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Aerial yoga can look like acrobatics, but what happens inside the hammock is often the opposite of performance: it’s regulation, relief, and finally feeling safe in your body. I sit down with Melbourne-based teacher Joe Stewart to talk about how aerial yoga supports trauma-informed practice and neurodiversity through simple, powerful sensory tools like cocooning, deep pressure, gentle rocking, and optional inversions. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed in a crowded studio, bored by repetitive flows, or unsure where you fit in “typical” wellness spaces, this conversation offers a grounded alternative.

We get practical about what a class can look like when it’s built around choice. Joe explains how she uses small group sizes, check-ins, and multiple versions of the same pose to meet different needs in the same room, including examples like a three-level aerial down dog that can stay fully grounded or become a supported inversion. We also break down vestibular stimulation, how spinning or motion can help some people with ADHD or autism feel calm and present, and why the same sensation can be too much for others. The through-line is consent: nothing is framed as a progression, and rest is always allowed.

The episode goes deeper into what happens when yoga language misses the moment. Joe shares a story about taking a “bliss” themed class during a cancer crisis and how that changed the way she teaches, plus the flip side: generosity and community care that made yoga feel like a lifeline. We also talk about access, mental health as health, and cultural appropriation, including why acknowledging yoga’s South Asian roots matters and how aerial yoga still connects to yoga history and ethics. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who needs a softer on-ramp to movement, and leave a review so more listeners can find us.

To learn more about Jo, please reach out via her website https://gardenofyoga.com.au/

Her book "8 Limbs of Aerial Yoga" is available also via her website, or you could order here:

https://www.amazon.com/Eight-Limbs-Aerial-Yoga-Neurodiversity/dp/1805011898

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