May 9, 2025, 9:16 am | Read time: 7 minutes

Acroyoga combines partner acrobatics with yoga—and sometimes even Thai massage. Typically, two people work together to create beautiful poses that require balance, trust, and communication. The result looks spectacular.

Where Does Acroyoga Come From?

The oldest mention of partner exercises combined with yoga elements dates back to the 1930s in India. Today’s acroyoga combines traditional yoga with acrobatics. Unlike sports acrobatics, competition is not part of it.

It likely developed independently in two places. In Canada, Jessie Goldberg and Eugene Poku are considered its founders, having established the Acro-Yoga School Montreal in 1999, which still exists today. The second location was the U.S., where, from the late 1990s to early 2000s, acrobat Jason Nemer, who represented the nation at the Acrobatics World Championships, founded the organization AcroYoga International with serial entrepreneur Jenny Sauer-Klein. Unlike Goldberg and Poku, who integrated dance and music, Nemer and Sauer-Klein focused on therapeutic and relaxing elements, including Thai massage. We will focus on this approach here.

In Germany, you can find courses based on Jason Nemer’s approach in almost every major city.

The name acroyoga is derived from the Greek word “across,” meaning height, and the Sanskrit word “yoga,” meaning union and unity.

What Is Acroyoga About?

Two people seemingly glide through the air intertwined, making it all look effortless. Acroyoga is a partner practice where two or three people work together to perform acrobatic poses that require technique, strength, balance, trust, and communication. There’s one person on the bottom—called the Base—and the other person on top is the Flyer. The Spotter ensures safety and corrects technique. Acroyoga exercises look playful. Anyone who has watched and held their breath knows that flying poses, especially, require precision, focus on connection, and dedication. Contrary to what one might initially think, acroyoga is not only suitable for experienced yogis but also accessible to beginners.

Components of Acroyoga

Acroyoga has three main elements. The first is the acrobatic part, which is based on strength, technique, and trust. The massage part in acroyoga is based on traditional Thai massage on the ground, which the two partners can give each other. The body of the Flyer (the person on top) experiences relaxation and stretching, especially when carried by the Base (the person on the bottom) with legs or arms. Depending on the exercise, this can lead to deep hip stretching, relaxation of the lower back, and stretching of the shoulders and heart area. This part of the exercise is called “therapeutic flying.”

The 3 Roles

There are three main roles; these are not fixed and can be alternated.¹

• Base: Lies on the ground, supports the Flyer with legs or arms. The hips are bent at about a right angle, holding the Flyer.
• Flyer: Moves in the air, requires body tension and balance.
• Spotter: Ensures safety, corrects technique. In case of a fall, they should safely bring the Flyer to the ground and provide verbal cues during exercises.

It is also possible to perform exercises when the Base is standing.

Who is Acroyoga Suitable for and Who Is It Not?

It’s quite obvious that acroyoga is suitable for people who are open-minded and not afraid of physical contact. Yoga, dance, climbing, or gymnastics enthusiasts are in the right place here. But beginners can also try this form of movement. It’s about having fun with movement. The ability to work in a team is also helpful. Strength, coordination, body tension, and flexibility are challenged and promoted. One should be aware that due to the acrobatics, there is a certain risk of injury. This highlights the importance of the Spotter.

Those who have significant reservations about physical contact may find acroyoga less suitable. It is also advisable to avoid the sport if you have acute injuries or severe joint problems.

How does acroyoga affect health?

Currently, there are no scientific studies specifically focused on the effects of acroyoga. However, there are scientifically proven positive effects of yoga on the brain.

A study that analyzed eleven studies on the effects of yoga on brain structure, function, and blood flow shows that yoga has positive effects on central brain regions.² These include areas responsible for learning and memory, areas where emotions and stress are regulated, those that control attention, emotional regulation, and decision-making, as well as areas of self-awareness.

These different brain areas—from the hippocampus to the amygdala to the prefrontal cortex—typically decline with age. The studies suggest that yoga may help counteract these age-related and neurodegenerative changes in the brain.

Inverted poses in yoga, such as those the Flyer partially assumes in acroyoga, can activate the sympathetic nervous system, according to an Indian study. This indicates increased physical alertness.³ This also applies to the headstand (sirsasana)—whose alleged promotion of blood flow is outdated.

Exercise examples

Before You Start

Before starting the exercises, it’s time for a joint warm-up. Shoulder circles, wrist circles, stretching the major muscle groups, and warming up the core. Pay attention to clean technique and communication. And for new or advanced poses, always practice with a Spotter!

For Beginners

Bird Pose

The Base lies on their back, legs vertical, soles of the feet at the Flyer’s hips. The Flyer lies with their stomach facing the ground on the Base’s feet, supporting themselves with their hands on the Base’s hands.

Throne

The Flyer sits on the Base’s feet like on a chair. The Base has their feet under the Flyer’s thighs, and the Flyer places their feet on the Base’s hands.

Boat

Both sit facing each other and support their extended and spread legs with their feet against the other’s feet. Initially, both stabilize themselves by supporting their hands behind their backs. Then they hold each other’s hands.

For advanced practitioners

Star Pose

The Flyer stands upside down on the Base’s feet. The Base supports the Flyer’s shoulders with their feet. The Flyer and the Base stabilize the pose by holding each other’s hands. This pose can be varied—for example, by both letting go of their hands and the Flyer spreading their arms and legs like a star.

High Flying Whale

The Base supports the Flyer’s shoulders with their feet (legs extended) and holds the Flyer’s ankles with their hands (arms extended). The Flyer lies with their head facing the ceiling on the Base’s feet and hands, stretches their body through, and extends their arms to the side. As a variation, the Flyer turns 180 degrees—feet now support feet, and the Base supports the Flyer’s upper back with their hands. The Flyer supports themselves for additional stability with extended arms on the Base’s upper arms.

Reverse Front Bird

Imagine the pose from the movie “Dirty Dancing”—only the Flyer’s hips are supported by the feet and not the hands. The Base extends their legs, and the Flyer extends their arms backward.

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Which muscle groups and skills are trained?

Acroyoga simultaneously engages many muscle groups because it requires balance, strength, body tension, and coordination. The muscles trained also depend on whether you act as the Base, Flyer, or Spotter.

Base

As the Base, you activate the front and back thighs, gluteal, and calf muscles. The core is strengthened, and shoulders, arms, and grip strength are trained when supporting the Flyer with your arms.

Flyer

For the Flyer, the straight and oblique abdominal muscles are engaged, and the deep core muscles are used to maintain position. The back muscles are also challenged. The leg, hip, and gluteal muscles stabilize the whole. Depending on the exercise, arm muscles are required for movement control.

Spotter

As a Spotter, reaction ability is particularly important. Body awareness is trained, along with coordination and balance. Because you rely on others every second, acroyoga can enhance trust in others. Self-confidence can also benefit from acroyoga.