Who is ready to create a little bliss from the inside out? Sometimes creating a sense of Santosha or contentment is as simple as slowing down for some self-care. Life is all about balance and Yin yoga is the perfect practice to soothe your soul, create more mobility in your joints, and balance your internal organs. This quieter style of yoga will help you feel fantastic emotionally, mentally, and physically.
If you’re new to Yin, here’s a quick description of the practice. Yin consists of three primary principles or tattvas:
One: Find your edge or appropriate depth for you in the posture.
Two: Settle into stillness.
Three: Hold the posture for time, usually one to five minutes.
Whether you’re a beginning yogi or an advanced practitioner, Yin is good for you! Because of the emphasis on taking your time to find your individual edge in each pose, you can find the appropriate intensity for how you feel on any given day.
It sounds simple, right? But often, especially if you’re accustomed to more vigorous movement, holding a yoga pose for time is challenging. When you’re working to keep your body motionless, employing Pranayama or breath control techniques becomes vital to creating a meditative state.
Breathing mindfully allows you to stay calm while the physical shapes you’re holding work their magic. Yin targets the deeper layers in the body, specifically the connective tissues––ligaments, tendons, and fascia. It takes discipline and strength to stay still in uncomfortable positions. Yin postures balance the internal organs like the kidneys and adrenal glands, stimulate circulation, and calm the nervous system. All these benefits combine to help you feel better on every level.
So whether you’re an athlete who needs to balance out intense physical training and stay in peak physical shape or a person dealing with a lot of stress at work, Yin yoga will keep your body healthy. Because of the extended holds, Yin requires you to quiet your mind and direct your attention to growing more calm and encourages a release of emotions stuck in your physical body.
Check out this week’s classes and see how awesome Yin yoga can make you feel.
Chakra Yin Flow - Claire Petretti Marti
Calming Yin + Sound Bowl Savasana Reset - Elizabeth Brumfield
Yin Yoga for Perimenopausal Women - Kylie Larson
Yin Yoga with Affirmations for Solar Plexus - Marie Castello