Yin Is In!

When I first started taking yoga classes I focused on vinyasa flow classes.  I didn't know what I was doing, and that seemed like a good place to start.  It was.  But then, as my practice grew and I learned more about different types of yoga, I saw the benefit in branching out and trying new styles.

One style that always intrigued me was yin.  It seemed so different from "regular" fast paced, flowing yoga.  Yin was quiet, inward and deliciously difficult.  

Yin is a relatively new type of yoga.  The yin style of yoga has always existed, but it wasn't until 30 years ago that Paulie Zink, Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers gave it a name and began refining and defining yin.  Bernie Clark, another yin guru, created a website devoted to it:  YinYoga.com

How is yin different from restorative yoga?  Both of these are passive practices but yin digs down deep into our connective tissues and restorative does not. Yin is NOT appropriate for people working through an injury.  Once an injury is healed, then yin may help restore range of motion and mobility.  Restorative, on the other hand, is very appropriate for those healing from injuries.

Yin is done when the muscles are cold.  You get on your mat, usually settle in with a meditative pose for a few minutes, and then begin your first yin pose, and hold for anywhere from 3-8 minutes, or longer.

Doing yin with the muscles cold (that is, not warmed up) allows the work to go deep into the connective tissue - the fascia that connects bones, ligaments, tendons, joints and muscle.  Most forms of yoga are active practices that work our muscular half, the "yang" tissues.  Yin is a nice complement to yang styles of yoga.  Many of us have active yang lifestyles that could use balancing with some inward yin awareness and acceptance.

Both yin and yang are necessary.  As Bernie Clark says, "We can be yang-like for only so long before crashing.  We can be yin-like for only so long before stagnating.  We need balance in all things."

There are fewer than 30 poses in yin.  And most of these focus on the pelvic area.  Here is a list of the poses from YinYoga.com.

Go try a yin class sometime and see what it adds to your practice.  Be patient. You may not fall in love with the first yin class you take.  Try a couple classes, experiment with different teachers before you decide if it's for you.

I teach yin in Reno on Wednesdays at 10:30am at the West Street Market. Sign up here: CommunitYogi.com