ACT PERFORM BALANCING
“Acroboy Troy” (not pictured) picked up yoga to treat a bad back and neck about five years ago; today, he’s teaching acro yoga (a two-or-more-person form centred on balance and focus) to the yoga-curious. At 51 years old, he’s an outlier in a community of
How did you get into acro yoga? I started yoga because I hurt my upper back. I started with Bikram’s, and then I went on a retreat where they oered partner yoga. Today I do acro yoga twice a week, for hours at a time. It must be an incredible workout. I don’t realize how much I’ve worked out until after the fact: I’m so focused and I’m having so much fun doing it. I look at the clock and think, I can’t believe time is going so fast.
Is it dangerous? I have a healthy sense of fear. You’re not using an apparatus; you’re working with someone who’s moving with you. I practise basing; that means I’m on the bottom. Eective communication and accurate selfassessment are both paramount. You must have an incredible connection with your partner. When I approach acro yoga, it’s actually a little clinical. Some people get the wrong impression; it can look sexual. But when you’re practising, that should be the furthest thing from your mind. Ready to try it yourself? Troy teaches in Richmond regularly. facebook.com/yogaboy.troy