Ancient practice of yoga gets a thoroughly modern twist

Think yoga is about contorting your body into a human pretzel while chanting om for hours on end? Think again. The ancient practice is being dramatically transformed as the latest styles send practitioners spinning around, hanging weightlessly or floating in the middle of the ocean.

Yoga mats are optional in acro-yoga, where partners work together in a manner more akin to a circus routine than conventional yoga. One person - the base - lies on their back with their legs in the air to hold up the flier who performs movements with the support of the base.

Los Angeles-based YouTube sensations, husband and wife team Dice Iida-Klein and Briohny Smyth, visited Hong Kong recently and demonstrated their technique at Pure Yoga in Tsim Sha Tsui. "We have so much fun," says Smyth breathlessly, as she is positioned in a scorpion-like pose while suspended by Iida-Klein's feet.

"We both love to go upside down … not only does it strengthen the body but it also has strong mental and emotional benefits [like] building confidence and working through obstacles which really applies to life," says Smyth.

Though it looks difficult, the pair insists acro-yoga is accessible to everyone. It can be as simple as balancing over your partner's feet or as complicated as performing handstands using your partner's feet as a base.

It's also therapeutic. "If your back is tight, having someone push your heels down releases lower back tension," Iida-Klein explains. "And when she's lying over my feet, I can massage her neck," he adds with a grin.