understanding of how your body works will determine how well you train. It will contribute to injury prevention as well as gains in endurance, strength, power, and flexibility. Endurance is how long your muscles/body can be at work. Strength is the amount of work your muscles can do. Power is a combination of strength, force, and speed . Flexibility is the ability to lengthen your muscles to their full extent. Aerialists need to train their body for all of these abilities in order to become successful. I will write posts on training each of these aspects and more, but let's first take a look at how the muscle does these things.

There are a few different types of muscle, however the muscle we will be talking about today is skeletal muscle.  Skeletal muscle is a striated muscle tissue that is controlled by the somatic nervous system, meaning that we voluntarily control our skeletal muscles (unlike the heart which is a muscle controlled by the autonomic nervous system). The muscle tissue is made up of several components that form together as muscle cells, or fibres. One of the ways in which to classify muscle fibres is on their "twitch" speed. This is basically how fast the muscle can create ATP (adenosine triphosphate, muscle energy) from various resources (nutrients such as carbs, fat, etc) . There are two ways that muscles can produce ATP; Aerobic (with oxygen) and Anaerobic (without oxygen). Our cells prefer to create ATP with the presence of oxygen to fuel metabolism, however the increased intensity of exercise will use oxygen faster than our bodies can deliver it, thus increasing the need for other resources. Unlike Aerobic metabolism, anaerobic metabolism is not sustainable for long periods of time and the muscles become fatigued and produce chemical waste (lactic acid) which causes that burning sensation during intense exercise.

So, fast twitch muscles use mainly Anaerobic metabolism, while slow twitch muscles use mainly Aerobic metabolism. Everyone has approximately a 50/50 split of fast and slow twitch muscle fibres. If you are naturally good at sprinting vs long distance running, you may have slightly more fast twitch muscles. Fast twitch would be preferable for athletes who need quick bursts of power but do not need the endurance, while slow twitch muscles would be preferred by athletes who need to endure long periods of muscle contraction but may not need their muscles to contract quickly. In aerial arts we use a good combination of both slow and fast twitch muscle fibres.

Aerial Conditioning at Home

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Edit:

I have since changed my views on flexibility conditioning. You can read more about that here. I will leave this video up for the strength conditioning but I will be writing a guide on conditioning for aerial arts at home.


----


I made this video for my students so that they had a general idea of how to condition their bodies for Aerial Dance while at home, in between classes.

Improve Your Body Awareness

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Lately I have had a huge interest in anatomy, physiology, and physical training in the context of circus, and I suppose fitness in general. Body awareness is one of the most important aspects of becoming an Aerialist. Someone with little to no fitness ( or creative movement) training or experience will not have a good awareness of their own body; where it sits and moves in space, how to understand direction in regards to movement, and their own limitations regarding strength, flexibility and endurance. This puts this person at a disadvantage as they are more likely to injure themselves, or get frustrated with movements they don't understand or are unable to achieve.  I have placed a lot of importance on developing my own body awareness, and also to support my students in this task as well.

There are a few things that make the task of improving body awareness a bit more difficult as an aspiring aerialist...

You invert a lot
Someone not used to inverting is going to get very disoriented when they are upside down. Left is right, right is left, down is up, up is down! They might not know where to look, or what sensations to expect. They might end up feeling dizzy or nauseas or light-headed as the blood rushes to their brain. They might feel tingling in the extremities as the blood leaves these areas. When your head is facing the floor and you have this unknown thing supposedly supporting your weight, it is hard to trust and let go. Not only that, but you are in a room full of people you probably don't know very well, and now your shirt is flying up, your face is getting all red and gravity doesn't flatter anyone in that way. There is A LOT to think about.

You spin a lot
Spinning is either super fun, or really horrible and terrifying. Do you close your eyes? Keep them open? Different positions make you spin faster and some slow you down. If you aren't sure what to expect the sensation can be dizzying. Nausea is common...

Heights
Fear of heights is extremely common and for Aerialists this is no exception. You must learn a new trick or wrap, climb up to sometimes dizzying heights, and remember to wrap correctly while simultaneously holding on for dear life, and trying not to look down.

Luckily as a beginner, you will find you get a lot of support and patience when it comes to the above things. No teacher will make you climb to heights you are uncomfortable with before you are ready, or spin if you are feeling sick, and they will spot you and support you when getting used to being inverted. And, as you learn about and start to work with all of those muscles you have forgotten about ( or didn't know existed)  you will gain confidence in your ability to fly.


So how do you improve your body awareness?

• Move as much as you can. Practice moving every. single. day. There is no wrong way to move... dance, do aerial conditioning, run, walk, cartwheel, swim, jump rope, play tag.
• Watch yourself in a mirror. Move your body in front of a mirror and watch yourself closely. Watch the different parts of your body, paying attention to connectedness in movement,  extension, rotation, alignment etc...
• Record yourself on video. Choreograph a little dance to a song and video tape yourself. Notice how maybe your movements look different to how they felt. Notice how much space you take up.
• Get a good coach. A good coach will be there to spot you, to remind you of your alignment and technique, and to teach you how to be aware of your body as you move.
• Listen to your body. Drink when you are thirsty, eat when you are hungry, rest when you are sore, take care when you feel pain. Honour what your body tells you!
• Know your body. Learn the names of the muscles and bones. Learn the vocabulary of movement. What is does lateral mean? How does external rotation feel or look different from internal rotation? Below I have outlines the major muscle groups used in aerial ars that you should focus heavily on when training your body awareness.

Core

Core, core, and more core! Your core is a large group of muscles that you use for trunk flexion and extension, balance and stabilization, posture support, and for holding all of your precious organs in place. You will find dramatic improvements in your performance, posture, and injury prevention when you train your core adequately. The core consists of your abdominals, your obliques, your glutes, and I would even say your Latissimus Dorsi and the erector muscles that support your spine.

Hip Flexors