If you’ve been putting off trying inverted yoga poses or are just too afraid to go upside-down, you might try a new yoga hybrid that blends acrobatics and Thai massage with more familiar asanas such as back and forward bends. Called AcroYoga, this little-known partner-based practice emphasizes deep stretching, balance, playfulness, and courage. It will have you upside-down in no time, as well as “flying” with the help of a partner. Most likely—and this is the point—it will also help you confront your fears, summon newfound courage, learn to let go, and trust yourself and others who are spotting you.

AcroYoga’s West Coast founders, Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer-Klein, first presented the fruits of his acrobatic experience combined with her yoga teaching background in a February 2004 workshop. Later that year, early AcroYoga student and Thai massage therapist Carolyn Cohen joined the team and added her evolutionary stamp to the form. The massage component can be both relaxing and emotionally stimulating.

The workshops generally begin in a ceremonial circle to encourage community and erasing of boundaries. Next comes an asana warm-up and a flow section in which one partner follows another’s poses. Then the real fun starts with inversions, acrobatics, and “flying” (also called “contact yoga”), which helps open the spine. Not to worry—you’ll have assistance. A stimulating Thai massage comes last.

Most of the regular classes in San Francisco and Berkeley require a “comfortable headstand practice and a familiarity with handstands,” but there are some basic classes open to all levels. If you arrive without a partner, you’ll be loaned one for the duration.

If you’re interested but don’t live in the Bay Area, tell your yoga instructor about the AcroYoga trio’s first-ever teacher training scheduled for August. Or depending on your own practice level, maybe you want to attend AcroYoga’s retreat on Hawaii’s Big Island or their four-day backpacking excursion to Yosemite.

There are worse ways to learn how to fly.

Photo: One Breath Arts