On a recent Sunday at Limber Tree Aerial Yoga Studio, colorful nylon fabric attached to a steel frame suspended a group of aerialists above the floor as they worked in extra practice.

Marina Nunez, who took her first aerial class in December 2014, was working on a pose called vampire.

Pulling out the cloth, she lay on her back in the hammock, the cloth stretching the length of her body. Then, slipping her feet into the fabric, she flipped her feet over her head, stretching the hammock around her body with them. Straightening out again, she hung suspended from her shoulders, arms and feet, her face inches from the wooden floor.

Ooh, I did it. Yes! she said.

The first few times she had tried the pose were intimidating, Nunez said, but the satisfaction of overcoming the apprehension was exhilarating.

Youll feel fear a little bit, and then youll feel amazing, she said.

Rise of a practice

This new form of yoga is turning the ancient art on its head.

Aerial yoga, or anti-gravity yoga, is a contemporary cousin that originated in the U.S. during the 1990s. It incorporates elements from Pilates and dance.

During a session, teachers and students make loops on different parts of their bodies with soft nylon cloths. As it is stretched out, twisted or wrapped, aerialists are able to rise and fall above mats, getting high off the ground and sometimes upside down.

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Aerial yoga turns ancient practice on its head