Yin Yoga.

 At the heart of Chinese teachings lies this principle of polarity, Yin and Yang are opposing forces which depend on one another in order to create harmony and balance. Yin is cool, its dark, masculine, calm. Yang is vibrant, heat, feminine and active. The idea is never to be completely one or the other but to find this graceful dance between the two, knowing both Yin and Yang.

Introduction to Yin Yoga

Yin yoga is a practice of paying attention, a process of unfolding, an opportunity to embody the spirit of slowing down. In a time where ‘being busy’ has become an everyday mantra, stillness has never been so important. In stillness, we replenish, allowing the energy to pour back in, restoring, resetting as we bathe in the spaciousness of our own being.

There are a few factors which make Yin Yoga a unique practice. In Yin yoga, we hold a pose for much longer than in a movement based practice. A pose can be held from anywhere between 2 and 10 minutes. We aim for about 60% of our body’s full range of motion, this allows there to be space to soften and room to release. The poses tend to be pretty close to the ground, the more surface area we have on the ground the less muscular effort required. The idea is to explore a feeling of effortless effort, in stillness, tension starts to fade and we offer ourself this pathway of release.

Why practice Yin?

There are many reasons why you would practice Yin yoga, here are a few.

• Hydration - Staying in the pose and relaxing the muscles, allow the connective tissue in your body to become hydrated. Think of your body as a sponge, holding the pose allows the sponge to be compressed then as we leave a pose, there’s a flush of fluid and the tissue, like a sponge will soak up the fluid, becoming hydrated which restores resilience and adaptable.

• Meditation- I feel like Yin almost tricks the mind into meditation. The sensations can be a little intense, the idea is not to be in pain but to befriend the feeling of discomfort. It can be quite soothing to feel a sensation in your body that is louder than your thoughts. As we feel this gentle tug in the tissue we fall into the feeling, pouring our awareness into the body, allowing mind to be embodied and body mindful.

• Connection to the subtle body- It is rooted in Chinese medicine that within our body we have these energetic pathways known as, meridian lines. Research suggests that these meridian channels are embedded within the connective tissue of our body. In our Yin practice these channels are used as a map to cultivate a felt sense of balance in the body. Our awareness of the channels is an invitation to become sensitised to the energy which results in an increased awareness of subtle shifts within us.

• Balance- In a culture of achievers, most of our time is spent ‘doing’. Yin yoga is the perfect antidote to modern life. In stillness, we feel movement (yang) patiently waiting in the periphery. Stillness is the nourishment that we need to move. Movement, equally as important, too mush stillness and we become stagnant, dry and rigid. Movement is the tonic which brings life and colour to stillness.