How acroyoga enhances brain function –

This is recent feedback from my friend, Bronwyn Aspinal, who specializes in Brain Rehabilitation. Below she describes her experience of acroyoga and its powerful effects on the brain… Truly Inspiring …

Recently I experienced the magic of acroyoga. Having only done two yoga classes in my life I was dubious about how I would go given I felt I was as malleable as a brick in flexibility. Surprisingly it was not beyond me at all and though there were moments of pushing me out of my comfort zone, it was such a wonderful experience to challenge myself, trust my own body and appreciate its strength and capabilities I never would have thought it able to perform. Something incredibly special to acroyoga was being amongst strangers and in the space of an hour you feel so close to each other. It is quite remarkable to trust complete strangers to support you lying upside down balancing on their feet!!! The focus and responsibility of looking after each other takes you out of your own headspace and it is quite exhilarating achieving tricky feats together.

Acroyoga is not just good for the core strength and flexibility of your body, it is also great for your brain and nervous system!
Whilst performing different movements your brain is significantly stimulated particularly in the cerebellum and frontal cortex which enables adaption and anticipation from feedback messaging through your body whilst concentration areas of the brain are activated considerably.
These brain areas are responsible for learning, memory and higher executive function i.e. our intelligence!
A sense of clarity and peacefulness is often remarked upon after acroyoga.
Interestingly, the social aspect of acroyoga stimulates the brain too.  During acroyoga you are so intuned with your practicing partner that the subtle movements and clues of non-verbal communication actively stimulate the right side of the brain.  This side of the brain is where our emotional control centres and the ability to inhibit ourselves comes from having socially and emotionally appropriate responses to situations.
Constant adaption to balance fires our vestibular system which has direct projections to our emotional brain and higher cognitive areas.
It is common for people to have a wide variety of effects from an acroyoga experience because so many areas of the brain and body being stimulated.