Like most brilliant ideas, this one seemed to come from nowhere. Micha Adams, founder of Detroit Flyhouse, was on her way to brunch when a thought struck her: she wanted to learn trapeze, and needed a trapeze teacher asap. Not quite knowing how she could make these thing happen, she went to brunch and destiny intervened from there. A friend actually showed up with a guest who was a trapeze instructor, and within a week Micha started taking lessons.
"I dedicated every ounce of time to training. I just fell in love with it. That's just my personality - I completely immersed myself. It didn't take long to learn. Maybe months."
Detroit Flyhouse followed, first located in Dearborn and finally in Detroit's Eastern Market. It became a studio for acro and aerial yoga and is also where Micha and her group create their performance art. It is her hope that through the art of trapeze she can offer a place of community and healing to the Detroit area. They have performed at numerous outdoor festivals in Detroit as well as corporate events and charities, and regularly have recitals at Detroit Waldorf Academy.
Prior to this, Micha had been a yoga instructor for six years, and trapeze seemed a reasonable direction to follow. The benefits of acro and aerial yoga, she says, are numerous.
"Acro yoga is a form of partner yoga. You can do it with one person or a group, and there's an acrobatic element to it - it's a lot of fun! I like anything where you're encouraged to connect with people and have to trust and play with that."
In aerial yoga, your feet are off the ground via the trapeze bar or fabric designed specifically for trapeze performance - and it's not as difficult as one might think. "It meets you where you're at. You build slowly and build strength and flexibility. Physically, you get very strong but you don't know how hard you're working because it's such a fun environment. We've had women come in that couldn't do a single pull-up, but now are able to do 15 after coming for 14 weeks."
"From a non-physical standpoint," she continues,"I see people feeling incredibly liberated doing things they never thought they could do. Their perception of what they can and can't do changes dramatically. And it's a really cool space where adults get to play."
A lot of Detroiters come to the Flyhouse, but suburbanites have also discovered its unique approach to yoga. As for the typical age group, there is none - people from six to seventy attend classes, and there is no specific body type that has an advantage. Detroit Flyhouse encourages a safe atmosphere where those with a sense of adventure can explore and learn from Micha and her assistant teachers, who are mostly comprised of performers.
"Anyone can do this. It's not about what it looks like, it's about it feels like and your willingness. I love teaching this, but more importantly I like the fact that we've been able to support one another. That's the only reason I have this space."
If you are interested in Detroit Flyhouse and the classes they offer, check out their site:
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