Aerial Yoga with Tiffany

Tiffany is an Athens Coast native who offers Aerial Yoga classes in Greek and English.  What’s Aerial Yoga, you may ask?  Tiffany drops some knowledge on us…

Tiffany, can you tell us about yourself?

I’m bicultural, born to an English mother and a Greek father.  Growing up in the southern suburbs is something I am very grateful for.  I went to a British school and then onto University in England & Scotland to study Psychology.

After University, I returned back home because I couldn’t bear to be away from the sunshine and sea any longer.  In the little free time I have, I practise yoga and acrobatic silks and make jewellery out of the shells and ‘gifts’ of the sea I find along the coast.

How did you get involved in Yoga?

I took my first yoga class in 2000, whilst at University.   The instructor insulted me and I ended up walking out of the class. It didn’t put me off though, I continued going to classes whenever and wherever I could- learning different things from different teachers.  If there was a teacher that i particularly liked, I would stick to his/her classes.

Yoga offered me a safe place where I could escape from the demands placed on me by my coursework, as well as from feeling homesick.

Upon returning, I just kept practising…making it a way of life.  I became a certified Aerial Yoga teacher in 2013 and a certified Hatha Yoga teacher in 2014.

What benefits does Aerial Yoga have for participants?

Aerial Yoga offers a range of benefits.

1.  It increases confidence and helps conquer fear.  I’ve seen students terrified of lifting their feet off the floor to gradually working their way up to accomplishing acrobatic flips.  As a teacher, that is the most rewarding aspect for me.
2.  The unique thing about aerial yoga are the suspended inversions (ie: hanging upside-down in the air). These poses cause the spine to decompress, elongate, and align itself.  It really helps those suffering from lower back and neck pain. Other advantages of these poses include: improved blood circulation; increased lymphatic drainage; improved oxygenation of the brain by increasing the blood flow to it; and improved hair growth & skin toning.
3. Aerial Yoga is also great for upper body and core strengthening as the use of the hammock offers a lot of resistance.
4. The use of the hammock also encourages the correct alignment of the whole body and ensures a deeper transition into poses.
5. Aerial Yoga improves balance and enhances flexibility.

Tell us a bit about your Aerial Yoga Sessions.

The great thing about Aerial Yoga is that classes have the capacity to be yoga-based, or more body conditioning, or more acrobaticky.  I try to incorporate all these aspects into my sessions trying to balance out respect to yogic tradition and an appetite for playfulness.

The sessions are an hour long and they begin with a focus on the breath and meditation and end with a long final relaxation.

I also teach children (aged 8 and up) – or more precisely they teach me, as they are so creative that they never cease to keep coming up with different variations of a pose.

A special course that I offer is designed especially for new mothers.  There is a lot of focus on chest-openers (to counteract the slouching that takes place during breastfeeding) and on strengthening the tummy again.  A childcare professional is brought on board to creatively engage the babies/infants/toddlers whilst mum participates.

How can people get involved?

My classes are beginner-friendly because they are made up of only a few people (maximum 6).  This enables me to give different variations of poses throughout the class, thereby adapting it to individual needs.

It’s perfectly fine if you’ve never done any sort of yoga before.  Prior experience doesn’t play a role, neither does body shape or weight.  The only thing that is a prerequisite is the ability to breathe!

What Tiffany’s students are saying…

To hang yourself upside down and consciously release any little suppressed emotion, feeling, racing thought patterns and just let yourself go into the possibilities that your body may extend you on the aerial yoga ropes is the most amazing experience ever.  This is one of the best ways to be in an active, cleansing, here and now process that helps us eliminate the old and receive new directions in one’s own everyday exchanges. Tiffany Kyriakoulis, my aerial yoga teacher is more than a gifted teacher who understands one’s possibilities and when she introduced me and guided me into aerial yoga I felt that I was at the right place with the right person.  My experience with her classes was to release anything that holds you back in a spiritual and fun way which I never thought in the age of 51 I would ever encounter. Ohm Shanti!

Barbara

Tiffany is a really wonderful teacher. She is easy to understand and makes you feel so comfortable no matter what your abilities are! Great energy both the space and Tiffany herself.

Maria

After having my second baby I was longing for some exercise, time alone and to feel great again. Tiffany introduced me to aerial yoga and expertly guided me. I had a wonderful time and learned so much. I felt wonderful again and energized to have given this time to myself. Slowly I entered the world of yoga and have never looked back since.

Katy

This sounds like so much fun!  If you are interested in getting in touch with Tiffany, you can find her using her personal Facebook page.

All photography by De Montserrat Photography