Do you struggle to slow down? Is your work fast paced? Is your exercise fast paced and adrenalin filled? Maybe you have a yoga practice but its all about breaking a sweat, achieving those arm balances and maybe the idea of a slow and deep stretching pose sounds awful.. it could be time for some Yin!

Yin Yoga was originally founded by the martial arts expert Paulie Zink. Other major influencers of the practice have been teachers Sarah Powers and Bernie Clark. In Yin Yoga we look at the belief held in Chinese medicine of Yin and Yang and the body needing to find balance. Activities such as running, cycling or power yoga, would be considered Yang activities, they produce heat and are fast moving. But your work and your lifestyle can also be considered to have Yang energy, someone working in a highly corporate or sales environment could be considered very Yang.

Chinese medicine and philosophy looks at how we can balance the Yin and the Yang in our lives. Yang is feminine, cooler and will often be linked to the moon. Yin activities are more nourishing, sleep, mediation and taking baths, are considered Yin. In Chinese medicine it is believed that an imbalance of Yin or of Yang, can cause illness in the body.

Yin Yoga takes this idea ofd balancing out our Yang activities and slows yoga down, incorporating asanas (postures) that are held for a longer amount of time. This style of holding the stretches works on the tendons, fasciae and ligaments between the joints. This improves the circulation between the joints and increases our flexibility. It is quite different to a usual yoga class where the muscles will become warm through movement and then the stretches we hold, are stretching the warm muscles of the body.

Yin Yoga has become very popular as runners, cyclists and other athletes recognise the immense benefit of including this deep stretching in their routines. It also complements the faster styles of yoga and often yoga practitioners will notice an increase in their flexibility when they start to practice Yin Yoga. They are just the physical benefits, Yin teaches you to listen to your body in these deep holds, to breath through the feelings of stretching, discomfort (though never pain) and work with your own agitation.

From a personal experience, I find Yin yoga very difficult. As an enneagram 7 my busy mind wants to wander and do the next thing… but the process of breathing and staying with the stretch encourages you back to the present.

Id encourage those that want to run away from the slower yoga practices, to ask your self the question… “why do i want to run away from this?” … i wonder if slowing down is what you avoid… maybe you need it the most?

If you would like to come a try Yin Yoga, I offer individual and group classes. Please get in touch here!