Yin yoga was designed as the counter practice to more active Hatha classes that focus on strengthening and building muscles. Yin specializes in soothing the connective tissues and quieting the mind.
Why practice yin yoga?
Primarily conducted through a variety of seating poses, Yin Yoga allows for greater hip strength, healthy stretching in the knees back, and pelvis, and accessing deep fascia tissue through lengthy pose holds. Many people associate a regular Yin Yoga practice with a self-care routine since it combines physical poses with a meditative focus, allowing the yogi to reflect on inner thoughts and tune in to what the body needs.
To develop a deeper sense of self and calm
Longer pose holds allows us to escape the pressures of daily life and focus solely on how the body feels as it stretches, deepens, and expands during the practice. By extending the time spent in poses, Yin Yoga requires us to slow down and connect the breath with our movement. Deeper breathing and cultivated awareness of the body are proven techniques for stress relief and combating anxiety. Yin yoga provides an excellent time to start building a meditative practice.
To reduces anxiety and stress
While so much of exercise is associated with intensity and rigor, yin yoga requires us to engage in stillness and remove physical blocks like stiffness and tension in the body. Along with a physical release, yin yoga makes room for handling emotional issues. Yin yoga allows feelings like stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma — feelings that may be nesting inside as we try to suppress them in our daily lives — a chance to rise and release. Yin yoga provides a chance to experience the sensation of these feelings without focusing on their histories and patterns, providing a unique way to combat mental health.
To release muscle tension and gain flexibility in the joints
Stretches performed in yin yoga give the back, arms, and legs more joint durability and a chance for the muscles to release. Through holding poses from 1-20 minutes, yin gives muscles the time it needs to fully expand, release fascia and connective tissue, and regain flexibility in the joints. Yin yoga also gives the body newfound comfort in poses that may otherwise feel stressful or uncomfortable during faster sequences. The connective tissue and muscle benefits of yin yoga make it an excellent practice for protecting the body from bone and muscle decline through aging.
To stay active and conscious of the body during pregnancy
Pregnant yogis love having an additional choice to prenatal yoga classes with yin yoga. Since yin focuses on harnessing the more passive and calming side of a yogic practice, it decreases the chance of injury or harm that a more active (or yang) practice could invoke. It also provides a space for emotional balance and reflection during the pregnancy term.
Join us on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:30am to experience Yin Yoga for yourself! Sign up for class here