My regulars will know that I’ll often weave some yin yoga into our weekly classes. Particularly if we’re doing a dynamic flow or some more heating postures, in the last 20-30 minutes of the session, we’ll transition to some deeper and slower floor-based poses, which signals our move from ‘yang’ to ‘yin’ and helps us to assimilate what’s come before.
A yin yoga practice usually starts with me dimming the lights and prompting the class to put jumpers and socks on. We’ll then arrange ourselves into a variation of a pose that we can/will try to hold for 2-5 minutes. I’ll offer various props such as blocks and bolster, or rolled up blankets, to help support us in these poses. This, in turn, encourages the muscles to relax, allowing us to hold the pose for a sustained amount of time, practice our mindfulness and get a deeper stretch. In the colder months, our muscles tend to stiffen, and I’ll also encourage students to bring blankets to class anyway, so it’s an ideal time to introduce some yin!
But what are the benefits of yin yoga, and why is it one of my favourite types of yoga to practice and teach?
It teaches you to trust your body. Creating a symbiotic relationship with your own body helps avoid overstretching, overloading and bad posture. When you practice yin, you work with your body to seek out its limit/deepest expression of each pose and then gradually soften into the shape. This observation process builds that connection and trust…
It teaches you to trust your mind. Many of us are terrified to stop doing things as we’re afraid our mind will catch up with us. We’re genuinely scared of the thoughts in our head so we keep busy. Yin encourages us to be still and observe the fluctuations of the mind, instead of identifying with and thus resisting the more difficult thoughts and feelings that arise! (This aspect is something I delve into more on my retreats, as I’m fascinated with human behaviour and how we cause so much of our own suffering through our reluctance to reflect on and scrutinise our own habitual thoughts and behaviours…)
Yin builds resilience! When we push ourselves to stay for the full amount of time in our practice, we are building our ability to withstand pressure, and sit with physical and mental discomfort. An essential skill to hone in life!
It improves flexibility. When we hold stretches for 2 mins +, the muscles soften and we can then begin to stretch and release the connective tissue surrounding the joints and bones which helps increases our range of motion, and over time, our suppleness and flexibility. The release from a longer hold in a pose can also stimulate the movement of synovial fluid, which plays an important role in lubricating and nourishing cartilage.
It helps us cultivate gratitude! When we do things that are hard or challenging, we not only feel proud of ourselves, but we appreciate the less challenging times even more!
If you’d like to know more about my classes, don’t hesitate to reach out via the website contact form or by emailing jendamaris87@gmail.com.
