What is Yin Yoga?

Yin yoga is a slow, passive, deep and introspective floor base yoga practice.

Unlike the general active, moving, fast and dynamic yang yoga. A yin yoga class consists of fewer postures, and the postures are held longer, anything from 2 minutes to 10 minutes, sometimes can be longer, depending on the level of experience of the practice.

There are three principal in yin postures:

Yin yoga (passive) practices focus on compressing and stretching the yin tissues. Yin tissues are the ligaments, tendons, joints site, bones and fascia, also known as the connective tissue. Yin tissues are closer to the core of the body, hidden, deep, dense, cool, tough and hard, they can not be exercise in the same way as the yang practice (active), they need time, the slow sustain pressures, with static stretch allows one to gain space, lengthen, lubricate and to rehydrate for more mobility and flexibility.

The longer held in yin yoga practice asks and invites one to connect with the physical body, to be mindful, to feel deeply, paying close attention to the change and release from within, physically, mentally and emotionally. The physical discomfort that may arise or the mental distractions are the very challenging aspect of yin practice, and it is very much using this opportunity to cultivate a non-defensive attitude to the feelings and sensations, instead, instilling calm and receptivity, employing ease and mindfulness in the practice to ride through the challenges, responding instead of reacting, allowing instead of resisting the change.

Breath can be the vehicle to calm and stillness, the rise and fall of the breath brings one into a state of consciousness, one can also use the breath to bring energy to the place of discomfort, with time given, mindfulness and breath awareness deep in the body, one begins to learn and understand on where and how the body and mind hold tensions, an opportunity for self-study. Where the mind goes, energy goes.

Whenever we work with our body, we are also working with our energy. Energy is Chi or Prana. As we understand, yin yoga practice target the deeper tissues of the body, this has a direct effect on the flow of prana or chi. Prana or chi circulates through out the body in channels or energy line. In yoga, they are referred to as the Nadis and Meridian in traditional Chinese medicine. These lines of energy, the meridians, flow through the organs and tissues of the body, stimulating, invigorating, cleansing, coaxing chi to flow in the subtle body, rejuvenating our well being.