Lauren Kehl Aerial Fitness

Understanding the WHY of aerial

Lauren Kehl is a Seattle-based aerial coach, Pilates instructor, and GYROTONIC® trainer known for her technical expertise and innovative approach to coaching. She began her aerial training in 2008 and has been coaching for over 15 years, dedicating her career to refining technique and advancing coaching methodologies. As a curriculum developer and co-leader of the teacher training program at Versatile Arts, Lauren specializes in mentoring other coaches, helping them build a strong foundation in biomechanics, progressions, and student-centered teaching strategies. She has developed Movement First Aerial, her own methodology that focuses on understanding foundational movement patterns to create strength, efficiency, and artistry in the air. Lauren works with students of every level, tailoring her teaching to meet individual needs while fostering growth and confidence. Her approach blends aerial arts with Pilates and The GYROTONIC® Method, creating a holistic foundation for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Her work is a trusted resource for aerial instructors and students alike, providing tools to deepen technical understanding and refine their practice. Learn more about Lauren and her resources at laurenkehl.com.

A better bent arm hang

Hey Reader, The bent arm hang, or lock off, is an important position for aerial. It’s the second strongest and most efficient hanging position we have (the first is a straight arm hang), it’s the top of a pull up, and it’s the position you should start a bent arm inversion from. In this position, the elbows are bent with the upper arm next to the body, at the seam of your t-shirt. There are three main muscle groups that are working in this position: the lats, the pecs, and the biceps. The...

2 days ago • 1 min read

Two things...

Hey Reader, I have two things that I wanted to share with you today. The first is that I was on a podcast! Two students from the studio I teach at have started a podcast to both talk about their experiences as students, and talk to various professionals that they know. I was honored to be invited on, and we had a great chat about my personal experiences coming up as an aerialist and coach, how I arrived at my approach to teaching, and other assorted topics. It definitely gets a little...

17 days ago • 1 min read

Let's get nerdy: Pathways edition

Hey Reader, I often talk about how pathways in aerial show up over and over. But maybe I don’t always explain what I mean. So let's talk about a pathway I call “rolling over/keying over”. To introduce this pathway, I use a floor exercise adapted from Bartenieff fundamentals. It is important to note that we’re going to do this with the LEAST amount of effort possible. Aerialists, I’ve met you. I know you’re going to try to turn this into an ab exercise or some sort of drill. DON’T DO THAT. Lie...

19 days ago • 2 min read

The cognitive dissonance is too much for me.

Hey Reader, I’m not going to lie, I’m really struggling right now. Running an online business means that I have to spend time online, and currently that’s a pretty challenging place to be. And not only that, I’m actively trying to sell stuff right now. FML. So, in-between my doom scrolling, shock and horror over the latest terrifying thing said by a politician who thinks me and my loved ones should be rounded up and shot, despair over a continued genocide, and a heartwarming video about a...

28 days ago • 2 min read

The Big Picture

Hey Reader, You might have noticed me talking about the new masterclass I’m offering soon, Framework for Flight. It’s a class outlining movement analysis for aerial movement, and I’ll be sharing how I use it to help me organize information mentally, and to understand the movement I see or do, to be a more effective coach. I think it is truly one of the most powerful tools I have as a coach, and one of the most important skills you can develop if you want to be a great coach. But it's also...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

Your apparatus and you

Hey Reader, A concept that I talk a lot about in my classes is “your connection to your apparatus”. Which might sound obvious because, duh, you’re on it but let’s dig in a little. Human beings are inherently unstable. That’s why we have so much movement available to us. We receive a whole lot of stability from being on the ground, and the evolution of human movement is based on the interplay of our bodies in between the ground and gravity. We are constantly using the ground to push us up into...

about 2 months ago • 2 min read

Unlock the map to better aerial coaching!

Hey Reader, Teaching aerial is more than showing tricks—it’s about understanding how the body moves in the air. And that's what my latest masterclass is all about! In Framework for Flight, you’ll explore: Foundational concepts of human movement Repeating aerial patterns How the body interacts with the apparatus This masterclass gives you the framework to see what matters most, spot patterns, and guide your students with confidence. You won’t learn every trick—but you will gain the tools to...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Do you squeeze?

Hey Reader, Here's something I've been thinking about a lot: How pre-squeezing your lats might be holding you back from your straight arm skills. I know, you’re probably wondering what the hell I’m even talking about. Let’s discuss! Pre-squeezing a muscle is when you engage, or contract, a muscle before you do an exercise that uses that muscle. For example, if you were going to do something like a glute bridge, this means you would squeeze your glutes before lifting into the bridge. This can...

2 months ago • 3 min read

What's a shrug and how do you do it?

Hey Reader, If I could name one single thing that I think there's the most confusion about in the aerial world, it's how to do a shrug. This is something that I end up talking about at basically every single studio that I've ever visited, and every student that I've ever worked with. A shrug can be a really important and powerful part of your aerial warm up! But if you're not doing it in a beneficial way, it's just something that's wasting your time without giving you a whole lot of benefit....

2 months ago • 1 min read

Need a little corgi in your life?

Hey Reader, If you don't follow me on Instagram, or if you don't use social media (no judgement, I totally get it!), then you may have missed the drama from last week. Every couple of years, I make a post about how not all bodies can tuck underneath the bar on trapeze or lyra. And every time I make this post, inevitably someone shows up to give me some "advice" on how I can do it better. And this time was no exception! It turned into a whole thing. I won't bore you with further details,...

3 months ago • 1 min read

Lauren Kehl is a Seattle-based aerial coach, Pilates instructor, and GYROTONIC® trainer known for her technical expertise and innovative approach to coaching. She began her aerial training in 2008 and has been coaching for over 15 years, dedicating her career to refining technique and advancing coaching methodologies. As a curriculum developer and co-leader of the teacher training program at Versatile Arts, Lauren specializes in mentoring other coaches, helping them build a strong foundation in biomechanics, progressions, and student-centered teaching strategies. She has developed Movement First Aerial, her own methodology that focuses on understanding foundational movement patterns to create strength, efficiency, and artistry in the air. Lauren works with students of every level, tailoring her teaching to meet individual needs while fostering growth and confidence. Her approach blends aerial arts with Pilates and The GYROTONIC® Method, creating a holistic foundation for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Her work is a trusted resource for aerial instructors and students alike, providing tools to deepen technical understanding and refine their practice. Learn more about Lauren and her resources at laurenkehl.com.