Nemer - Move, Connect, Play: The Art and Science of AcroYoga

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I dedicate this book to every first-time flyer who trusted a stranger by saying Yes! to the seemingly strange question, Wanna fly?

The practices shared in this book will not only change your life, they will also make you better at relating to others. I have had the unique privilege of witnessing thousands of people from all walks of life create profound connections by playing like children do and literally stacking themselves on top of one another in various shapes and forms. As a fun and dynamic way to move, connect, and play, AcroYoga has grown to reach over one hundred countries in just under twenty years.

As much as this book is a step-by-step guide to doing AcroYoga, it is also a guide to becoming the best version of yourself. From that place, you continue the journey by becoming the best partner you can be. This book is for every person at every skill level, and for anyone who wants to have more fun. Whether youre a beginner or an expert, the principles shared here are foundational and serve all people. Ive designed the content to speak to the what, how, and why of AcroYoga and its three rootsacrobatics, therapeutics, and yoga. As youre reading I invite you to explore all the chapters and feel free to pick and choose your points of entry. At the end of most chapters you will find principles and practices to help you retain and really experience the uplifting power of AcroYoga for yourself, even if you dont have a partner yet.

As you read this book you will be empowered with more tools to strengthen your relationships and navigate the highs and lows of your life. You will become more fit, agile, and balanced. You will find more opportunities for fun, healing, and personal growth. And with millions of people already practicing AcroYoga, you will meet new and exciting friends from all over the world. If youre nodding your head yes, then this practice is for you!

If youre wondering if you can do this, I promise you can. I have spent much of my adult life listening to people insist they cannot do something, only to prove them wrong moments later. My secret? Small, progressive steps that give clear instruction on how you can safely and easily learn to say yes to AcroYoga, yes to the unknown, and yes to living a happier, more fulfilling life.

A big source of our happiness and sadness stems from our feelings of being connected to or seperate from others. My intention is to invite you to become a part of the global AcroYoga community. Whats in it for you is a lifetime of human connection, learning, playing and growing. For those of you who are one of the millions already practicing AcroYoga, the insights I share in this book will help you understand the foundation of your practice so you can get even more out of it. From there, your life will gain depth and take new turns you never could have expected.

When you learn a new system, you can be like a child filled with wonder and excitement. Every system you learn becomes another lens through which you can see the world. The lenses Ill explore with you in these pages include yoga, acrobatics, healing, physics, Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, neuroscience, and even chemistry. This kaleidoscope of perspectives will help you examine your life, relationships and beliefs, leading you to find more clarity in how you want to invest your energy. When you start to see yourself and others through these new lenses, you will have opened the door to rewriting your worldview.

I write from my perspective as a street-trained sociologist guided by the lessons and principles of dozens of movement masters, healers, and yogis. I offer you my findings after thirty-three years of acrobatics training, eighteen years of AcroYoga training, and reaching national and world championships in partner acrobatics. I am compelled to share my perspective with the world in the hope that it helps make our home a better placeone where adults play more and we can relearn to build community based on real human experiences.

The foundations of AcroYoga will have you moving between acrobatics and therapeutics, helping you find balance and yoga along the way. You will know youre doing it right if you are having a good time and learning. You will gain obvious physical skills from this practice, like how to balance someones full body weight on your feet. But you will also learn how the words you use influence your mental state, and how your thoughts affect every aspect of your life. AcroYoga has the power to change not only the body you are in, but also the direction your life is going. No matter which door you open first, you are stepping into a realm of possibilities that will undoubtedly expand what you think is possible for yourself.

The core content of Move, Connect, Play is organized by the AcroYoga Table of Elementsa singular source of information about the static poses that make up this movement language. This book is also full of stories that offer insight into how the practice can affect you on more profound levels. Reading this book will give you deep insight into the theories of AcroYoga. However, the magic of this practice is in the present-moment connections you share with people as you actually practice it. It all starts with your first flight. From there, your horizons for movement, connection and play will expand and you will become part of a beautiful international community that has already changed the world through the mutual support of AcroYoga.

If you ever played airplane as a kid then you already know about the energy that naturally flows between two humans doing AcroYoga. That energy is the seed from which has grown everything you will read about in this book. That energy is natural, it is fun, and it can become part of your life again. Looking back on where I started from where I am now, I would have thought you were crazy if you told me years ago that I would one day start a worldwide movement based on play. My story is one of big dreams, meeting the right people, dedicating myself to disciplines, and learning from masters. What I am about to share with you completely transformed my life and continues to change the lives of countless others.

With thousands of certified teachers in over seventy countries, AcroYoga is truly a global practice. But I didnt build this movement alone. There have been many collaborators throughout the years who helped spread this practice around the world. The first time I met AcroYogas co-founder, Jenny Sauer-Klein, we stayed up until five in the morning playing, discussing, and dreaming of how we could combine our bags of tricks to make a new movement language that would be approachable to anyone. As accomplished acrobats who had already discovered the power of yoga and healing arts, we also saw a unique opportunity to create a practice that would allow people like us, with advanced training in one discipline, to enrich their lives by exploring complementary skill sets. The spark that was lit that evening with Jenny has allowed millions of people around the world to rediscover the joy and magic of human connection.