Aerial Yoga Near Me in North Miami Beach: Ayama's Wednesday Hammocks

Ayama Yoga & Healing Arts has been teaching on the corner of NE 163rd Street and Biscayne Boulevard since founder Mariano Ardissone opened it in 2003, and its aerial yoga hammocks come down twice a week. The Wednesday 6:15 pm class is billed as Aerial Open Level, Beginners Welcome, and runs 60 minutes; a drop-in costs $35. For anyone searching aerial yoga near me in North Miami Beach or Aventura, this is the long-running neighborhood studio with free parking out front.

Ayama's About page tells the story plainly: Ardissone founded the studio in 2003 as a space for yoga and holistic healing arts, and more than 22 years later the work continues under its sister organization, Ayama Outreach, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on service, education and healing. That nonprofit side shows up in practical ways, including a financial aid program and an FIU student rate of $25 with ID.

The name comes from the Sanskrit root ayama, meaning to expand or extend, the same word that appears in pranayama, the yogic practice of breath control. It is a fitting name for a studio whose aerial class is mostly about lengthening the spine. Ayama also runs 200-hour and 300-hour teacher trainings, so many of the people sharing the room on a weekday evening are long-time students rather than one-off visitors.

The class description on Ayama's booking page is specific: soft fabric hammocks support the body through inversions, deep stretches and strengthening movements, and the hammock takes pressure off the joints while you work on range of motion and core strength. It is open to all levels, with options for beginners and for more experienced students, and the description promises a balance of effort and ease, ending with time to relax in supported poses.

The Wednesday class at 6:15 pm is taught by Anzhela Kolomiyets and carries the Beginners Welcome tag, so it is the one to book first. A second Aerial Open Level runs on Saturday at 11 am. In practice that means a mix of seated work in the fabric, standing balances and at least one supported inversion, with the hammock low enough that your hands or feet can reach the floor. Ayama also lists a separate Trapeze class for students who want something stronger.

The rule regulars repeat to newcomers is printed in the class notes: no jewelry at all, meaning rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets, because metal snags and tears the silk. Take everything off at home. Personal items go into cubbies inside the practice room, and the studio rents mats for $5 if you do not bring one. Wear comfortable fitted clothing that covers your underarms and the backs of your knees.

Online pre-registration is required, and Ayama does not take payment at the studio, so book through the website or app before you drive over. The cancellation window is 24 hours; a late cancel or no-show forfeits the class, though if someone on the waitlist takes your spot you are switched to an early cancel and keep it. Arrive a few minutes early, eat lightly beforehand, and stay home if you are feeling unwell, as the policies page asks.

The best first purchase is the New Student Special: six classes in two weeks for $85, which works out to about $14 a class, though the studio limits it to Miami locals. Visitors pay the $35 drop-in, which stays valid for six months. Regular class cards are $160 for five classes within five weeks and $300 for ten within ten weeks, and three-month memberships run from $110 a month for one visit a week to $300 a month for four visits.

Our honest take: skip the $70 Deluxe Drop-In unless it is a gift. It bundles a mat, towel, water or juice, an individual assessment and 10 percent off in the boutique, but in an aerial class the hammock is the main prop, so most of those extras go unused. If you live nearby, the six-class special covers both aerial classes for two weeks and leaves room for a vinyasa or restorative class.

The studio is at 2250 NE 163rd Street, Suite 3C, North Miami Beach, FL 33160, next to the Thai House II restaurant, and the booking page notes free parking. 163rd Street is the main road between Interstate 95 and Sunny Isles Beach, so if you are driving in for the 6:15 pm Wednesday class after work, give yourself a buffer to park and take off your jewelry before the door closes.

Plan B for the Wednesday class: it is the only weeknight aerial slot, so if you cannot make it, the Saturday 11 am class is usually the calmer option, with no rush-hour traffic. If both are full, RF Studios Miami at 910 West Avenue in South Beach runs aerial yoga on Monday evenings and Sunday at noon.

Thai House II next door is the easiest post-class dinner, and after an inversion class a bowl of curry tends to taste better than it should. For something outdoors, drive or ride about a mile east along 163rd Street to Oleta River State Park at 3400 NE 163rd Street, where mangrove kayak routes and mountain bike trails run along the Oleta River. Go on Saturday after the 11 am class, when you have the afternoon free.

Who you will meet in the room: neighbors from North Miami Beach and Aventura who have practiced at Ayama for years, students from FIU's Biscayne Bay campus nearby using the $25 student rate, and first-timers who saw the hammocks on Instagram and wanted a gentle way in. The atmosphere is quieter and more traditional than the newer studios in Wynwood, with the focus on breath and stretch rather than tricks.

Address: 2250 NE 163rd St #3C, North Miami Beach, FL 33160, at 163rd Street and Biscayne Boulevard. Aerial Open Level: Wednesday 6:15 pm (beginners welcome) and Saturday 11 am, 60 minutes each. Drop-in: $35. New Student Special: six classes in two weeks for $85, Miami locals only. Pre-register online, cancel 24 hours ahead, remove all jewelry, and use the free parking lot.

Best for: beginners who want a patient teacher, people recovering from back stiffness who like the decompression of hanging inversions, and anyone who prefers a long-established, non-trendy studio. Less suited to: people hoping for acrobatic drops or high silks, since the fabric stays low and the class stays yoga-based. Use the Karpo APP to pick a dinner spot or a park walk near Biscayne Boulevard after class.