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.

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...

15 days 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...

17 days 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...

18 days 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...

about 1 month 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....

about 1 month 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,...

2 months ago • 1 min read

Let's talk about pull-ups!

Hey Reader, So, here's a trick you can use: If you have a question about how stuff works, especially if it's related to body stuff that I've been talking about, just ask me and I'll probably make a tutorial to answer! That's why I made this! It's all about how to initiate a pull-up, and how it relates to "scap wrap". Take a look and let me know what you think! Love, Lauren PS: If you want to get even nerdier about shoulders, there's still time to sign up for The Shoulder Connection lecture...

2 months ago • 1 min read

I've got something for you!

Hey Reader, A few weeks ago, I was part of The Revival Aerial Training Summit. You might have noticed me talking about it, or seen some of my emails. In the summit, I shared a talk called The Shoulder Connection, where I talked about the little thing that I see missing in almost all my students and clients when it comes to shoulder engagement. And how making this connection is going to make everything, including your beats, spins, and handstands, better. And then, I had a video for people...

2 months ago • 1 min read

Coming back to hard skills

Hey Reader, Some amount of years ago, I decided that I wasn’t working on hard skills anymore. I don’t remember exactly when, or if there was even a conscious moment when I made the decision. It was a gradual process, built on burn out, over training, and teaching more than I could really manage. My body hurt. Training big skills didn’t feel productive, it felt like I was banging my head against the wall over and over. Like I was trying and trying but stuck running in place. And so I let it...

3 months ago • 4 min read

Whats up, East Coast?!?

Hey Reader, I've got some upcoming travel plans that I'm really excited about, and I wanted to make sure to get the word out about them. This June, I'm going to be heading to the East Coast to do some teaching and I'm really excited about it! I'll be starting in Washington DC! June 19-22 is C4 weekend at Monarca In Flight, and I'm stoked to be offering a variety of workshops there. I'll also be available for private lessons. There are a bunch of other fantastic coaches coming, so if you're in...

5 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.