Yin Yoga

"Yin Yoga is simple, but simple does not mean easy"
Bernie Clark

Yin

~ a symbol in Chinese Philosophy of feminity, passivity, earth, sustainability and absorption. It’s opposite, ‘Yang’ symbolises the masculine, activity, heat and creativity.

Yin Yoga is a way to find stillness and coolness in the body. It is a pathway to surrender.

It is a slower-paced, meditative practice that targets our deepest connective tissues, bones and joints to help release the parts of our body that we ordinarily don’t use. It is a physically gentle and passive practice where poses are held for longer ~ between 3-5 minutes on the mat. Poses are always done with many props. These longer holds are the gift that give our body the space to truly relax and give our mind the time it needs to settle into a more peaceful state.

Brief History

Yin yoga is based on philosophies and ancient practices in China and Taiwan Taoist Yoga, linked to martial arts using techniques that required individuals to engage in holding stretches for long periods of time with their breath. This helped to effectively release energy blockages in the body and was taught to kung fu practitioners. These methods were established in the West around the 1970s by founder Paul Grilley, who discovered the benefits of long holds in certain positions through his training and shared them with the world.

Why practice yin yoga?

It’s a great practice to bring balance to our lives for overall wellbeing ~ whether it’s the busy day we’ve had, or the fast-paced workout we’ve done, or stress in general. Yin helps to balance it all.

We live in such a fast, paced, busy and distracted world. Our nervous systems are activated - the sympathetic nervous system, which puts us in a constant state of stress - this fight, flight or freeze mode, which wreaks havoc on our body over time.

In this day and age, we seldom give ourselves the time to simply switch off and relax. We often allow our minds to become distracted - reacting to the next thing that's come our way - whether this is a notification on your phone, a thought about the to do list, something you see or feel. We are in a constant state of reaction. Forcing ourselves to pause and slow down is a nourishing gift for yourself which has many therapeutic benefits.

It also teaches you resilience - to become comfortable with discomfort in a safe and relaxing setting, which strengthens your ability to manage daily stressors and the things that make us feel uncomfortable in our ordinary day. We learn to sit with ourselves and our thoughts, and to let them pass in the most compassionate and mindful way.

Often after a yin class, you feel your parasympathetic nervous system kick in, which allows your body to let go and fully relax into the moment, which is such a gift and treat in our busy, fast-paced world. You leave feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, more peaceful and calm. Staying in such long holds and being with our mind, body and breath.

Prerequisites - what do I need?

You don’t need any prior experience to practice yin yoga. It is a very suitable starting place for beginners. All you need is an open mind and open heart. The key theme of yin yoga is to relax into the posture.

There are contraindications with certain poses if you have any injuries, are pregnant or certain medical conditions. In these cases, it is best to seek advice from your medical practitioner and also advise your instructor before the class begins so they can modify the class or poses to suit you.

Benefits of yin yoga

  • Lengthens and strengthens connective tissues

  • Releases fascia

  • Increases mental resilience

  • Calms and balances the mind and body

  • Reducing stress and anxiety

  • Encourages deep relaxation

  • Improves flexibility and increases circulation in the body

  • Increases joint mobility

  • Stimulates meridian points which brings balance to the organs

  • Space for contemplation and stillness

What to expect in my classes

You walk in the class, it’s dimly lit - your mat and props are ready. There is relaxing, ambient music. At the start of the class, we open with an Om chant before we dive into different postures. I will safely guide you into various postures on the mat with many modifications. You will receive a number of guidelines and cues to help position yourself safely and to stay in the pose mindfully, where we will hold poses typically for about 3 to 4 minutes. There will be many spaces for silence to contemplate and connect with your breath ~ to simply observe and be present. We slowly and gently come out of the poses, pause to notice and take another breath. We finish with Savasana (corpse pose) and a sound bath. You leave feeling calm, completely relaxed and grounded. Something has shifted in your body.

Current classes

I teach occasional cover yin and mediation classes at Common Earth Studio - please visit my Instagram or Facebook page to see when I am teaching my next yin class.

If you’d like to book me for a Yin Yoga Session or a Yin and Sound Session - please contact me via the Webform.