If you’ve ever wanted to float in the air, Mindy Cochran can make it happen.

Her new aerial arts and fitness studio, Levitation Nation Aerial Studio, is quite literally helping her clients climb to new heights.

“The valley was obviously ready for this kind of studio, because I’ve had a great response so far,” Cochran said. “It’s been amazing to see the turnout and people are loving the classes.”

The different aerial classes are designed as “alternate fitness” classes that help students build strength throughout their whole body and learn new skills.  

Cochran opened the Kalispell studio in early February to unbelievable results.

“I had this business plan based on getting six students my first month,” Cochran said with a laugh. “But I actually have 70 at this time.”

Her pole fitness class filled up the first day the class was open online. Cochran, surprised, opened a second class, which filled up just as quickly.

Levitation Nation offers three types of classes — aerial hoop, pole fitness and aerial yoga. Cochran teaches hoop and pole classes, while a former student, Larissa Fischer, teaches aerial yoga.

The hoop and pole classes sound just like their names, with students learning to contort their body around a suspended hoop or vertical pole, which helps to build coordination, upper body and core strength. Aerial yoga requires a suspended silk hammock that is used as a prop to elongate stretches and positions seen in regular, grounded yoga.

Regardless of the physical descriptions, Cochran maintains anyone can participate in classes at the aerial studio. Each class is geared toward beginners, and Cochran takes her students through each process step by step until students are able to master poses and tricks on their own.

“It’s a shame that someone would stay away from something so fun because they’re scared that they’re not in shape,” she said. “I guarantee there are already women in here with the same fitness level as you, and they’re getting stronger every day.”

Cochran has a way of bringing even the shyest woman out of her shell and encouraging her students throughout the trials and successes of each lesson.

Eight women enter the studio, silently awaiting their first class, and within minutes Cochran has them up, dancing to warm up, and laughing together. When one woman is able to complete a trick or overcome an obstacle, the rest of the class applauds and compliments her. There is no competition, only women supporting one another.

“That’s one of my favorite parts, to see the friendships that form, or to watch students support one another,” Cochran said.

Throughout the years Cochran has dealt with the old-fashioned stigma that pole fitness is too close to provocative pole dancing. While the two activities use the same prop, the goal of pole fitness is to increase strength and flexibility while creating art, Cochran said.

“It can be fun to walk that line, but we stay clean and stay artistic,” she said. “It’s more about making beautiful shapes while building strength.”

Cochran’s interest in aerial fitness began several years ago when she learned about aerial silks from a women who lived in the valley. The other woman moved away shortly after the two met, but Cochran was hooked.

She took aerial silk classes whenever she traveled, and even learned from members of the Cirque du Soleil aerial circus in Las Vegas. She received her group fitness teaching certification so she could begin to teach aerial silks at Flathead Gymnastics Academy. In recent years she has introduced aerial silks as a class through Flathead Valley Community College, and pole fitness at local gyms.

Cochran taught herself to use a hoop when she and Fischer began performing together at local events. Aerial silks require 30 or 40 feet of space and are difficult to perform indoors, so the duo bought a hoop to use at venues such as Casey’s in Whitefish, Picnic in the Parks and Thursdayfest.

Cochran will continue to teach aerial silks at Flathead Gymnastics Academy. Dance Nation, the dance fitness class Cochran developed and taught at Flathead Health and Fitness, will have a new instructor, Tiffany Story. Both classes also fall under the Levitation Nation brand.

Cochran plans to add more classes to the schedule in March and will introduce partner yoga and beginner yoga classes. In the future she hopes to add more pole fitness classes due to popular demand but will need a second teacher to assist, to prevent over-working her body.

“This is fun for me, and fun for everyone in the classes, so I’m going to keep expanding wherever I can,” Cochran said. “This isn’t work for me, it’s just really, really fun.”

For more information on classes, or to register, visit www.levitationnation.org, or call 249-7240.

Reporter Brianna Loper may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at bloper@dailyinterlake.com.