Reflections

Teaching is Learning

amyh / Events, Reflections, Studios, Teachers / , , , , / 0 Comment

Last week, I started my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training certification at Live Yoga in White Rock. Dan Clement is running the course, with guest speakers (Todd Caldecott!!) leading specialised components.

Today is Day 6 of the training. I am completely blown away by the amount and depth of information there is to soak in! With every day comes a huge and boisterous variety of new theory, practical applications and teaching methods to learn and apply.

Before coming in, I had no idea about the detailed philosophical and cultural trends in yoga’s history. I didn’t know about the joints and their movements. I had never heard of the acromion process or what it meant for movement in the shoulder. I knew how lovely physical adjustments were, but not how to do them. I knew what “Downward Facing Dog” looked like, but not how beautiful it sounds in Sanskrit.

With every day compounding more and more inquiries and explorations, the trainees are voraciously taking in as much information as our muscle memory and minds can contain. It is brilliant as a teacher-in-training to have the exposure to someone as amazing as Dan. He always seems to know the answer to every question and never gets impatient with our endless queries (he is teaching public classes at Live Yoga through July – check out their online schedule!).

I am realizing with every passing hour that teaching yoga is all about learning. Yesterday, Carol Wray came in to teach us Restorative Yoga and said, of learning, “it never ends.” She proceeded to lead us through a two-hour practice, before teaching us some of the ins and outs of Restorative Yoga. While I am very excited to learn more about the different styles and how to teach them, it was simply marvellous having an afternoon of supported poses, where my body and mind could relax and feel the simple sweetness of yoga. This practice has so much to give.

Dan Clement, Source: http://www.indigoyoga.ca/

Finding Your Own Meaningful Mantra

Alison Boons / Reflections, Thoughts / , / 0 Comment

Most of us are familiar with “Aum,” or “Om” as it is referenced in the West, as not only the opening but the closing of your yoga practice. While many teachers do not use any mantra in their classes, many do and although “Aum” is the most common and the root of all mantras there are many more that you may hear or even grow to love as you embark on different lineages of yoga and different teachers.

From the Ashtanga Invocation to various Kundalini mantras that are used throughout the class, we are introduced to the idea of using mantra in our yoga classes and slowly become familiar with them. 

When finding our own personal mantra do we have to use pre-existing ones? Not necessarily, but there is certainly something to them. A mantra can be as simple as a phrase that you repeat to yourself over and over again, a reminder to yourself everyday that there is a purpose to your action. While we have the opportunity to explore and hear all of these beautiful words, we also have the opportunity to create our own, take them from our favourite songs or poems or even quotes finding whatever resonates with us.

A Mantra is clearly defined as;

A sound, syllable or group of words that is considered capable of “creating transformation.”

My Bedroom Wall

Perhaps you have come across a mantra in yoga that really speaks to you, that touches you deep to the core every time you hear it or perhaps you have created your own or even have yet to come across something that talks to you.  Personal mantra’s or affirmation are likely to progressively change as we move through our lives based on the challenges and opportunities that face us, but how do you even begin to find your “mantra?”

While not an easy task to find something that fits you and speaks to you here are some steps when considering your own personal mantra, whether you make your own or find one;

  • What Do You Want to Achieve? What is your passion, what do you want from your life? Take a look at where you are today and the challenges that are before you, what would help you get where you want to be?
  • Positive Language! Look for things that use positive language. By changing your language not only in the use of a mantra but everyday, you can change your life. Look at the difference between “I will” and “I want to.”
  • Choose a Few! Nobody said you only have to have one. Can’t decide take them all, and write them down!
  • Visualize! Post your mantra somewhere that you will see it every day, whether that’s on the bathroom mirror, or the front door. Leave yourself a constant reminder!
  • Repetition! Find ways to bring your personal mantra into your life, share it with others, make modifications that make it more suited to you.

Finding your own personal mantra can be a challenge, when there is so many to choose from. Remembering to look inside to find what really touches you, that makes you feel good, that brings a smile to your face and leads you to YOUR definition of happiness or where you want to be in your life.

One of mine;

“Everyday, think as you wake up: Today I am fortunate to have woken up. I am alive. I have a precious human life. I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself to expand my heart out to others for the benefit of all beings.” ~ 14th Dalai Lama

Do you have your own personal mantra? Please feel free to share in the comments below.

Seeing as if for First Time

amyh / Reflections, Thoughts / , , , / 2 Comments

Shrimp, when his eyes were open but still blind. He is such a cutie!

My mind is abounding with thoughts of yoga teacher training and newborn kittens. Yes, it’s true. All in the same month, I have the joyous fortune of playing with three kittens while undertaking my certification as a Yoga Teacher. Plus, the training takes place in White Rock (beach!!!) in summertime. How could the month get any better really?

I live with my sister and her husband-to-be in a house near Aldergrove. None of us had realized that a 6-month old cat could get pregnant, until she did. Although the actual birth of the kittens was something I will never forget (how slimy and amazing!), the event that most resonated with me was when they opened their eyes for the first time.

Just after their 10th day of life, the kittens’ eyes started to creak open. I had thought they would suddenly come apart, all in one day. In actual fact, it takes a few days for the closed eye slits to gradually peel apart from the sides, until the whole lid is unobstructed. My next shock was finding out that kittens with eyes recently opened, do not actually develop sight for a few days after that!

Inside their comfortable closet-hidden laundry hamper, the kittens developed full sight a few days later. Their retinas developed, pupils responsive to light, they look up at us wide-eyed and intrigued. Literally everyday, these kittens see something they have never seen before. They approach each new vision with playfulness and curiosity.

I can only hope to take some of their playful newness into my teacher training this week. How precious to approach every new day like it’s the first time you’ve seen it, to explore every new lesson with awe, to undertake adventures that you’ve never had before, to learn and live with wonder. I can’t wait for the upcoming month. It’s going to be perfect.

All three kittens, with full sight. Looking and walking around (albeit on wobbly legs).

Teaching Yoga To Athletes.

Tanya Lee Markul / Reflections / / 0 Comment

ath·lete/ˈaTHlēt/ Noun: A person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise.

Yoga can be a companion for the guys and girls that make physical fitness an integral part of their lives especially when it comes to improving things like balance, breathing, conditioning, core strength, flexibility and injury prevention. But how does the yoga mind set translate to an athlete.  

Athletes typically have trained bodies, are disciplined, self-motivated and are probably used to pushing themselves beyond their limits. And sure, these things show up on the yoga mat as well, but how does yoga (a non-performance based sport) appeal to an athlete’s competitive nature? I believe one answer is ‘focus’.

One thing that is important to translate and remind athletes of is the yogi’s ‘internal focus’. Instead of focusing or comparing our selves to others, it is important that we focus on our self. Because athletes are so used to being competitive with others and themselves, a reminder to internally focus is key and to not overly compete with our selves either.

Another area of focus is to ‘focus on the present’ and not a future goal. Athletes are used to visualizing and thinking about the ‘end’ achievement, which isn’t a horrible thing, but yoga is the practice of ‘now’. Remind athletes to bring focus back to the present breath and to be in the moment versus crossing the finish line.

Yoga can help athletes to connect to their bodies on a deeper level. Instead of living in a win-lose frame of mind, the athlete can integrate Zen-ness with their athletic-ness.

RUN’YIN TO YOGA: A GREAT WAY TO TAPER

Sarah Jamieson / Events, Reflections, Styles, Teachers, Tips, Yogis / , , / 0 Comment

In celebration of Vancouver’s upcoming running events; proper running mechanics and prevention of injury are key elements to any runner’s success. Last week we identified fascial elasticity in Yin Yoga, and the benefits aligned with the Spiral Line Meridian (one of many fascial anatomy trains).

Today we look at how Yin Yoga can be a great addition to your taper for an upcoming race. Common lower limb mechanical injuries associated with distance running (to name a few) are  ITB syndrome, knee pain, shin splints and plantar fascitis, which can usually be attributed to  a breakdown in the structural framework of a fascial meridian, most injuries are not muscular in origin.

The Spiral Line myofascial meridian is somewhat more complicated than the other fascial trains, as it forms distinct spirals of deep myofascial connections looping around the legs and torso.  This is a complex fascial meridian and has functional implications.

Focusing specifically on the lower limb mechanics and to jog your Yoga brain from last week; the spiral loop starts at the anterior hip (ASIS), which then follows the TFL muscle and ITB, connecting to the tibialis anterior (shin)  just below the lateral knee to its insertion on the base of the 1st metatarsal. Then continues up the peroneus longus (outer lower leg), to the insertion of the biceps femoris (lateral hamstring) that attaches on the head of the fibula.  It then follows the biceps femoris to its origin on the ischial tuberosity (sitting bone). 

Repetitive load bearing movements; like running can breakdown our fascia and interconnected neuro web, thus placing stress on the entire meridian line; associated joints and muscles. This can cause minor, sometimes major imbalances, that can go undetected until acute pain or discomfort manifests (ie. muscle pain, strain or tears). 

 The result?  A reduction in performance, agility, speed, endurance and power execution, to name a few.

The best way to prevent injuries from even occurring is to invest in fascial stretching and therapeutic movements used in the Yin Yoga style.  Leading up to any race or event your 1-2 week taper period should include at least 2 Yin classes to reinforce fascial elasticity and improve mobility and flexibility within the joints.

 If you are gearing up for the Scotiabank half marathon & 5km next weekend,  try out this sequence for taper bliss:

  1. Start with 3-4 mins of soft tissue work: foam rolling the mid back, glutes, ITB, quads and hamstrings.
  2. Always begin with T-spine mobility (improve upper running mechanics)
  3. Kneeling Lunge (hip flexor/psoas stretch)
  4. Dancers Hamstring Stretch  (toes pointed to stretch shin)
  5. Pigeon Pose (to stretch glutes and SI joint.  Add in thread the needle for rotational mobility).

 RUN. YIN. REPEAT.

Sources: To learn more about fascial elasticity visit YogaFORM at http://yogaform.wordpress.com/

Everyday Expressions – Yogic Gardening

amyh / Reflections, Thoughts / , , , / 1 Comment

I frequently find myself talking to people who have never tried yoga and are thinking about it. I repeatedly invite my friends or family to class, or end up talking to strangers about why yoga is SO great. A common question that comes up is, “how will yoga benefit me?”

At times the answer seems so obvious it’s almost hard to answer. At other times, I am at a loss because if you invited someone to play hockey or go swimming, their first response would not be “how would that activity benefit me?” They would just go for the fun of it!

Although I often find myself ruminating about the mystique of yoga that seems to cause so much trepidation to newbies, on the weekend I was slogging away in my sister’s garden when I found myself alternating between yoga poses to ease my weed-pulling discomfort. And a thought jumped into my head – this is a practical application!! This is an example I can cite next time someone wants a measurable, practical explanation of the benefit of yoga!

Source: http://www.christinepredd.com/quiltingontheedge/2010/05/my-bella-yoga-garden-sculpture.html

It seems so obvious, but when you’ve got a million weeds in front of you, Garland Pose is not a bad way to start. Getting sore in the hips? Pop on up to Wide Legged Forward Fold – but the same yogic principles of alignment factor in here: use your core and keep a straight back! Warrior II or Extended Side Angle poses could be used for those hard to reach brambles out to the sides.

Assuredly, some expressions of Cat-Cow or Child’s Pose would work too, but my personal preference is to avoid touching all the worms that my digging provokes! 

Any other yoga poses spring to mind when you’re weeding the garden?

Silence is Golden

Guest Author / Reflections, Studios, Teachers, Thoughts / , , , , , / 0 Comment

No matter where you are.

Vancouver is a wonderful city– beautiful and exciting. It feels small enough to be comfortable but big enough to always be interesting on a Friday night. And the yoga! What an amazing group of studios and teachers. There is really something for everyone here.

Unless what you need in your yoga practice is silence.

I have always been loud. I love raucous music in my classes– two of my favourite teachers at Semperviva Carolyn Anne and Reno rock fabulous tunes in their classes. I love to flow to music, linking posture, breathe, and tunes. I am an avid talker and singer and relish being in the midst of it. But recently I have been craving silence. I want to be able to feel the silence, wrap it around myself and sit with it. Give myself the space to get still and be, contact the silence that is inside me. I have never felt like I could actually be quiet within myself until now.

The search for silence in the city is an undertaking. I have always appreciated yoga studios where people are encouraged to socialize with other students, but sometimes I want a quiet room, a peaceful space. But you can’t have it both ways.

I guess this is where retreats come in for the urban yogi. We can leave the city for a little rural silence, maybe even some darkness or the odd star. Because the truth is, I’m really craving it (silence–what else?). It’s starting to make me irritable– which is silly, because the whole point of wanting to be somewhere quiet is to find my own inner stillness.

So the quest for silence continues… another leg of my yoga journey.

Source: maheenzakaria.blogspot.com

‘GET YOUR YIN ON’ THE SPIRAL LINE MERIDIAN

Sarah Jamieson / News, Reflections, Styles, Tips, Yogis / , / 0 Comment

Last week we introduced fascial training and fascial elasticity combined with the therapeutic practice of Yin Yoga. Today, we build on that understanding with an introduction to one of (the many) fascial meridians. Meet the Spiral Line Meridian (SL)!

Did you know that most injuries are not muscular? Dysfunctions in the connective tissue account for well over half of the injuries in today’s active population, even when muscles are involved.

 Q. Why? A. One function of fasica is to transfer force from one end of the body to the other and everywhere in between. This is why it is such an important structure to look  in the prevention of injuries. If one area of the body has pain (as in muscle pain) we could possibly find the cause elsewhere if we follow these structural lines of the force and tissue as most “pain” is associated with a biomechanical dysfunction.

The SL meridian, which, for all you yogi-athletes will find functionally significant; has many connections that form distinct spirals of deep myofascial connections looping around the legs and torso and plays a role in proper posture and gait.

If we take a walk on the meridian, we find its connections to the arch and the ITB, the spiral line continues on to connect with the pelvis, it transverses the front of the abdomen, as well as, the thoracolumbar fasica, connecting to the lateral rib cage, cervical/thoracic spine and then scapula by way of the postural muscles of the back and attaching at the occipital ridge.

This meridian loop gives structural evidence of the connection between the pelvis and the arch of the foot. If you suffer from low back pain, SI, ITB or knee pain, collapsed arches or plantar fascitis, your spiral line meridian may be comprimised.

In Yin Yoga, the Spiral Line can be nurtured when we perform twists that stem from the torso and postures that lift out of the arch of the foot. Triangle pose; for example (utthita trikonasana), the torso is twisted and the arch lifts to support pelvic position. The pelvis is a major player in this line, as it related to gait and load distribution.

Other Spiral Line centered postures focused on improving fascial elasticity are:

  • Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana)
  • Marichi’s Pose (Marichyasana III)
  • Revolved Half Moon Pose (Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana)
  • One Legged Revolved Belly Pose (Eka Pada Jathara Parivarttanasana)
  • MET (muscle energy work) used more in therapeutic private sessions

Moral of the story ‘Get Your Yin On” and Let’s Twist!

 Sources: Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists, by Thomas Myers

10 Words That Will Set You Free!

Tanya Lee Markul / Reflections, Thoughts / , , , / 0 Comment

Break free from the grind and from your mind prison! Work out whatever holds you back and make the effort to break patterns because you can!

Infinite. You are an infinite being having a human experience. Make life an adventure – every step is consciousness. We don’t have to live in a world that is at war. Believe.

Believe. Believe in the inner connectivity with each other, with nature, with all life forms. Believe in yourself and trust the inner process. You exist now. Understand why. Believe in the greater goodness.

Goodness. Refuse to see anything but the goodness in anyone and in life. The majority of us want to live in peace with each other, with nature, with Mother Earth. If you want to be unhappy, think of only yourself. If you want to be happy, think of everyone.

Courage. Have the courage to be YOU and don’t ever be ashamed of who you are or were. Make the effort and have the discipline to break patterns and to break yourself free.

Energy. Make living a meaningful life a priority. Do not squander your life! Your role is important. Go beyond limited ways of seeing to feel the underlying energy of things. It is up to us!

Change. A small amount of consciousness can improve the quality of life for everyone on the planet. There’s enough for everybody. Life right now is a journey of self-investigation. It is up to us to dig deeper to see the deeper meaning of life.

Forgiveness. Don’t be a prisoner of the past. Let it go and set it all free. Forgive our selves for everything. We can forgive and we can accept that each and every one of us is at a point where we can no longer cover our eyes or ears.

Acceptance. Know that you are special and unique. Learn to empower yourself by simply accepting who you are and the things that make you different. We are each infinite and unique geniuses – accept it.

Peace. Bliss is not limited to only our physical bodies! We are right now on a path of transformational consciousness. You are a part of it.

Love. When you offer your heart and compassion to the world, the entire world is uplifted! One love.

xoxox

Uncovering the Internal Drishti

Alison Boons / Reflections, Thoughts / , , , / 0 Comment

As we stand in Vrksasana (tree pose), our bodies waver back and forth, our gaze turns to those beside or in front of us and we stumble and fall. Teachers remind us to find our “drishti point”, a focal point, to help with our strength and stability in a balancing posture and a way to bring our focus on ourselves instead of others around you. A Drishti point, is so beneficial to us in our balancing postures, allowing us to have that little extra stability that we need to get through, but how else can a Drishti help us?

{Source: http://most-interesting-pictures.blogspot.com}

Our eyes are one of our most powerful senses, giving us the ability to see the world the way we want, the colours, the shapes but are also, for many of us, a doorway to our soul. Our eyes control our brains, enhance our ability to concentrate and based on how the eyes “see things” we alter our emotions. When we want to be sincere, or show our concern or cares for another, we look them in the eyes. It is difficult for our eyes to hide our feelings or our emotions when they have the capacity to smile and show sadness.

Our Drishti can be in the literal sense, that spot on the floor or the mark on the wall that helps us to stay strong and focused on our balance postures, or the figurative sense; that point that is inside of us, our centre, our inner truth, our third eye point (Ajna) . But what does it all mean?

As you delve into your yoga practice you begin to hear more and more about inner truths, centres, still points that sometimes leave us wondering “what are you talking about?”  But ultimately causing us to take a bigger look at ourselves, who we are and what we want to be and how we see the world around us. This can be overwhelming and a huge lesson as we begin to take a deeper look at how our internal drishti changes based on our perceptions as we try to find “balance” in it all.

So, what do we do? While training our minds to find this drishti point during our yoga practice can sometimes offer a challenge as our curiousity about others gets the best of us, it is even harder to find this internal drishti. How do we deal with what is there, what if we don’t like what we see, how do we change what we don’t like?

First off, nothing is a bad as it seems, our minds have a way of telling us that things are worse than they actually are, since our minds are ruled by our emotions. For many of us, we may learn a lot about how we interact with the world, and how others can be cruel and unkind to others that perhaps we never really noticed before. This internal drishti will ultimately change how we interact with those around us and cause us to associate with those with similar qualities and let go of the ones in our lives that don’t. We may come across our inner truth that what we are doing and how we are living our lives is not what we really want, its not our dharma.

The internal drishti can uncover a “wow” moment or a “what am I doing” moment but whatever comes up take a deep breathe! Look at what you want to see and where you want to be, what little things can you change to ultimately live the life you imagine? How can you make small changes in your life to be kinder to those around you, to make a difference in somebody else’s life and in by doing so making a difference in your own life? Don’t be afraid of what you uncover, it is there to help you, to make you even happier and even to learn a thing or two. Remember, the simplest thing to bring even more happiness into your life and those around you is to smile!

What have you uncovered about yourself in your yoga practice and what did you end up doing to make a change?

Indecision…

Guest Author / Meditation, Reflections, Styles, Teachers, Thoughts / , , , , / 0 Comment

I have been on the fence lately– about everything.

I’m making some changes in my life and it seems that the moment I change one thing, everything else is up for grabs too. I’m thinking about the life that I want to live, and realizing that everything is on the table. What is really important? Not what I think.

Indecision is about balance. It’s not always clear what choice leads to balance. My tried and true way is to go with my heart. Choose the option that makes my heart beat faster. But tonight, the ramifications of going in that direction seem extensive. Striking the balance between what feels best for me and what’s really best for me is daunting.

So I’m indecisive.

And that’s fine. It’s like the moment in a Yin yoga pose when you can’t bear the sensation, but you keep breathing and then your body opens up, like a sigh. It’s that moment– my teacher Cam calls it joyful discomfort. There is such freedom in that place.

Source: softwarebyrob.com

I’m meditating on my indecision. Getting still and breathing, quieting my mind even as it races. Staying with the joyful discomfort of not knowing how to find balance, confident that I will find the opening I need. Using this indecision as a reminder of how free I am.

Really, it’s a gift to be indecisive.

THE YOGI ATHLETE: FASCIAL ELASTICITY & YIN YOGA

Sarah Jamieson / News, Reflections, Styles, Teachers, Tips, Yogis / / 0 Comment

Fasical elasticity and sequencing in Yin Yoga, to prevent athletic injuries? You said what now?!

The practice of Yin can be an instrumental benefit to our fascial trains and fascial net. Yin Yoga is designed to deeply relax and renew the connective tissue of the human body.

But what is connective tissue… and what is fascial elasticity or the fascial net?

Fascia (as a whole) forms the biological container and is the fundamental connector for every organ; including muscles and connective tissues (plantar fascia, Achilles tendon, iliotibial band, thoracolumbar, etc). The fascial trains and net in particular, acts as a single connected unity in which the muscles and bones float, along with smaller connectors where the organs literally hang and co-mingle.

If we take it one step further, and include the neuro myofascial net, which also includes; the blood and blood cells, and other elements not part of the structural cellular “net.” Perhaps the closest term we could introduce all of these elements would be the extra-cellular matrix (ECM), which includes everything in your body that isn’t just cellular; including fibers (collegen weaves), collodial gels or the “glue” that holds and supoprts movement within the connective tissue and lastly water; which surrounds and permiates the cells.

And down the rabbit hole we go… lets bring it back to the benefits of Yin and prevention of injury.

Benefits of a Yin Yoga practice can be immense, especially for students who are also runners or athletes. For example, runners who train fascial fitness and employ fascical elasticity more often (quick whole body movments) will be using less muscle power during their runs, as they ultimatley store more energy in the stretch and then attain it back during the release. Thus, they will be able to run longer with less fatigue.

Therefore including sequenced postures that promote fascial elasticity and resetting the integrity of the trains, post run or training; most teachers and students alike will find these key areas significantly improved on and off the mat:

  • restoring natural bio mechanics settings for posture and function
  • prevention of asymmetries in the body, but addressing small indicators
  • easing the long-term consequences from injury and preventing new ones
  • extending functional movement for longevity

Herein lies, the “Yin” to that Yang, a great Yin practice can balance out the stress of training to prevent injuries and breakdowns. When we reset and maintain elasticity in our body, we move more freely.

Stretching Into New Possibilities

Leeann / Reflections, Reviews, Studios, Styles, Teachers, Thoughts, Tips / , , , , , , , , , / 0 Comment

When it comes right down to it Yoga is basically a form of stretching.

From stretching your ability to breathe; lengthening your inhales and exhales to stretching your mind’s capacity to quiet down, to become silent for longer and longer periods of time. To go further into the practice where it becomes not so much about the asana (postures) as it is about the ability to let go of desire, to allow for the spirit to move into the space you have created.

But really in the beginning, for me, it was all about the stretch, the movement into silence came later.

So sometimes I am surprised when people say: “Yoga?!! Oh, I could never do that”.

I try to ease them into it by saying: “Well, have you ever done any stretching after going for a walk, a run or any type of physical activity”. Actually most people have done some type of stretching in their lives. I ask them to start there; allow yourself the space to just stretch into yoga.

The asana are really a specific type of stretch; especially Yin Yoga where you stay closer to the ground and hold the stretches for a longer period of time.

As I am in my third week of recovery from an operation, I decided to try a Yin Yoga class at Yyoga Flow Wellness on Burrard Street.

The instructor, Megan Johnson, put everyone at ease by stating that as with all yoga, the length of the stretch is all up to the individual. I talked to Megan before class about my concerns and she was very reassuring by stating that although Yin can be very intense, I should allow my body to decide and just be very gentle.

I was game for that.

We started in Sukasana (easy cross legged), opening with Pranayama to settle into the space and relax into our bodies.

She then guided us slowly into little stretches of the neck where we allowed our head to drop to each of the shoulders, increasing the stretch by allowing one arm to lengthen to the floor.

Megan told us to deepen into the stretch, come to your edge and then breathe and settle in. But only go so far as to touch your edge; always bring it back if you feel any pain. Yin is about becoming comfortable in the stretch and then holding it for a specific length of time.

For the next 8 poses we stayed close to the ground, deepening our breath and allowing the body to relax.

What is interesting about Yin is that it is not about moving fast from one pose to the other, it is all about lengthening, stretching, breathing and relaxing into the pose, letting go and finally settle for awhile.

Yin does specific things that complements other types of yoga. It allows for a deepening of the stretch which in turns strengthens your muscles by creating little tears that the body repairs. Stretching into the deep connective tissues: the fascia. This is how the body keeps supple. That old saying: “use it or lose it” really does hold true for the body. To keep your body young and flexible, you need to actually use/move it. Yin is a gentle way of moving it.

Megan took us gently into this type of stretching, which is exactly what I needed after a few weeks off from yoga. Her voice is very calm and reassuring. She asks nothing of you except your willingness to try.

If you would like to give Yin Yoga a try, I can easily say it is something anyone can step into if you have done some stretching in your life. Remember that the length and depth of the stretch is always up to you, only go as far as your body allows and try to be kind to yourself. Yin only gets intense if you push yourself further than your body is willing to go. Remember to keep that ego in check.

You might notice that as you stretch further into your body, you might find yourself stretching into a yoga practice that is perfect for you.

(source: theyogafitnessguide.com)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
« 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 »