An Introduction To Yin Yoga

January has been a month for opening myself up to new opportunities and trying out new things especially when it comes to my health and wellbeing. Embarking on a new venture and essentially working on my own while trying to navigate my way through the world of entrepreneurship can be all consuming and I know that if I don’t keep a handle on everything that is going on there’s a danger of getting lost in it all.

In today’s fast paced world where we’re forever on our laptops, tablets or mobile phones there’s a real danger that our minds will go into overload because we’re constantly having to process information and our mind is never allowed to switch off. I remember the time when I used to leave the office at 5pm and wouldn’t have to look at another email until 9am the next day, those days are definitely long gone and not because I’m working from home now or for myself so I’m always ‘on call’, this is the same for everyone, nowadays there’s no excuse not to reply to an email, you even get them on your watch!

It’s not only our minds that become tired because of our lifestyles our bodies also take a bit of a battering. Being slouched over a computer and sitting down all day, I bet the majority of us even have lunch at our desks so we’ve essentially spent most of the day in the same position, can you imagine what effect that has on our joints and muscles?

I find that Yoga really helps me to keep my body moving and my mind still so I was really keen to try Yin Yoga. Yin Yoga is a slow paced form of yoga that includes a series of long held movements that are mainly floor based. Yin Yoga concentrates on the lower part of the body that is rich in connective tissue, the hips, pelvis, inner thighs and the lower back. Yin postures are not really new postures you just move slowly and gently into each pose and stay in the pose for a longer period of time, usually between 1 to 5 minutes. Staying in a pose for longer helps your muscles to relax and helps relieve any tension you may be feeling in certain areas of your body.

Like other forms of yoga, Yin helps improve flexibility and increase circulation and gives you greater mobility in your joints. It also relaxes you and helps still your mind. It’s natural for your mind to wander especially when you’re in a position for a long periods of time and Yin teachers encourage us to acknowledge that these feelings are there but don’t let them control you, let them go.

Here are a few of my favourite Yin Poses:

Anahatasana (Melting Heart)

• Starting on all fours, walk your hands forward and allow your chest to drop toward the mat
• Your hips should be above your knees and your hands shoulder width apart.

Butterfly (Buddha Konasana)

• Sitting in a seated position bring the soles of your feet together and then move them slightly away from you so there’s a bit of a gap.
• Fold forward and cup your hands around your feet while allowing your head to drop gently toward your heels.

Sphinx (Salamba Bhujangasana)

• Lie on your belly, with your forearms flat on the floor and elbows under your shoulders. Keep your legs together and place your chin on the floor.
• Press your forearms down into the floor, inhale and lift your chest and your head off the floor.
• Making sure you don’t put any pressure on your neck keep your neck in line with the spine.
• Letting your legs find their natural width squeeze the thighs and buttocks and engage the mula bandha, pressing the pubic bone down into the floor.
• If this is comfortable for you stay here, if you want more of a backbend keep the elbows close to your sides and use your arms to lift you higher.
• Drop the shoulders down and back and press the chest forward.

If you want a deeper stretch you can move into Seal Pose.

• Place the palms on your hands on the mat, in line with your elbows.
• Spread your fingers out wide up onto your hands to straighten your arms.

Swan

• Start on all fours. Bring your right knee between your hands and flex your right foot
• Slide your left knee back, lengthening the left leg and squaring your hips to the mat.
• If you can let your right buttock rest on the mat or as close to the mat as it can go.
• Center yourself so your weight is evenly distributed

If you’d like more of a stretch in your upper back you can move into Sleeping Swan by sliding your arms out in front you and keeping your arms shoulder width apart and let your head rest on the mat in the middle of your arms.