AcroChats

The goal is not just to slow down but to ask, “How can we build a sustainable practice?”
The goal is not to win, but to keep playing for as long as possible.
-Bossy Flyer

​   The AcroChat at Divine Play 2017 regarding safety in acro was intelligent, investigative, and intentional.

   We began with a sharing of accidents. Why? An important part of promoting safety is normalizing discussions of injury and accidents. In today’s social-media-driven culture, we often see the highlight reel of acroyoga: beautiful sunset pictures, the joy of first flight, the honeymoon of acro partnerships. We do not see the days we take off from training because we pushed too hard over the weekend. We do not have the privilege of retelling the stories of those who have left the practice because of multiple injuries, whether they were physical or emotional. We don’t see the exhaustion of traveling teachers who, in the current climate, may feel they need to hide chronic or acute pain to maintain a brand image of joyful bliss. People who become injured may blame themselves and feel shame[1]. These stories, then, can become lost and hidden in the midst of fear, shame, and anxiety, contributing to selection bias when we consider the risks of acroyoga.

   Discussing safety in acro [2] and normalizing post-accident analysis contributes to improvements in teaching methods, in the culture of acro, and in the creation of spaces where we are allowed to say “no” and exercise accurate self-assessment. Stories shared at Divine Play included the following:

• Bicep tear as a spotter in an attempt to save a flyer’s ankles on a landing
• Unexpected torn vastus lateralis basing folded leaf
• Dumping into the spine while basing standing acro
• Low back strain
• Kicked in the face while spotting
• Concussions from fireball, back plank, with new and overconfident spotters
• Overuse injuries
• Accidents such as spraining a toe while stepping off a mat or injuring a fingers while exiting a practice space.
• Dismounts leading to sprains or breaks in feet/ankles

(*** Please anonymously report your injuries using this form [3] ***)


 Common themes for factors contributing to injury included miscommunicated/unplanned exit strategies, fatigue, inaccurate assessment of the unpredictable nature of working with beginners, lack of proper warm-ups and preparation/progression/calibration. Strategies for addressing these concerns include the following:

1. Preparatory moments. How does it finish? Exercise self-reliance and plan: If  this happens, then _____.
2. Reaching for the floor: are flyers adequately practiced in dismounts?
3. Visualization. Be able to feel what you are doing before physically executing the skill. Knowing the fail points of what is being attempted.
4. Slowing down. Avoiding on-the-fly discussions about exit strategies and adequately discuss spotting, basing, and flying roles. Does the spotter actually know how to spot the skill being worked on, and what might go wrong?
5. Identification of crisis before the physical manifestation of the moment. Can you as a flyer/spotter/base identify when someone ceases to have confidence? Can you anticipate whsat will happen in the minute before the movement occurs
6. Spotting close, and spotting actively close.  Middle of the body moves the least. Shoulders and hips are stronger than the arms. Is the spotter prepared and ready at any moment to assist a flyer to the ground (as opposed to “saving” a flyer)? Is the spotter exploiting their own structure and that of the base-flyer dynamic to exercise proportional distribution of effort? Is the spotter keeping away from the flyer’s landing gear (their arms and legs)?
7. Differentiating between a safety and correctional spot.
8. Using code gestures or one-word requests like “down.”
9. Egos. Knowing when and how to say something, and learning how to slow down.
10. Check-ins: Do you have confirmation that everyone is on board? Does everyone have a voice? Are all parties comfortable with saying “no” and having that “no” acknowledged and accepted as a complete answer without explanation? *
    
    

   *On addressing flyer/base size ratio with respect:
   Use words from your own point of view when saying no, and speak to your own limitations.
   Ex. “No, thank you for asking, I appreciate that you asked me and I’m flattered, I’m not up for it right now.”

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On Saying no:

   Let us destigmatize the use of “no.” Invite the use of “no” as a prerequisite to “yes.” Invite others to use “no” because if someone cannot say no without fear of retribution, how can we trust that their “yes” is true? “No” is a complete answer.
If it’s not a “f*ck yes,” it is a No. – Look for signs of enthusiastic consent. Consent can be confusing. Enthusiastic consent is not confusing. Notice this process of identifying consent in yourself as well – an internal ”umm…” is a no.
Practice the following:

1. Saying no
2. Honoring no
3. Amplifying no
4. Reaffirming no with praise

 
Finer points:

• “Maybe later” could be a no  (maybe/suuuuure…./maybe later/yeah I guess so…) – an example of a response to an unclear situation could be “if you want to do that later, let me know” – inviting the other to take the initative.
• Be willling to NOT be the most popular in the room. Practice consent.

   Thank you for your care, your courage and support of a practice that continues to inspire and create space for so many of us.  
 
-Adi Firefly
www.idefirefly.com
Seattle, WA

[1] http://acroyogatalk.com/t/of-hood-ornaments-and-acroyoga/152
[2] https://www.facebook.com/groups/1633316826884338/
[3] http://bit.ly/2xKCu3Q
[4] Past note from 2014 DP AcroChats
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