There is no denying that yoga has exploded into the west in recent years. One of the more recent styles of yoga to step into the spotlight is Yin Yoga. Up until now, the popularity of yoga has been focused towards the more active, robust and energetic styles and classes. With day to day life already very active, often stressful and always on-the-go, it makes sense that Yin Yoga has now stepped up to the yogi plate, offering the opportunity to enjoy a more relaxed, rejuvenating, grounding practice that has tremendous benefits for body, mind and soul.
Yin Yoga is suitable for everyone, with benefits ranging from lowering stress levels, to balancing hormones, to promoting self-care, self-love and a deeper connection and appreciation for oneself.
The concept of Yin Yoga has been around for thousands of years and some of the oldest yogic texts note only sixteen postures, which is far less than the hundreds of postures practiced in a yoga class today. In addition, these original postures were quite yin-like in style, designed to help promote meditation and long periods of pranayama and sitting.
Yin yoga is a simple, quiet practice, but make no mistake, it is not always an easy or comfortable one! Yin Yoga has the power to take you beyond your regular comfort zone, however, this is where much of the benefit and magic lies.
So What is Yin Yoga?
Yin Yoga is a slow-paced, therapeutic style of yoga. Yin postures are more passive postures, mainly done on the floor either seated or lying down. There are no sun salutations, no planks, no warriors, no jump throughs! There is in fact no dynamic movement and usually no standing poses at all. Yin Yoga is unique in that you are asked to relax into the posture, allowing the body to soften and release naturally without pushing or straining. It is not uncommon for postures to be held for three to five minutes, even 10 minutes at a time. The time spent in these postures is much like time spent in meditation, as the mind shifts from yang to yin, or from active to passive.
The key to practicing Yin Yoga is finding stillness in each position. The goal is to access the deeper tissues of the body, such as connective tissue and fascia, and many of the postures focus on areas that encompass a joint such as the hips, sacrum, spine.
The term “yin yoga” comes from the Taoist tradition. While yang relates to movement and creating heat in the body. Yin is about finding stillness and cooling the body. We need both the yin and the yang to find balance and stay in optimal health throughout every stage of our lifespan.
How Does Yin Yoga Work on a Physical Level?
On the surface, the yin practice might appear rather uneventful. But if you are able to tune in, you will encounter some pretty fascinating events occurring in the layers beneath the skin. Fascia is key to understanding the benefits of Yin Yoga. The muscles of the human body are encased in fascia, which is a continuous web of tissue that weaves in and around not only our muscles but also our organs, nerves and lymph. To keep fascia healthy and springy, we need to keep it hydrated and we need to subject it to gentle pressure.
Fascia is the framework of our form. It’s a structure that organises us into a shape that functions and moves through life. Ageing and lifestyle choices can cause the fascia to become dehydrated, stiff and weak. Yin Yoga has the ability to change this connective tissue, promote relaxation and restore fascial fluidity. Your fascia requires at least 120 seconds of continued pressure to exhibit change. Opening your fascia through Yin Yoga boosts your range of motion and flexibility, while also helping to strengthen your muscles and maintain their length. This helps improve blood circulation to muscle and connective tissues and enhance lymph movement.
How Does Yin Yoga Work on an Emotional and Mental Level?
While Yin Yoga is amazing for the physical body, many of its greatest benefits stem from its remarkable effects on the mind and emotions. The practice allows the body to drop down into the parasympathetic nervous system, offering a grounding, calming and revitalising practice, with profound energetic and emotional effects.
While holding the Yin poses, you are asked to observe the breath and use this as a way to focus on the present moment, allowing thoughts and feelings to arise but to let them go rather than attach to them. Here, the consistent chatter of the mind can fade away, opening a space to simply be. To practice Yin is to relinquish control, which is a novel and therapeutic concept in our modern-day lives. This in and of itself is one of the hardest parts of Yin Yoga for many people- to stop, slow down and simply be with themselves without distraction. The long periods of time in (mildly) uncomfortable positions asks you to learn to accept what is in that given moment. The lessons of Yin are gentle, and yet, profound all at once.
Some Benefits of Yin Yoga
Improved Sleep - Yin energy is yang energy’s counterpart. Disrupted sleep often occurs when the body and mind are experiencing an imbalance of these two forces. Yin invites the body to let go of held stress and tension in both the physical body and the mind. If you spend most of your day in a more yang, or active, state, a Yin practice can help to ground your energy and promote more rejuvenating rest.
Increased Circulation - As mentioned above, Yin Yoga targets the thick connective tissue known as the fascia . Fascia connects the body’s muscles and when fascia stiffens, it limits healthy blood flow. A regular Yin practice can help release stiffness in this important tissue which improves circulation in the body.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety - In our modern fast paced world it seems that we all struggle with some form of stress or anxiety. Yin Yoga is a particularly calming practice and helps soothe the nervous energy that so many of us battle with daily. A Yin class is the perfect way to find space, to slow your mind down, and to be guided deeper into your practice. Surrender is a common theme in Yin Yoga, and combined with the slow movements and focus on the breath, Yin is a terrific way to help lessen stress and anxiety both physically and emotionally.
Increases Flexibility and Rand of Motion - Yin yoga stretches and targets both the deep connective tissues between the muscles, and the fascia throughout the body. The aim is to increase circulation in the joints and improve flexibility. Injury, habitual posture in daily life, and aging, among other factors can bind our connective tissues together, restricting that movement. This blocks the flow of nutrients and energy through the body, causing pain and limiting mobility. Holding poses that gently lengthen the muscles and fascia helps shift these blockages, and applying mild stress to joints and connective tissues can increase their range of motion.
As you can see, Yin Yoga is a wonderful practice that is particularly healing with its unique focus on slowing down and cultivating self-care. Often, Yin Yoga is particularly good for those who think they don’t have time or don’t need it! It is a wonderful practice for A-Type personalities, Vata Ayurveda types, anyone suffering from stress, anxiety or depression, and anyone looking to improve flexibility, still the mind, and find a way to step out of the daily grind into a place of tranquillity.
Original Article – Escape Haven