BEAUTY, HEALTH & FITNESS

The yoga workout that leaves you hanging, plus product news and reviews

THE TREATMENT

It’s not a treatment as such, as there’s no passivity at an Intro to Aerial class at Meadowlark Yoga (43 Argyle Place, Edinburgh, 0131-228 7581, www. meadowlarkyoga.com), 90 minutes for £12 (five classes for £50, ten for £90), various times available.

WHY GO?

Because you’re bored by your current exercise regime, want to take your yoga practice to the next level, or are simply a thrillseeker.

OUR SPY SAYS

I’ve dabbled in yoga before – a bit of ashtanga here, some vinyasa there – but I’ve never experienced the aerial or anti-gravity version, though it’s been around for years. The Meadowlark has a light and sunny studio all set up for it, with colourful hoops of fabric that hang from steel frames.

My Sunday morning class is held by Elle O’donnell, pictured, who expertly demonstrates each move consecutively.

The first is easy, we learn how to sit in the fabric, legs dangling, then pull it out like a hammock so we can lie in our individual cocoons, which gently sway and diffuse the light to make you go all sleepy. So far, so easy. Then it gets a little harder. With our legs squished together, we’re shown how to do a kind of backward flip out of the hammock, so our feet land – clump – onto the mat. It’s a little scary, but thrilling when you get it right. Flipping back into the hammock is a different matter for me. I overthink it, and decide to skip this move – I’m such a fearty.

Next up are some deep stretches, using the fabric as a supportive band to rest a thigh or ankle on, before pushing forward to lengthen hamstrings or inner thighs. We also do a few planks and crunches, with the front of our ankles held in the air.

Another tricky move involves standing on the fabric, before bending knees into a frog-like pose, with the material hooked around one’s ankles.

The idea is to then flip upside-down into an inversion. As everyone around me hangs like bats, with their heads a few inches above their mats, I get the fear again. What if I can’t get back up again?

The class ends with more lying in our cocoons, while Elle talks us through a meditation and we sway to suitably yogic music.

THE RESULTS

I’m feeling limber thanks to all those stretches and I can’t wait to return to challenge myself with more of those tricky moves. It’s probably the best fun I’ve ever had at an exercise class.