URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — You’ve heard of yoga and acrobatics, but what if the two were combined? One man, originally from Urbana, was looking for a community after losing his eyesight at a young age, and that’s when he discovered acroyoga.

From west coast waves to a big city buzz, Chris Jeckel is spreading his passion far and wide with the film “Touching the Sky.”

The film has been years in the making, but now, you can get a sneak peek of his movie, all while supporting his mission at the same time.

“We try to take a closer look at what camaraderie is, how it forms and the trust that people build as they’re spinning each other through the air,” Jeckel explained.

But it goes even deeper than that. Jeckel had to learn about the importance of resilience at a very young age. At nine years old, he was hit in the head with a soccer ball, causing retinal detachment and blindness.

“My options were limited,” he explained. “I think there was a yearning to plug into a bigger team or a bigger community.”

He discovered the art while on a beach in California in 2018. From there, he deepened his passion with communities in Seattle, Chicago and around the world.

“When you take a circus grip with somebody, or you’re even balancing somebody on one foot, to me, that feels like somebody is looking right into your eyes,” Jeckel described. “That’s the closest thing I have to eye contact.”

While balancing acro, he’s also a full time lawyer, a film producer and empowering others at the same time.

“The last few months, we’ve done some great events with ‘Fighting Blindness,’ which is a really big foundation that looks into finding cures for retinal blindness,” Jeckel said.

That’s where he teaches accessible workshops for people in similar health situations as his.

“They need a reason to try,” he said. “If they see a guy who carries a stick, then maybe it’s ‘If he can do it, I can do it.'”

The film unpacks his story and others’ and will maybe even start an “acro-revolution,” getting people out of their comfort zones to try something new.

“It’s not something I ever anticipated, but it’s pretty rewarding,” Jeckel added.

In the fall, he’ll travel to England and teach acroyoga at the London Acrobatics Convention. Some will learn how to do it while blindfolded, while another workshop is for blind veterans.

A sneak peek of “Touching the Sky” is available now through June 18th. The money raised will support Jeckel and the entire filming team as they inch closer to post-production edits. You can watch and donate with this link.