It is midday. The studio smells of candle wax and something indefinable that resembles serenity in a bottle. Black fabric hammocks hang from the ceiling like so many silk cocoons. I look at the one assigned to me with the same mixture of fascination and wariness I would feel facing a brand-new ride. Sixty minutes later, I emerge with the spine of a woman thirty years my junior (spoiler: I’m 31) and the spirit of a child who has just discovered that one can fly.

Flying Yoga: a comprehensive practice to relieve pressure on the back and strengthen deep tissues

Flying Yoga, also known as aerial yoga, is much more than just an Instagram trend. It is a comprehensive therapeutic and physical practice with documented benefits: spinal decompression through gravitational traction, improved joint mobility, deep muscle chain strengthening, and stimulation of the lymphatic system thanks to repeated inversions. The fabric hammock, attached to the ceiling, is not a prop but a proprioceptive tool that allows you to achieve ranges of motion impossible on the floor, whilst reducing stress on the joints. Put simply: you work harder, you strain yourself less.

The class begins gently. You learn to trust the fabric, to let your body weight settle into it. The gentle traction on the spine is immediately noticeable. My vertebrae, which haven’t experienced such decompression since… well, never, seem to welcome the idea with enthusiasm.

Next comes the heart of the class. The suspended Warrior II requires balance, activation of the deep core muscles and a level of concentration that the floor would never demand so boldly.

Then we find ourselves upside down, much to my horror. Inversions, a hallmark of Flying Yoga, promote venous return, reduce intervertebral pressure and trigger a noticeable parasympathetic response; my heart rate slows (my Garmin watch told me so!) and my mind settles. Hanging upside down with my eyes closed, I finally understood why bats look so relaxed.

The class concludes with the final cocoon: wrapped entirely in the fabric, in an aerial Savasana of formidable effectiveness. In eight years of various practices, I have never let go so completely in such a short time. Thank you, Sandra, our yoga teacher, for this shared moment.

For my outfit, I’d chosen the Elastique Athletics drainage leggings, a choice that proved to be spot on. The targeted compression supports venous return during inversions, the fabric doesn’t pucker at the slightest stretch, and the support remains impeccable from start to finish. When you spend an hour working your legs in every plane of space, you appreciate a fabric that delivers on its promises. After the class, your skin bears the marks of the effort and the hammock fabric mechanically stimulates the contact areas.

Flying Yoga isn’t a gimmick. It’s an hour of serious work, wrapped up in something that feels very much like fun. You leave with aching arms, a lengthened spine and a lightness of spirit that no Monday morning meeting can dampen—at least, not until the next class.

Practical information:

• La Fondation Hotel, Paris
• Address: 40 Rue Legendre, 75017 Paris
• A relaxed and uninhibited atmosphere
• top-of-the-range facilities
• a semi-Olympic swimming pool and a spa.

Translated by Bethszabee Garner