AntiGravity Aerial LAB

I never thought I would be able to do aerial yoga but Eileen was AMAZING! This has been one of the best classes I’ve ever taken. I absolutely love this studio. Everyone I met there was super welcoming and made the experience really enjoyable. I’ll definitely be back!

I just learned that we’ve been working out all wrong.
Which is to say, right side up.
And not hovering over the ground while entwined in a silky hammock.
Don’t panic. This gem of a place high above Midtown’s persistant grind can get you all sorted out.
Meet Christopher Harrison’s AntiGravity® AIRbarre, the one of a kind «aerial barre» workout that transforms a hammock into a moving ballet barre. AIRbarre combines all the muscle-​burning intensity of ballet barre work, with the death-​defying elegance of a Cirque du Soleil performance.
If this is the first time you’ve been involved in aerial acrobatic workouts have no fear, the class starts slowly. A little upbeat music. A little stretching. Then you’ll wrap yourself in the loop of a silky sheet that’s hanging from the ceiling measured according to your height – called the The Harrison AntiGravity® Hammock, and it can support a half ton – and follow certified AntiGravity Master Instructor Trainer, Lorianne Major’s lead.
At first, this is going to seem wierd for a workout. Or… for anything, really. Just picture someone hanging from a silk sheet that’s fastened to the ceiling for 50 minutes. And that someone is twirling into a pirouette, doing pull-​ups midair into a grand pile. And climbing. And sweating. But… that someone is getting pretty toned.
Embrace the shake you’re going to feel during the leg work. It involves the use of the entire body. The feeling of being simultaneously grounded and ‘pulled up’ is necessary for many of the traditional steps in ballet. Lorianne cued us to imagine we were in a toaster and to pull up, you must lift your ribcage and sternum but keep the shoulders relaxed and centered over the hips which requires using your abdominal muscles. In addition, you must tuck your pelvis under and keep your back straight as to avoid arching and throwing yourself off balance and burn your ‘buns’ in the toaster.
There are moments that unmistakably mark a new epoch in the human experience.
The discovery of fire.
The invention of the wheel.
imageThe Harrison AntiGravity® Hammock inversion, where you get in and gravity stops applying to your body.
The weightless release acts like traction, and allowed me to open up tight joints in all the right places. You’ll hang around upside-​down. You’ll do forward and backbends. You’ll… regret eating that Shake Shack burger.
The fabric acts as your support during various poses allowing you to stretch further and hold positions longer than other types of ballet barre work.
The class ended with a relaxing meditation in the enclosed cocoon of the hammock. A floating orb of comfy.
Next stop. Broadway.

This studio is the best! Everyone here is so friendly, and all of the instructors have been amazing. I’ve taken a variety of classes at AntiGravity, and Aerial Yoga is definitely my favorite. One thing that I love about the studio is that the instructors really get to know their students, so they are always able to gear their classes to the appropriate level. The class size is pretty much perfect. And the nighttime classes often end up having a great view of the sunset, which looks even prettier when you’re upside down! Also, the music is usually great.
I always leave feeling like I got an amazing workout, but I also always feel refreshed & relaxed! The Aerial Yoga class is a combination of stretching, strength, and a lot of fun tricks! The hammock allows you to work on some yoga poses with a little extra support. And of course, it lets you do a ton of cool things upside down!

This was my first attempt at AntiGravity yoga and Lorianne made it a great experience! She referenced everyone in the class by name and made it feel like one on one instruction even though there were 10 others in the class. She was very patient and a great instructor, especially for first time goers!

Had an amazing private lesson with Eileen. Felt so great after — just completely transformed. I will be back every chance I get to experience that rush.

Fascinating!
Greeted by the loveliest front desk agent, Michael. Followed by a remarkable first-​time aerial yoga class experience. I suggest everyone try this place at least once in their lifetime. The small dim room created the perfect setting.
I might try air-​barre next (another of their incredible classes), stay tuned.

i love this place! A great way to stretch the body while being suspended in the air (actually, just a few feet off the ground). Lorianne is an exceptionally patient instructor who manages to assist everyone in her class simultaneously and Jenny the receptionist is a welcoming pleasure, eager to assist with your registrations for the varying classes. With a mix of yoga and Ariel acrobatics, this class makes me feel like A kid again and leaves me feeling relaxed, well stretched, muscle toned and 2 pounds lighter every time I visit. I’ll be a customer forever, or at least until I find one in Brooklyn…

My family Carmen introduce me to a fabulous workout @ Christopher harrison’s antigravity lab @W. 37^th street and 8^th avenue about a month ago. And I must tell you, it’s amazing and challenging. I Highly recommend this class to anyone looking for a new way to workout.
The instructor Lorianne Major is great. Very knowledgeable with a kick ass music selection. And the office manager Jenny is very warm and personable.

Paula was amazing. it was our first time ever doing Aerial. She learned our names and used them right away. She was fun and inspiring and I felt totally safe even though this was all totally new. Paula had an amazing ability to weave together the technical with the elevated in a way that felt very natural and beautiful. She was a good leader/​instructor and she was also very personal and made everyone feel totally attended to. To me that’s the mark of a great teacher: the ability to make a group experience feel personal.
The space itself could have been more welcoming: it was a little small and there bathroom where you can change is down the hall. All fades into the background once you’re in the classroom, however.

This is the best place in Manhattan! It is better than going to an hour and a half of the best massage therapy.

Amazing workout, super fun. Paula is an awesome instructor. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would go again.

I think people interested in trying this out should know that this isn’t yoga. I was looking for a way to expand my practice and add a different style of yoga in the mix but even though the class is loosely based on a regular Vinyasa yoga class structure and often they use yoga terms for the poses, that’s where the similarities end. It’s billed as yoga supported by the hammock but it’s all acrobatic work. I really wish that instead of calling it Antigravity yoga that they would at least include the terms ‘gymnastics’ or ‘acrobatics’ in the Fundamentals class description because I wouldn’t have bothered.
I also wouldn’t call the Fundamentals class a class for beginners unless they would spend more time in the beginning with everyone on the basics. I’ve been doing yoga regularly for a couple years and thought that I would be ok in the beginner class. However, I really hurt my lower back — it’s been a week and a half and I’m still in a lot of pain that seems to only be getting worse (too much pain to do as much actual yoga as I was doing before so that sucks too).
I do want to interject that my instructor was really fun, high energy, and very excited to teach us which is what you want in a teacher. The woman at the front desk was also really nice and helpful. But if you want a yoga class this isn’t the place for that at all and again I wish they would include gymnastics in the description so I would’ve known that it wasn’t what I was looking for.

Bought a Living Social deal monthsssssss ago. I registered on Anti Gravity’s website but I let the deal expire. I called and without hesitation they extended the deal for a month and I booked right away!
YAYYY!
Today I was in the Flying Fitness class with Jill. She is excellent! This was my first class and it was definitely a little challenging but such a good work out! Think of intermediate yoga/​suspension training all in the air! Some body say BODY RESISTANCE! I can’t wait to go back and get my butt kicked!

Awesome fun! I got a Living Social deal for classes here and had a fun experience. Getting used to the hammock and being suspended in air took a couple of sessions but with a little sense of adventure you can have a lot of fun during your work outs. Josie was a great instructor and I liked the restorative yoga classes as well. Just a warning though, if you have to cancel make sure you cancel 24hrs before or you’ll get charged for the class.

I brought a Living Social voucher for AntiGravity Aerial LAB and the prerequisite class Fundamentals, that is the gateway to all other classes, has been completely booked every time I checked. I have been looking at least 1 month in advance at every point, as with my work schedule, that’s all I can plan for.
I’ve contact Living Social customer service, who was completely unhelpful, and also left 2 messages with AntiGravity Aerial LAB, which I have not received any response back at all. Since they require Fundamentals, they should either 1) offer more of this class so I can then proceed to access other classes and 2) offer an extension on the voucher because they are unable to provide the promised services within the agreed time-​frame. Without taking the Fundamentals class, I feel it becomes a liability issue as people can get hurt without 1^st knowing the basics of antigravity yoga. This also becomes a consumer issue as I already paid for the class.
I rate them 1 star for their lack of responsiveness, which in turns demonstrates that they are unable to work with customers. If I hear back from them and they are willing to work with me, I will delete or change my rating but I’m currently unimpressed by their responsiveness.
Living Social is a whole other issue…

I agree wholeheartedly with the 1^st two reviews. Christopher Harrison’s Antigravity Lab is a very professional and inspiring studio. This is an amazing form of fitness! It has a wonderful and inviting energy! I am a former dancer who needed a new form of fitness to stay in shape and inspired– this is it. The inversions feel incredible– I can’t live without them now! I am so glad that I discovered Antigravity Yoga through the Living Social offer. I have enjoyed every minute of it and will continue my classes there. Do not hesitate to come to a class. You won’t regret it!

I second everything the previous reviewer has said, and then some.
People, do yourselves a favor and get yourselves into a hammock at Christopher Harrison’s Antigravity Lab. You will absolutely love it and it’ll make you so happy. You’ll fly (think Cirque, but more badass), you’ll get a great workout, you’ll de-​stress, you’ll build flexibility — all at the same time — but most importantly, you’ll have the most *fun* you’ve ever had working out, even while your abs are being challenged like crazy.
This lab is where antigravity yoga was invented, so every instructor is awesome and knowledgeable and certified in many different disciplines. Each brings a lot of personality, enthusiasm and joy to the practice. The instructors care a great deal about your experience in class. Classes are small, so they’re always looking out for you, making sure you’re safe and happy and having fun, ready to lend a hand (literally) if you want/​need. Their cuing is really thorough and thoughtful, so you’ll know what you’re doing at every step.
Classes strike a really effective balance between flips and tricks and strengthening and stretching, so everyone will be satisfied. You’ll show yourself that you’re stronger and more flexible than you thought, and pretty soon your favorite place to be will be swinging upside-​down. *Anyone* can do antigravity yoga. You don’t need to have experience in yoga, dance, pilates or anything else. Flying Fitness classes are my favorite, but there’s also Antigravity Pilates (probably the most efficient core workout you’ll ever do) and Restorative Antigravity Yoga, which is so great for gently stretching and healing your neck, back and joints. There are also classes that’ll introduce you to all the fundamentals you need to know for a strong foundation for your practice.
The staff is professional, super friendly and laid-​back. They’ll make you feel like a member of the family in no time. The space is clean and well cared for. Antigravity yoga is my *favorite* workout, hands down. Try it!

If you want to learn Antigravity Yoga from the people that invented it, then this is the place to go. Christopher Harrison developed this practice and this is his studio. Instructors who teach aerial yoga at other studios get their training here, and you will often see teacher trainings going on when you visit the studio.
They used to be housed at Om Factory in the same building, but now they offer classes in their own space, this is not to be confused with the OmFactory, where they offer a totally different style of Aerial Vinyasa.
All of the instructors at the Lab have been trained by Christopher and this is a unique practice, different from most other aerial yoga studios that I have attended.
Antigravity yoga is a great workout. It is a fun combination of yoga, dance, acrobatics and Pilates. You will stretch into positions you never thought possible, your core will get a beating, your butt will get lifted and you will amaze yourself as you flip upside down with grace and ease.
Here is a list of instructors and my descriptions for advance classes. They offer fundamental classes that are for those learning the art of Antigravity yoga as well.
Shelly Bomb — Master Instructor, spiritual, fun class, great workout
Lorianne Major — Hardcore, dance background, ass kicking workout
KD Diallo — Master Instructor — Great workout, fun class, graceful.
Jill Drapo-​Harvey, kick ass workout, pilates instructor, great at helping with form, etc.
Tamer Begum — Great energy, fun workout, you will feel it.
Josie Say — Super hard workout, dance background, excellent class.
Definitely worth a try if you want to push your limits & get a great workout. The studio is intimate, located in midtown west, the hammocks are always clean and the room is quite comfortable and beautiful. Give it a whirl.