Emory Dance's New Yoga Wall

Yoga has become an integral part of the Emory Dance Program’s somatic course work, and our rope wall allows for a deepening in the investigation of the yoga practice. A rope wall primarily allows students to experience the poses with a different relationship to gravity, often using the weight of the body, and allowing the muscles and spine to stretch in a new way. 

The ropes can be used in a variety of ways to open areas of the body like the shoulders, to allow for traction in the spine, and to increase side length, to name a few of the benefits. They are especially helpful with inversions and restoratives, and can be useful for practitioners with injuries. The photo above pictures students in a hanging headstand. Using the ropes in this manner allows the student to invert and enjoy the pleasure of being upside-down without any pressure on the neck. 

Students in our Applied Yoga somatic practices class (taught by Professor Anna Leo) first used the wall during the spring 2017 semester. Construction of the wall was supported by the Kaplan Family Dance Fund and was built by talented Emory University carpenter Guy Mitchell.