What is yin yoga?
Yin yoga has the same objective or goal as any other yoga practice, to increase mind-body awareness, increasing consciousness, but it is softer and slower paced that the likes of a vinyasa practice. Yin yoga directs the stimulation created in our bodies deeper than the muscular tissues (or yang tissues). Yin targets the connective tissues (or yin tissues), such as the ligaments, fascia, bones and joints of the body. That is not to mention the many energetic body benefits of a yin yoga practice.
Isn’t it dangerous to exercise our joints?
Since we are not moving in a rhythmic, dynamic way when we practice yin like we do in a vinyasa class, it is not dangerous! If we want to maintain our joints flexibility, we need to exercise them. But not in the same way that we exercise our muscles… we exercise joints in a yin way. We moderately stress the tissues by moving slowly and holding the poses for a longer duration of time, so that when we release the posture, the tissues become more elastic and durable!
That sounds a bit boring to you?
Yin yoga is simple to look at, but not easy. It’s actually very challenging! Yin is not the same as restorative yoga, so ideally we don’t rely on props. Yin yoga poses will stress the target area to reach the deep layers of connected tissue. The challenging part of yin practice is to find your edge in the pose, be still in that edge, and hold it for some time. It may feel uncomfortable to be in stillness with yourself but this is a great challenge for us in our very ‘yang’ world.
So which is better, yin or vinyasa?
Neither! Yin and yang are two energies of the same essence. They are descriptive terms that describe all levels of phenomena. Yin is stable, unmoving, hidden. Yang is changing, moving, revealing. Harmony is created when the contrasting aspects are in balance. In this case, vinyasa is a yang practice (rhythmic, dynamic) so yin yoga (yielding, still) is the perfect compliment. Ideally we practice both to enhance our mind-body vitality and integrity.
Energetically, we are trying to balance the Chi in our body. What is Chi?
The essential essence of all life is called Chi. It is synonymous with the term prana in Sanskrit, which you have probably heard in your yoga class. Chi is often translated as “energy”, “breath”, “vital essence”, or “the activating energy of the universe”. Chi moves through energy channels in the body called meridians. In our yin practice, we target specific meridians to stimulate the production and flow of Chi energy. We want to coax the chi into particular pathways, giving the targeted organs a refined energy. This takes some time and patience, hence why we hold the poses for longer!
Want to know more about practicing yin yoga? Get in touch!