Aerial yoga in Manila

Aerial yoga uses a fabric hammock to support poses and gentle inversions. Read the aerial yoga guide before your first class, and see hot and Bikram yoga in Manila for the other specialty rooms.

How to choose an aerial yoga studio in Manila

Start with the kind of class you want, then check price, booking and location. Here is what the 6 studios we list in Manila publish, style by style; if you are unsure which style suits you, the yoga style quiz suggests one.

Vinyasa and flow (2 of 6 studios: Jal Yoga Greenhills and Sola Gratia Yoga & Pilates): poses linked to the breath in a continuous sequence, so you keep moving and warm up quickly. Learn the steps of the Sun Salutation first and it will feel familiar.

Hatha (4 of 6 studios: Jal Yoga Alabang, Jal Yoga Greenhills, Jal Yoga Makati and 1 more): poses held for a few breaths with time to set up each one. It is the usual starting point if you feel stiff or want to learn the shapes properly; see hatha compared with vinyasa.

Hot and infrared (5 of 6 studios: Carve Philippines, Jal Yoga Alabang, Jal Yoga Greenhills and 2 more): classes in a heated room, which feels more intense. Drink water, rest when you need to, and read the hot yoga guide first.

Aerial (all 6 studios: Carve Philippines, Jal Yoga Alabang, Jal Yoga Greenhills and 3 more): a fabric hammock takes part of your weight, which makes hanging shapes possible. Each student needs a rig, so classes are small; read the aerial yoga guide.

Meditation, breathwork and sound sessions are published by Jal Yoga Alabang and Jal Yoga Makati. These often run as separate sessions from the pose classes, so check the timetable; the breath and meditation guides explain what each involves.

What classes cost in Manila

2 of the 6 studios publish a drop-in rate, from ₱510 at Jal Yoga Alabang to ₱510 at Jal Yoga Makati. A drop-in is the simplest way to try a room before you commit to a pack.

Carve Philippines and MOVA Fitness Studio publish a first-timer rate (Carve Philippines: ₱1,000; MOVA Fitness Studio: ₱1,500).

Booking and getting there

Booking works differently from studio to studio. Of the 6 we list, every studio take online bookings (Carve Philippines, Jal Yoga Alabang, Jal Yoga Greenhills, Jal Yoga Makati and 2 more).

The studios here are spread across Binondo, Alabang, Greenhills (EDSA cor. Connecticut), Salcedo Village, Ortigas Center and BF Resort Village. Pick the one near where you live, work or stay, and check the travel time at the hour the class runs.

If you are new to yoga

A hatha or yin class is usually the gentlest choice if you have never done yoga. Tell the teacher about any injury or pregnancy before class, arrive ten minutes early, and check what to wear to yoga before you go.

What to ask an aerial studio before your first class

Aerial rooms differ more than mat rooms, so a short message before you book saves a wasted trip. Ask whether there is a beginner or intro aerial class, since a mixed-level class may move into inversions early. Ask how many hammocks the room has, which tells you the class size and how far ahead you need to book.

Ask whether the studio has a body-weight guideline for its rigs, what to wear (fitted clothes that cover the backs of the knees and the underarms are usual, since the fabric can rub, and jewellery comes off), and whether you should eat lightly beforehand, since hanging upside down on a full stomach is uncomfortable. If you have a neck, shoulder or blood pressure condition, ask whether the class can be done without inversions.

5 of the aerial studios here also run heated or infrared classes, so check which room your class is in. For a slower start on the mat, the beginner mat sequence builds the shoulder and core strength that helps in the hammock.