I wanted to talk about Yin Yoga because Yin Yoga is the type of yoga that I decided to specialize in during my training to become a yoga instructor. There are 8 different styles of yoga including: Kundalini yoga, Iyengar yoga, Restorative yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Hatha yoga, Hot yoga, Vinyasa yoga, and Yin yoga.
Yin represents feminity in taoist philosophy. Yin yoga is more about letting gravity weigh the body down and putting an emphasis on our connective tissue as opposed to engaging our muscles. Because of this, Yin yoga poses often have different names than the usual yoga poses. For example, pigeon pose is called "sleeping swan pose" in Yin yoga. Yin yoga is also very slow paced. In yin yoga, poses are held from 3 - 7 minutes. Yin yoga is believed to improve and remove blocked chi (or energy) through the body. Yin yoga also helps to release trauma from the body, decreases stress, helps relieve anxiety, plus more.
Most Yin yoga poses are done from the hips and below. Yin yoga also puts an emphasis on the mental and energetic body. A few physical benefits of Yin yoga include: helps with joint health, slows down the aging process, balances yang energy, improves range of motion in joints, improves circulation, connects the physical, mental, and emotional bodies. A few emotional benefits of Yin yoga include: reduces stress and anxiety, builds emotional awareness, releases emotions and stagnant energy from the body, supports emotional clarity and receptivity.
Because yin yoga is more slow and feminine, warm up poses are ususally not done in Yin yoga. Yin yoga classes often use props such as a blanket, pillow, or bolster. A few Yin yoga poses include: butterfly, caterpillar, childs pose, dragon pose, dragonfly pose, half butterfly, heart bench, lung bench, melting heart, saddle, shoelace, sleeping swan, sphinx, spinal twist, square, and supported bridge.
Yin yoga also releases fascia and this is extremely important for multiple reasons. Fascia is a connective tissue that provides support for surrounding tissues, reduces tension, and supports organs, If we don't stretch on a regular basis, fascia can build up and that can be extremely uncomfortable. When we have built up fascia, it can lead to injuries, decreased range of motion, stress, pain, mood fluctuations, anxiety, and poor posture. Releasing fascia is important for: improved mobility, pain releif, relaxation, stress releif, injury prevention, and enhanced blood flow. The link between physical tension and the mental / emotional state is significant. This is why it's essential to move your body, daily.
I personally chose to specialize in Yin yoga because of it's many benefits. I do Yin yoga almost daily in my personal practice and it has truly healed me on a mental, physical, and emotional level. I love the slow pace, how the poses don't have to be perfect, how I'm able to release whatever I've been holding onto, and how it allows me to connect with myself on a deeper level.
I hope that this blog has given you some enlightenment on what Yin yoga is and how transformative it can be.
If you want to practice, feel free to check out my YouTube channel @YogaWithJae!
🌟Magic and mindfulness 👇🏽:
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