Open gym is one of the most valuable tools in an aerial athlete's training, and one of the most misunderstood. It isn't a class. It isn't a free-for-all. It's dedicated, self-directed practice time in a supervised space — and the athletes who get the most out of it are the ones who walk in with a plan and a healthy respect for the risks involved.

When people picture aerial training, they picture the moment a student finally nails an inversion, or the split second before a drop that ends in a perfectly controlled descent. What they don't picture is the quiet, unglamorous work that makes those moments possible in the first place: an instructor deciding how to run the room.

At Eternal Aerial Arts, rest isn't an afterthought. It isn't what happens when we're too tired to push forward. It's something we plan for, protect, and believe in — not just physically, but spiritually and relationally. And this week, I want to talk about why.

By Peggy Ployhar, Owner of Eternal Aerial Arts

Every person who walks through the doors of an aerial arts studio brings something invisible with them: their reason. Their why. And while the apparatus, the music, and the chalk or grip spray on their hands may all look the same from the outside, what is driving each student to show up, grip the silk, and try again is often something deeply personal — and beautifully different.

By Peggy Ployhar | Eternal Aerial Arts

I'm Peggy Ployhar, owner of Eternal Aerial Arts, and I'm about to share something deeply personal that I've only recently begun to understand about my own body. While I've never been formally diagnosed, I strongly suspect I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)—the hereditary connective tissue disorder that two of my adult children have been diagnosed with. The puzzle pieces have always been there: POTS symptoms since my 20s, hypermobility that I thought was just being "flexible," chronic joint pain, and now, watching my children navigate their diagnoses, I see my own struggles reflected back at me.

Every week in the studio, I see students of all ages and backgrounds take to the air—each with their own unique strengths, stories, and bodies. As teachers, we want nothing more than for every student to feel good in their own skin, to see themselves as beautiful, strong, and capable. But here's the honest truth: while we can offer encouragement and support, true confidence is something each aerialist must develop from within. Our role is to help you discover it—and to give you the tools to keep growing, both in skill and self-acceptance.

The countdown is on—our showcase is this weekend! While you're perfecting your sequences and finalizing your costume, there's one crucial element that deserves just as much attention: your hairstyle.

Recently, one of our new instructors came to me with something many of us in the aerial community experience: she was struggling to maintain her own training now that she'd transitioned from student to teacher. The time she once devoted to taking challenging classes was now filled with teaching—and while teaching absolutely refines our basics and builds conditioning, it's not quite the same as being pushed to your personal edge in a class that challenges your current level.

Have you ever paused as you packed your bag for aerial class and wondered, “What should I actually wear to feel comfortable—and safe—on the silks, Lyra, or bungee?” As summer slowly winds into fall, it’s the perfect time to refresh your aerial wardrobe and talk about why what we wear matters for confidence, comfort, and performance.

There's a difference between a vision and a mission, and it's taken me years — and a lot of moving trucks — to understand it.

If you've spent any real time in the aerial world, you already know something the rest of the world doesn't always see from the outside: this sport is intimate. You are trusting the person spotting you with your life. You are trusting your teammate to hit her mark in a duo catch. You are trusting the person next to you in ensemble not to let go a half-second too early so your timing is also correct. There is no faking your way through that kind of trust. It has to be real, and it has to be built — every single day, on the ground, before it ever shows up in the air.

We are on the backside of two competitions now — Aerialympics Nationals, and just yesterday, the IAAO World Competition — and the dust is still settling. Medals were won. Some routines fell short of what our athletes hoped for. Two of our flyers, who qualified for Worlds back in June, stepped onto an international stage yesterday and placed 2nd and 5th out of 14 competitors in their division. And through all of it, one truth keeps rising to the surface in my heart:

With our Showcase Prep Workshop coming up on Saturday, August 29th (9am–noon), I wanted to take some time this week to talk about something bigger than choreography appointments and costume choices. I want to talk about why we perform at all — and how you can walk into this showcase season with a clear heart and a steady mind, whether this is your first time stepping into the spotlight or your fifth.

There's a difference between teaching a student a trick and teaching a student to fly. That difference lives almost entirely in the planning that happens before class starts — the part nobody sees on the aerial reel.

Contentment isn't the opposite of ambition. It's what makes healthy ambition sustainable. It's what allows a student to keep showing up to conditioning class even when it's not glamorous, to perform or compete at a level lower than they would like, to trust that the skills she's learning and working through today are building the very strength she'll need for the skill she's dreaming about tomorrow, to find real delight in where she is instead of only in where she's headed.

For a long time, aerial arts lived in a kind of beautiful obscurity. Those of us who fell in love with it knew exactly what it could do for the body, the mind, and the spirit — but the wider world hadn't quite caught up yet. That's changing. And it's changing fast, on a few different fronts at once.

By Peggy Ployhar, Owner, Eternal Aerial Arts

At Eternal Aerial Arts, safety isn't just a rule we enforce—it's a skill we teach. When you walk into our studio, you'll notice our instructors doing something that might seem to slow down the pace of class: they ask questions. They wait for answers. They guide students through checks that, over time, become second nature. Whether you're a parent watching your child learn to climb silks for the first time, an adult student wondering why we pause before every drop, or an aerial instructor looking to strengthen your own teaching practices, understanding the "why" behind these safety checks reveals something powerful about how we approach this beautiful, challenging art form.

As aerial instructors, we all feel the pull. A student is struggling to invert. They're frustrated, maybe even close to tears. We watch them try again and again, their grip slipping, their core shaking. The solution seems obvious: tie a knot in the fabric. Give them that boost. Let them experience what it feels like to be upside down, wrapped in the silks, finally succeeding.

Welcome to the final article in my teaching series on different learning styles in aerial arts! We've explored verbal learners who need detailed linguistic instruction and visual learners who need to see demonstrations. Today, we're diving into kinesthetic learners—students who learn best through physical movement, hands-on experience, and actually doing the skill.

Welcome back to my teaching series! In my first article, we explored how to teach verbal learners through detailed linguistic instruction. Today, we're diving into visual learners—students who need to see the movement pattern to understand it.

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 3:14

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." — Galatians 6:9

"She is clothed with strength and dignity... she sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks." — Proverbs 31:25, 17

We get a lot of questions here at Eternal Aerial Arts. "Am I too old for this?" "Could I actually compete?" "Is a showcase performance really for someone like me?" "I've been in Beginner Silks forever — what now?"

A few weeks ago, I came across a question in an aerial studio owner group that I haven't been able to shake. Someone asked, essentially, how the rest of us keep our studios afloat, and whether there were specific classes we'd seen that reliably grow a business. It's a fair question. It's an honest question. Anyone who has signed a lease, ordered rigging hardware, or made payroll during a slow month has asked some version of it, myself included.

When students walk into an aerial studio for the first time, many arrive with images dancing in their heads—dramatic drops they've seen on Instagram, breathtaking sequences from Cirque performances, moves that look equal parts beautiful and terrifying. As aerial instructors, we understand this excitement. We also understand something else: that the most rewarding aerial journey isn't built on flashy tricks learned before a student is ready, but on a foundation of progressive skill development, community connection, and the deep satisfaction that comes from true mastery.

If you've read my previous blogs about the remarkable benefits of aerial fitness—from managing my EDS symptoms to reversing aging effects—but feel overwhelmed about where to start, especially with health concerns, this guide is for you. Research shows that initial exploration of participants' characteristics, barriers, and facilitators is crucial to enhance exercise adherence in chronic patients and older adults. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step, from your first phone call to building a sustainable practice.

This week, I want to share something that's been on my heart as we have been settling into our beautiful new space these past few months and welcoming in so many new faces through our doors.

I need to tell you something that might surprise you.

Dear Eternal Aerial Arts Community,

Progress in aerial arts isn’t about rushing to the flashiest moves. It’s about building a foundation that lets every student fly higher—safely, confidently, and with real skill. That’s why our approach centers on safe progressions, strong basics, and a curriculum designed to help you soar at your own pace.