Aerial Yoga vs AntiGravity Yoga: What’s the Difference, and Which Training Do You Need?

The short answer

People search for “antigravity yoga” and “aerial yoga” as if they were two names for the same thing, and in everyday conversation they often are. Strictly, though, they are not interchangeable. One is a practice; the other is a brand and method within that practice.

A useful comparison is Pilates and a particular branded Pilates system, or yoga and a named school of yoga. The branded version has its own sequences, terminology, equipment standards and teacher licensing. The general practice is taught by many independent teachers and schools, each in their own way — including us. We are one of the very few schools that teaches aerial yoga exclusively, and we are not affiliated with AntiGravity.

This guide explains the relationship fairly, because the difference matters most at one specific moment: when you are choosing a teacher training.

What AntiGravity yoga is

AntiGravity® is a trademarked method of suspended fitness created by Christopher Harrison, a performer and choreographer, in New York. AntiGravity yoga was among the earliest and best-known forms of hammock-based yoga, and it did a great deal to popularise the whole idea of practising yoga in a soft fabric sling.

Because it is a trademark, the AntiGravity name can only be used by studios and instructors licensed to do so. Those instructors are trained through AntiGravity’s own instructor programme, which teaches the method’s specific sequences and approach. If a studio advertises an “AntiGravity” class, it should be taught by someone certified through that programme.

We would describe AntiGravity fairly as a well-established, carefully structured method with a long track record. If you specifically want to teach that method, under that name, its own training is the right route. Details of its courses, requirements and fees change over time, so check them directly with AntiGravity rather than relying on any third-party summary, including this one.

What aerial yoga is

“Aerial yoga” is the general term for the whole family of yoga practised in a fabric hammock hung from rated rigging points. It blends hatha and vinyasa postures with supported stretches, inversions that do not load the head or neck, and a final relaxation lying wrapped in the fabric. Our guide to what aerial yoga is covers the practice in full.

Because the term is not owned by anyone, aerial yoga is taught in many styles: some classes are dynamic and strength-focused, some lean towards flexibility, and some are slow and restorative. Independent schools design their own curricula and certify their own graduates, and some — like ours — are registered with Yoga Alliance as continuing-education providers.

What the classes have in common

If you walk into a well-taught AntiGravity class and a well-taught aerial yoga class, you will recognise a lot of the same things:

• A soft fabric hammock hung from the ceiling, usually at around hip height.
• Supported inversions in which you hang from the hips or legs rather than balancing on the head.
• Familiar yoga shapes — warriors, splits, pigeon, backbends — adapted to the hammock.
• A relaxation at the end, lying inside the fabric.
• The same safety basics: professionally rated rigging, careful entries and exits, and the same contraindications for inversions.

For a student who simply wants to try hanging upside down and stretching in a hammock, the difference between the two is far smaller than the difference between a good teacher and a poor one. Choose the class by the teacher, the studio’s rigging and the class level, not only by the name on the timetable.

Where the two do differ is in the detail: AntiGravity classes follow the method’s own sequencing, terminology and equipment standards, while aerial yoga classes vary with the school and teacher.

Aerial yoga vs AntiGravity yoga: side by side

AntiGravity yoga teacher training vs aerial yoga teacher training

This is where the distinction stops being academic. The certificate you earn decides what you can call your classes.

• An AntiGravity instructor certification lets you teach the AntiGravity method and use its name, subject to its licensing terms.
• A general aerial yoga teacher certification — like ours — qualifies you to teach aerial yoga. It does not qualify you as an AntiGravity instructor, and you should not advertise your classes as AntiGravity unless you hold that certification.

Neither is “better” in the abstract. They answer different questions. If a studio you want to work for runs licensed AntiGravity classes, you will need AntiGravity’s training. If you want to teach aerial yoga in your own studio, at a retreat, at a gym or alongside your existing yoga classes, a thorough aerial yoga teacher training is the more common route, and it lets you develop your own sequencing.

Whichever you choose, look at what a training actually covers. Teaching people to hang upside down safely needs far more than a list of poses: rigging and load checks, spotting, cueing entries and exits, sequencing for mixed levels, anatomy, and the judgement to recognise when an inversion is wrong for someone. Our guide on how to become an aerial yoga instructor walks through what to look for.

What our aerial yoga teacher training covers

At Aerial Rishikesh, in Tapovan, we teach aerial yoga and nothing else. Most aerial courses in Rishikesh stop at 50 hours; ours goes to 100.

• [50-hour aerial yoga teacher training](/50-hour-aerial-yoga-teacher-training) — seven days, starting every Monday. A foundation for teaching safe, confident beginner classes.
• [100-hour aerial yoga teacher training](/100-hour-aerial-yoga-teacher-training) — twelve days, starting on the 17th of each month. Adds advanced inversions, restorative aerial, deeper anatomy and a longer supervised teaching practicum.
• Both are Yoga Alliance continuing-education (YACEP) certified, and both teach rigging and safety as part of the syllabus. Our own rigging is professional, rated far beyond any practitioner’s weight, and every rig point is checked before each session.
• Teachers: Mayuri Shewale (E-RYT 500, founder) and Priya Sharma (RYT 500, aerial specialist) are present throughout both trainings.

Prices include your room, all meals, training materials and certification:

To be completely clear: our certificate is a generic aerial yoga teacher certification. It is not an AntiGravity certification, and it does not license you to teach under the AntiGravity name. For a wider look at the options, see our guide to aerial yoga teacher training in India.

How to choose

1. If you only want to take classes, pick the teacher, not the label. Ask about their training, how the rigging is installed and checked, and whether the class suits beginners.
2. If you want to teach the AntiGravity method, or work at a licensed AntiGravity studio, train with AntiGravity.
3. If you want to teach aerial yoga independently — in your own space, at retreats or alongside other yoga — choose a thorough aerial yoga teacher training with plenty of supervised teaching, spotting and rigging content.
4. If you are unsure, ask the studios where you would like to teach which certification they accept before you book anything.

Whichever route you take, these are the questions we would ask of any aerial teacher training, ours included, before paying anything:

• Who teaches it, and are they there the whole time? Lead trainers who appear for a day and hand over to assistants are a common disappointment.
• How many hours are spent teaching, not just practising? You learn to teach by teaching real people under supervision, with feedback.
• Is rigging and safety on the syllabus? You should leave knowing how a rig point is assessed and checked, not just how to use one.
• How much spotting practice is there? Spotting inversions safely is a physical skill that needs repetition.
• What exactly does the certificate say, and who recognises it? Ask whether it is registered with Yoga Alliance, and in what category.
• What is the group size? In aerial work, the teacher’s eyes and hands are the safety system.

A good school will answer all of these plainly. If you want a sense of what each option costs, our guide to aerial yoga teacher training cost sets out what to compare beyond the headline price.

Other names: fly yoga, hammock yoga, air yoga and the yoga trapeze

AntiGravity is not the only name you will meet. Most of the others are simply marketing names for the same practice; one describes a different piece of equipment.

If a name is unfamiliar, ask the studio two questions: what equipment do you use, and what is the teacher trained in? Those two answers tell you more than any label.