Yin Yoga

What is Yin Yoga?

If you peeked through the window of a Yin class, you’d be forgiven for thinking that not a whole lot is going on, there are no; planks, warrior poses, core work or sun salutations. The postures are mainly lying or seated and are held for 3 to 6 minutes. Despite this illusion, there is a lot going on both physically but also for the mind.

The science bit

Fascia encases not only our muscles but also our lymph, organs and nerves. To keep the fascia healthy, we need to keep it hydrated and to put it under gentle pressure for a longer period, this is where Yin Yoga serves its purpose.

In Yin Yoga, you are working the fascia and connective tissue, the fascia needs to be kept healthy to maintain mobility and strength, this is important not only for any sports performance but it’s also important to maintain out mobility and strength as we age.

Why should I bother, I do plenty of exercise and flowing yoga classes?

If you are a runner, cyclist or take part in any other sporting activities or dynamic yoga, these are all Yang activities involving repetitive movements, working the muscles and creating heat within the body. Yin Yoga is the antidote to this, a means of slowing down, working the fascia and cooling the body.

The mind part

Yin Yoga is great for those who feel distracted by ‘mind chatter’ (don’t we all)! Constantly being on call from the demands of; work, family, emails, texts or social media can leave you feeling burnt-out, overloaded and trapped in the speed of life. Yin Yoga gives you time to slow down and just ‘be’. The mind chatter is turned down a notch in a Yin class.

Teachers perspective

As a lover of sport and anything adrenaline fuelled and active, Yin Yoga has given me an alternative pathway to meditation. In a world that views being busy, achieving and being exhausted as accolades. Sometimes it’s just not that easy to step away, to slow down, to sit still on a cushion and to meditate. I see Yin Yoga as a stepping stone between being active and seated meditation. Yin yoga allows me to focus on the sensations in the body whilst in a pose, this helps to take me out of my chattering mind and back into the body. I’ve used Yin Yoga whilst on meditation retreats, when sitting still for long periods has caused me physical pain. It is my own experience of using Yin to slow me down that has led me to teach it to others. Try it and see. You may just fall in love with Yin as I have.

Lindsay xx