Art Yoga in Torrance has unique classes utilizing aerial hammocks. Students Susie Lines, left, and Jan Schlesinger. (Robert Casillas / Staff Photographer)

You're probably thinking "... duh," but when you're hanging upside down from the ceiling by a few feet of fabric, it's easier said than done.

Despite the slight dizziness once upright, the Flying Vinyasa Flow class offered at the 3-month-old Art Yoga studio in Torrance is nothing short of a good time.

The studio offers a variety of classes including traditional yoga and Zumba, but what makes them different is the gravity-defying options they offer like Hoop/Aerial, Aerial Silks and Bar-Fly.

I decided to try the Flying Vinyasa Flow class which combines traditional yoga with aerial arts using silk hammocks.

The hour-long class begins with signing a waiver and appointing an emergency contact, but don't let that sway your decision to try the class. Next is a quick introduction to the terminology, how to find a hammock that's right for you (it should drop to your hip bones) and the different ways to hold on to it.

At first, the hammock was actually a blessing as it helped me keep my balance as we went through various warrior poses, lunges and triangle pose.

But once the aerial component came into the mix, the use of the hammock ignited hesitation.

The studio's owner, Rubi Reyes, was teaching the class. She has practiced and taught yoga for seven years and trained with the creator of AntiGravity Aerial Yoga, Christopher Harrison.

Three years ago when she began using silks, she said there were no studios offering classes that combined yoga with hammocks, but it now seems to be a growing trend. There's Up Flying Yoga in Sherman Oaks, Believe Fitness Studio in El Segundo, and Cool Hot Yoga in Calabasas that all offer similar classes.

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New aerial yoga practice defies gravity at Art Yoga and beyond

Exercise has long been hailed as an elixir for the brain, to boost your mood, improve learning, and ward off memory loss. But yoga may be even better.

Just in time for the return of Lululemons yoga pantswhich thankfully are no longer see-throughnew research published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health suggests that yoga practice temporarily boosts memory and focus more than jogging. A small study involving 30 female college students, who werent regular practitioners of yoga, found that they performed better on cognitive tests after performing yoga for 20 minutes as compared to when they jogged on a treadmill just before taking the tests.

How to explain the difference?

While practicing yoga, you are focused on your breath and mindfully aware of your postures, said study author Neha Gothe, an exercise psychologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. These mental exercises seem to affect the way you think and focus outside of yoga practice. The practice also reduces anxiety and stress, and that in itself can lead to better cognitive performance.

The mental performance boost lasted 30 to 40 minutes after the yoga session, but more research is needed to determine whether regular yoga practice leads to more sustained brain benefits in terms of learning, memory, and focus.

On the other hand, the researchers didnt see much cognitive boost at all from aerobic exercise compared to cognitive tests taken before the exercise sessions.

Gothe told me she was surprised to see that aerobic exercise didnt offer these benefitswhich is in contrast to other study findings. The cognitive tests we used are a little different from the ones used in other aerobic exercise studies that have shown positive effects, she said. Previous research examined effects on brain function several hoursrather than a few minutes --after exercise, which could have made a difference.

Yoga may have a more immediate effect, Gothe speculated, whereas aerobic exercise may have more of a delayed effect. Also participants in some previous exercise studies were very physically fit, which could indicate that regular exercise confers cognitive benefits over time.

Getting 30 minutes a day of cardiovascular exerciserunning, walking, biking, swimmingis still key for good health, Gothe emphasized. But from this particular study, she added, it appears that doing yoga before an exam, an interview or big presentation might help you perform better!

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Your brain on yoga: pratice offers bigger mental boost than running - Boston.com

Exercise has long been hailed as an elixir for the brain, to boost your mood, improve learning, and ward off memory loss. But yoga may be even better.

Just in time for the return of Lululemons yoga pantswhich thankfully are no longer see-throughnew research published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health suggests that yoga practice temporarily boosts memory and focus more than jogging. A small study involving 30 female college students, who werent regular practitioners of yoga, found that they performed better on cognitive tests after performing yoga for 20 minutes as compared to when they jogged on a treadmill just before taking the tests.

How to explain the difference?

While practicing yoga, you are focused on your breath and mindfully aware of your postures, said study author Neha Gothe, an exercise psychologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. These mental exercises seem to affect the way you think and focus outside of yoga practice. The practice also reduces anxiety and stress, and that in itself can lead to better cognitive performance.

The mental performance boost lasted 30 to 40 minutes after the yoga session, but more research is needed to determine whether regular yoga practice leads to more sustained brain benefits in terms of learning, memory, and focus.

On the other hand, the researchers didnt see much cognitive boost at all from aerobic exercise compared to cognitive tests taken before the exercise sessions.

Gothe told me she was surprised to see that aerobic exercise didnt offer these benefitswhich is in contrast to other study findings. The cognitive tests we used are a little different from the ones used in other aerobic exercise studies that have shown positive effects, she said. Previous research examined effects on brain function several hoursrather than a few minutes --after exercise, which could have made a difference.

Yoga may have a more immediate effect, Gothe speculated, whereas aerobic exercise may have more of a delayed effect. Also participants in some previous exercise studies were very physically fit, which could indicate that regular exercise confers cognitive benefits over time.

Getting 30 minutes a day of cardiovascular exerciserunning, walking, biking, swimmingis still key for good health, Gothe emphasized. But from this particular study, she added, it appears that doing yoga before an exam, an interview or big presentation might help you perform better!

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Your brain on yoga: pratice offers bigger mental boost than running

0 ) { %> Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Review: One Flexible Ultrabook

Whether in notebook, stand, tent, or tablet mode, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 is definitely a head-turner. But does this Ultrabook's innovative multi-mode design effectively juggle its multiple personalities in an equally-harmonious, Zen-like manner?

With Windows 8 slowly picking up momentum, the constantly-evolving touchscreen-enabled hybrid Ultrabook/tablet is also becoming more commonplace. In the race to discover the perfect form factor, PC manufacturers need to think more aggressively outside the proverbial box to earn your business. The IdeaPad Yoga 13 is a prime example of Lenovos approach to this unique market.

Labeled as the worlds first multi-mode Ultrabook, the IdeaPad Yoga 13 appears to be ready for virtually any Windows 8 mobility scenario the casual user, student, or professional can throw at it.

The Yoga 13 is capable of assuming any of four different orientations, or "operational modes": Laptop, Stand, Tent, and Tablet.

This traditional mode resembles any other clamshell-style Ultrabook or laptop PC. As with all typical laptops, the keyboard and touchpad serve as the primary input in this configuration. However, having the added benefit of a touchscreen provides the Yoga 13 with a welcomed third input option. Obviously, Laptop Mode is useful for basically any task that you would use a notebook for, such as office productivity, photo editing, light gaming, email, and Web browsing, just to name a few.

In Stand Mode, the screen is capable of being rotated well past 180 degrees. The exposed keyboard and touchpad faces the same surface that the system rests on, so the touchscreen becomes your only input. This mode is particularly suited for viewing video content because, unlike the Yoga 13's next mode, Stand Mode allows you to adjust the tilt of the screen to find that perfect viewing angle. Likewise, this orientation is also great for teleconferencing, since tilting the screen also adjusts what's captured by the embedded HD webcam.

Tent Mode is very similar to Stand Mode, though the Yoga 13's screen opens beyond 270 degrees to create a tent shape in this mode. Here, the Yoga 13 stands on its outer display and base edges, with the hinged section facing up, allowing the touchscreen to be aimed towards the user or viewing audience. Tent Mode is handy for viewing recipes in the kitchen, following laptop service manuals in the tech shop, or simply serving as a digital picture frame placed tastefully on a shelf or desk.

By rotating the Yoga 13's screen all the way back 360 degrees, we enter its Tablet Mode. In this mode, the back of the screen housing rests on the outer base portion of the system itself, giving the user a solid-feeling touchscreen-only handheld device.

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Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Review: One Flexible Ultrabook