Yin Yoga

Yin is something I was introduced to only fairly recently and I fell in love straight away.

If you have not come across yin before, it is a very slow meditative practice in which we hold the poses for anything between two to five minutes advanced practitioners may hold them for even longer.

This slow practice has many benefits and works in a way which takes our attention away from the muscles and focuses more on the connective tissue, the tendons and the facia which connects our whole body. Which by their nature are not well supported by the vascular systems, meaning that if they are allowed to become short and tight, they become vulnerable to damage and injuries and if they are damaged they then take a very long time to heal and may require surgical treatment. So in Yin we place gentle prolonged pressure on these tissues encourages them to soften and lengthen. It also encourages circulation and hydration, keeping them healthy and nourished.

While this is very beneficial it is only one of the gains of this practice. In Yin we slow everything down drawing the focus in wards. There is no alignment it is all about the sensations you are feeling within the body, whether they are physical, emotional or mental. This means your are not paying attention to what those around you are doing or even what you look like. There is also some research which suggests our facia in particular hold traumatic memory remembering past physical injuries and even some emotional experiences too. It is not uncommon during a Yin yoga class to feel emotions bubbling to the surface allowing us to release them. We focus on what is happening within the body. Encouraging us too spend time with ourselves, something we don’t do enough of. It makes us slow down focusing on the breath.

This for me is the real winning element of Yin. Taking that little bit of time just to listen to what our body and soul needs to tell us. Breathe Flow Relax
Kate x