WHAT IS YIN YOGA:
Yin Yoga contains the ancient, and some say original, form of asana practice. The sages who pioneered the path of yoga used asanas to strengthen the body, so that they could sit for long periods in contemplative meditation. If you have ever sat for a long time with legs crossed, you know the hips and lower back need to be strong and open. The sensations you felt were deep in the connective tissues and the joints. These are the deep yin tissues of the body, relative to the more superficial yang tissues of muscles and skin. Yin Yoga opens up these deep, dense, rarely touched areas. Recently Yin Yoga has been "re-discovered", and more and more students of yoga are adding this challenging form of practice to their regular sadhana. Years of a dedicated asana practice will make anyone healthier, stronger, and more flexible, but at some point the muscles will have reached their limit of flexibility. New depths in postures, deeper ranges of motion, or an increased flow of energy may only be achievable by focusing on the deeper tissues of the body. This is why so many students are finding Yin Yoga to be the perfect compliment and balance to their more active, yang practices. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika tells us"Success comes to him who is engaged in the practice. How can one get success without practice; for by merely reading books on yoga, one can never get success." [I-67].Swami Swatmarama, the fourteenth-century sage who wrote the Hatha Yoga Pradipika [1] might well add today 'or by reading a web page'. Still for many people a book or a web page may be their only means to learn a yoga practice. And so our journey down the Yin River reveals to us some guidance for the practice of Yin Yoga.We will begin by looking at how to practice Yin Yoga, and then proceed to describe the postures (also called "asanas" or poses) most commonly used in the practice. There are not nearly as many asanas required in the yin style of yoga as are found in the more active practices. There are perhaps three dozen postures at most (excluding variations). The yin areas of the body generally targeted in the practice are between the knees and navel, the lower body. Since the poses are held longer, there are fewer poses that one can even attempt in one session, compared to the yang styles of yoga where one pose may be held for as little as five breaths. We will discover the most common poses and see them in detail, including their variations, options, and some contraindications.
[2] After viewing the most common asanas we will discover several flows; a flow is simply a linking together of asanas in a logical sequence. These flows have been created with a central theme or purpose in mind. Just as the asanas presented will not exhaust the possible poses one can do in Yin Yoga, the flows will be even less exhaustive. [3] The last section on practice will concern the moving of energy. Suggestions will be offered on various movements, breathing patterns, and meditations designed to affect and stimulate the flow of energy (Chi or prana) in the body.
The Three Tattvas of Yin Yoga
[2] After viewing the most common asanas we will discover several flows; a flow is simply a linking together of asanas in a logical sequence. These flows have been created with a central theme or purpose in mind. Just as the asanas presented will not exhaust the possible poses one can do in Yin Yoga, the flows will be even less exhaustive. [3] The last section on practice will concern the moving of energy. Suggestions will be offered on various movements, breathing patterns, and meditations designed to affect and stimulate the flow of energy (Chi or prana) in the body.
The Three Tattvas of Yin Yoga
PracticeA tattva is the reality of a thing, or its category or principal nature. Sarah Powers offers us three very simple and very effective principles for the yin practice.
Come into the pose to an appropriate depth
Resolve to remain still
Hold the pose for time
Remembering these three principles as you practice will simplify everything. We will look at each step of how to practice in more detail in a moment. Knowing when to practice is a different matter.
We could do our yin practice
When our muscles are cool (so they don't steal the stretch away from the deeper tissues)
To see a graphical demonstration of the difference between cold muscles and warm muscles visit this page
Early in the morning (when the muscles are more likely to be cool)
Last thing at night (to calm the mind before sleep)
Before an active yang practice (again, before the muscles become too warmed up)
In the spring or summer (to balance a natural yang time of year)
When life has become very hectic (to balance the yang energies in our lives)
After a long trip (traveling is very yang, even if we are sitting down a lot during the trip)
During your moon cycle (to conserve energies)
Yin Yoga deliberately targets the deeper connective tissues. To be most effective we want the muscles to be relaxed. If the muscles are warm and active they will tend to absorb most of the tension of the stretch. When we do our Yin Yoga practice early in the morning, the muscles have not yet woken up; this is why we feel so stiff when we first wake up. In the same way, doing our yin practice before an active yang practice allows the stretching to settle deeper into our tissues. By the end of the day our muscles have been warmed up and are at their longest. The physical benefits of a yin practice will be fewer at this time; however, the psychological benefits may be greater. The daytime is yang. A yin practice, before going to sleep, may balance this energy. Similarly the spring and summer are yang times of year. When life is busy, when we spend many hours traveling, these are all yang times of our life. Balance is achieved when we cultivate yin energies. During a woman's menstrual period she may naturally find a yin practice beneficial.On the other side of the coin, a yin practice is not recommended when we have already been very placid. After sitting at a desk for eight hours in the dead of a dull winter's day, a more active practice may create balance much better than a yin practice. Listening to your inner guide may give you the best answer to the question: is this a time for yin or yang?
Come into the pose to an appropriate depth
Resolve to remain still
Hold the pose for time
Remembering these three principles as you practice will simplify everything. We will look at each step of how to practice in more detail in a moment. Knowing when to practice is a different matter.
We could do our yin practice
When our muscles are cool (so they don't steal the stretch away from the deeper tissues)
To see a graphical demonstration of the difference between cold muscles and warm muscles visit this page
Early in the morning (when the muscles are more likely to be cool)
Last thing at night (to calm the mind before sleep)
Before an active yang practice (again, before the muscles become too warmed up)
In the spring or summer (to balance a natural yang time of year)
When life has become very hectic (to balance the yang energies in our lives)
After a long trip (traveling is very yang, even if we are sitting down a lot during the trip)
During your moon cycle (to conserve energies)
Yin Yoga deliberately targets the deeper connective tissues. To be most effective we want the muscles to be relaxed. If the muscles are warm and active they will tend to absorb most of the tension of the stretch. When we do our Yin Yoga practice early in the morning, the muscles have not yet woken up; this is why we feel so stiff when we first wake up. In the same way, doing our yin practice before an active yang practice allows the stretching to settle deeper into our tissues. By the end of the day our muscles have been warmed up and are at their longest. The physical benefits of a yin practice will be fewer at this time; however, the psychological benefits may be greater. The daytime is yang. A yin practice, before going to sleep, may balance this energy. Similarly the spring and summer are yang times of year. When life is busy, when we spend many hours traveling, these are all yang times of our life. Balance is achieved when we cultivate yin energies. During a woman's menstrual period she may naturally find a yin practice beneficial.On the other side of the coin, a yin practice is not recommended when we have already been very placid. After sitting at a desk for eight hours in the dead of a dull winter's day, a more active practice may create balance much better than a yin practice. Listening to your inner guide may give you the best answer to the question: is this a time for yin or yang?
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