Reach New Heights with Fit to the Core

Image courtesy of the Fit to the Core website

When was the last time you hung upside down? Probably not since when you were a kid on the playground, right? Close your eyes and imagine that feeling again: locking your legs into the monkey bars and totally letting go, then swinging gently back and forth. Now imagine feeling that child-like sense of wonderment while getting a killer total body workout. This was my experience last week when I* took an Anti-Gravity Yoga class at Fit to the Core.

I was intrigued by Anti-Gravity Yoga since hearing about the popularity of the class in places like New York City and seeing celebrities perform similar moves during performances (Pink during the 2010 MTV Music Video Awards), so I decided to check it out. After a quick, beautiful drive west from Austin on FM 2244, I arrived at the studio, located in the same building as the Hall Plastic Surgery & Rejuvenation Center. I was greeted warmly into the intimate studio (six hammocks, total) by instructor and owner Sarah Shrader, and immediately felt the relaxing, calm energy of the space.

Before the class started, I was a little freaked out; I had no idea what to expect. As the class began with soothing music playing in the background, I looked around with wide eyes to examine my classmates. For a novice, hanging above the ground in a silk hammock can be a bit daunting and completely foreign, but Sarah led us through each move like a caring coach. In that hour, she took us through our paces: planks, inversions, swings—in and out of the hammock. Halfway through the class, I was feeling the burn in just about every muscle in my body, including muscles that I forgot existed. But here’s the thing—I was having a blast! Hanging upside down and completing back flips and inversions brought back that feeling of childhood nostalgia. I haven’t felt like that since my short-lived experience as a gymnast when I was five years old. And did I mention that my muscles were burning?

The end of the class brought a switch back to a more “yoga” state of mind. I want to maintain some of the mystery, so I won’t give too much away, but I will say that the “cocoon” position is truly transcendent. And the cool, soothing music is still playing in the background, making for a serene, peaceful end to an otherwise exuberant class. Walking out with body and mind reenergized, I thanked myself for the experience and vowed to get back to Fit to the Core as often as possible. I’m totally hooked!

*Review written by a Fit to the Core customer