Empower your wellness
with
YIN YOGA
KNOW THAT YOGA IS A WAY TO KNOW YOURSELF ON
THE PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL LEVELS
Yin Yoga and our Chakra (or Chi)
Energy
The practice of Yin Yoga is based on ancient Taoist principles, which
posits that there are pathways of energy running through our bodies.
They call this energy ‘Chi’ or ‘Qi’. Most yogis are familiar with a similar
concept called the Chakras (energy centres) or Nadis (energy
channels).
By stretching into the deeper layers of our bodies, we are opening any
energy blockages in our bodies and allowing energy to flow freely. A
healthy flow of Chi or Chakra energy brings physical benefits (with
more blood flow to our organs), as well as mental and emotional
benefits.
Yin Yoga basic understanding
In this fast-paced world, we are conditioned to want the most, the
best… the greatest yield in the shortest time at the lowest cost, in
whatever we do. Yin yoga is not any of that, at least on the surface.
You won’t get a burn while practicing yin yoga as you would with more
dynamic styles.
This type of yoga targets deep tissues such as joints, ligaments and
fascia – the wafer-thin sheath around each of your muscles, for
example.
These connective tissues can become damaged when stressed or
injured and, as our bodies age, they become less flexible.
Yin Yoga basic understanding
Many of yin yoga’s poses (asana) focus on those tissues surrounding
your joints – in your hips, for example, and around your spine and
especially the sacrum.
You don’t have to be advanced in age or recovering from a traumatic
injury to benefit from yin yoga; in fact, practising yin yoga before you
notice any loss of flexibility would be ideal!
Also, while other types of yoga call for poses that range from standing –
as in the tree pose or sun salutation poses to floor positions such as
the lotus pose, yin yoga is all done at floor level.
Yin Yoga basic understanding
Yang yogas – the more active types of yoga, emphasise the depth of a
move but yin yoga advocates for extending the length of time each
pose is held rather than the intensity or depth of it.
You should not push yourself unduly and, if you are not yet comfortable
with that depth of movement, you should hold off going deep until
you are.
The essence of Yin Yoga
The essence of yin yoga is positioning yourself in such a way that you
are aware of the part of your body targeted by the asana but the pose
is not painful for you.
Finding the pain is not what yin yoga is about!
A defining characteristic of yin yoga is finding the line between
awareness of your body and pain at it being stressed.
Yin Yoga is great for people who…
Live constantly fast-paced lives and are over-stimulated,
Only do dynamic or “yang” types of exercises such as Ashtanga yoga,
running and other high-intensity workouts,
Are suffering from chronic joint or bone issues such as arthritis or
osteoporosis,
Are suffering from an injury (or injuries),
Simply want a deep stretch that balances your energy at the same
time.
Yin Yoga doesn’t mean….
You to cut out dynamic yoga or intense exercise, but you can balance
and reduce your stress response while increasing your calm (the
parasympathetic nervous system) through a little bit of slower yoga in
the form of Yin.
Yin Yoga is also great for helping you to prevent injuries and stay
flexible, especially if you are always doing the “yang” forms of exercise
such as dynamic yoga or high-intensity workouts.
It is a complementary yoga to all other types of yoga
Yin Yoga Benefits: Flexibility
Connective tissues including the tendons (connecting muscles to
bones) and ligaments (connecting bones with other bones) also benefit
from Yin Yoga when we maintain long, static holds. These tissues
support and stabilize the muscles and joints, but lose elasticity if they
are underused due to sedentary living, or due to ageing. Common
symptoms such as joint stiffness, aches, or limited mobility are a result
of a reduced tendon or ligament elasticity.
Overall, Yin Yoga helps to increase flexibility in the fascia, and support
the ligaments and tendons that stabilise our joints. This helps to create
space for the muscles that we use in “yang” or dynamic activities. We
will reduce the risk of injuries and also be able to enjoy a greater range
of mobility in our daily lives.
Yin Yoga Benefits: Reduce Stress
It is not uncommon to feel a great sense of calm after a Yin Yoga class.
Research has found Yin Yoga to have a significant impact on lowering
stress and anxiety, as well as reducing the risk of depression.
There is a reason for this phenomenon: Yin Yoga activates your
parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s
rest-and-digest mode. You will feel your heart rate slow down, and your
body relaxing as a result.
Yin Yoga Benefits: Boost Circulation
By holding each pose for a longer time, we are bringing more oxygen to
the muscles and organs. This helps to increase blood flow and
circulation.
Yin Yoga Benefits: Mindfulness &
Awareness
Being still in a pose and staying there creates space for suppressed
emotions and thoughts to emerge. These emotions are always there,
but they have been suppressed b the busyness in life.
Yin Yoga allows these emotions, thoughts and feelings to surface as
your mind quietens and you become more aware of yourself.
The important thing about Yin Yoga is to learn to observe the sensations
going through your body and mind, but not get caught up in them.
Allow these emotions to all come out, acknowledge them, and let them
all go with your breath.
Yin Yoga Benefits: Improve ‘Prana’
Life Force Energy
The action of observing and letting go in Yin Yoga helps clear the mind
from these unconscious emotions. It allows you to work through the
associated physical and energy blockages, and truly experience a
much-needed release in your mind, body and soul.
Specifically from an energetic perspective, different Yin Yoga poses help
to address energy blockages that exist in any of our major energy
centres or Chakras.
Yin Yoga – 5 Principles
Find your edge:
Ease into the pose, gently and slowly. Don’t try to get into the “maximum” you can. You want to push yourself to a
point where you feel a deep sensation also known as “comfortable discomfort. However, you should never stretch to
the point of pain.
Be still:
Try to release into the pose and surrender completely. Remain still both physically and mentally, and avoid fidgeting
too much.
Hold:
Hold each pose for around 1-3 minutes to start, then progress to 3-5 minutes or even longer if you feel good in it.
Breathe:
Breath is a key element of Yin Yoga because it gives you something to focus your attention on while staying still in
challenging and uncomfortable postures. Try to breathe from your diaphragm, allowing the air to fill up your belly
and ribs with each inhale. Try to make your exhales twice as long as your inhales.
Prop your poses:
For a more comfortable and restorative version of Yin Yoga, you can use props such as bolsters, blankets or blocks.
Props help to support your poses and allow you to stay still and hold without feeling too uncomfortable.
Yin Yoga basics
Yin yoga is best done with props so, if you have a block, make sure you
place it within easy reach of your mat.
If you don’t (yet) have any blocks, you may use a pillow or a folded
blanket. No need to worry; we’ll indicate when you might want to use it!
We shall start each lesson with a meditation of the breath: focus on
breathing in and out. If you are new to yin yoga, you may find that
counting your breaths will help focus your attention on them.
Yin Yoga Props
Why use props?
1. To increase stress in desired areas
2. To decrease stress in undesired
areas
3. To create length and space
4. To make certain positions accessible
5. To provide support; when the bones
feel supported, muscles can release
6. To increase comfort; stay longer in
positions
Round Yoga
Bolster
Round bolsters are excellent for placing
beneath the knees in savasana, and for
using in a wide variety of restorative
postures.
Where blocks can add height or length to
the body, bolsters are mostly used to relax
the body in the postures. Remember, the
bones don’t like to be left hanging: the
muscles will engage to support them. But
we want the muscles to relax, so a bolster
under the bones accomplishes this
Light Weight
Foam Block
perfect for sensitive joints or
Yin/Restorative yoga poses.
blocks add height or length to the body,
making more poses available and
effective
Blocks are also useful for simple
support: you can rest blocks under bent
knees in forward folds,
Yoga Strap
For more leverage and support in your
yoga practice.
classic yoga strap to aid in flexibility,
alignment, and stretching.
Straps are great for preventing
unwanted movement, and, when folded
several times, for prying open the body.
Blanket
Beyond their heat regulating properties,
blankets can be used like cushions (just
fold them up a couple of times) or like
bolsters (just roll them up into
cylinders), but they can be used as
unique foundational supports as well.
Blankets, in Yin Yoga, can also be used in
place of a regular yoga mat.
Yin Yoga – Please Remember…
Remember, in Yin Yoga the aim is to find the space just before your “edge.”
This means that you may feel a certain stress and discomfort, but you are
not in pain. If you do, slowly back away and find that space before your edge;
how far you can go to feel comfortable discomfort.
Also, in a Yin Yoga sequence, the body is to remain cool so that we can stretch
the connective tissue rather than the muscles. This is another reason to take
it slow, to keep to your edge and to remember to relax during a Yin Yoga
sequence!
