Have you ever watched through the window to a Yin yoga class and thought, ‘pffffttt, they’re just lying there, I can do that at home, I want something challenging’?
You should definitely reconsider as Yin is one very challenging style of yoga, for both the body and mind.
Yin is the passive female principle of the universe associated with reflective, cold, wet, soft, dark and earth. Yin yoga was developed to enter deep connective tissue between the muscles and fascia in order to expand flexibility and also stimulate energy so that blockages can be released and there is an increase in energy flow around the body. Along with increasing flexibility it encourages a feeling of release and letting go, a place to surrender. Yin is all about relaxation, meditation, deep stretches and patience.
This style of yoga focuses on static movement, pranayama (breathwork) and meditation in order to bring you deep within yourself and create a rewarding practice. Static stretching assists in increasing range of motion. If you are tight due to repetitive movement from sport such as running or cycling, or your job means that you are sat in the same position for 8 hours, Yin yoga will help to stretch out. It is a wonderful way to learn the basics of stilling the mind and being present. The main differences between Yin and other forms of yoga is that there is a strong focus and encouragement to not use your muscles. All parts of the body should be completely relaxed in order to get into the deep stuff.
The idea is to stay in each pose long enough to encourage the body’s connective tissue, particularly around the joints to stretch. Postures can be held anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes in order to achieve this. When held at such a length, an ‘easy’ pose can become something incredibly challenging. The poses and the way in which they are held can really release strong sensations in the body. We store our feelings, memories and emotions in different areas of the body. Anxieties and tension linger in cells that are stored deep in our tissues. Yin yoga poses open up areas of the body that may have been untouched for a while and can resurface these deep memories and emotions. It can be feel extremely challenging in the moment and can lead to various reactions such as frustration, anger, tears and sadness however afterwards you will feel lighter, a sense of letting go, a full heart and a clearer mind.
This style of yoga focuses on static movement, pranayama (breathwork) and meditation in order to bring you deep within yourself and create a rewarding practice. Static stretching assists in increasing range of motion. If you are tight due to repetitive movement from sport such as running or cycling, or your job means that you are sat in the same position for 8 hours, Yin yoga will help to stretch out. It is a wonderful way to learn the basics of stilling the mind and being present. The main differences between Yin and other forms of yoga is that there is a strong focus and encouragement to not use your muscles. All parts of the body should be completely relaxed in order to get into the deep stuff !!
If you are tired, hungry for energy or overstimulated with a racing mind this could be the answer.