by Birgit Kunzli
translated from Italian by ReYoga
Yin Yoga is all about listening to your inner voice. From the outside, it looks as if you just held Hatha Yoga positions for five minutes, but in reality, that is not all it is.
First of all, I want to say that the name Yin Yoga should not exist, it should just be called Yoga because Yin Yoga is Yoga.
“Yin Yoga is a Yoga style that changes the lives of everybody who has tried it.”
How did Yin Yoga get its name?
When we speak about Yin Yoga it could be seen as the opposite of the Yoga that we normally know. Truth is, this yoga style enables us to hold Hatha positions in a much deeper way. The Yoga poses in a normal Hatha session are short and repeat themselves regularly. This is how we strengthen and stretch our muscles. Even when we are holding asanas for a longer period, we do so for a couple of breaths but never longer than a minute because this way our body becomes strong and stays healthy. But there also is another part of our body called Yin which needs to be stretched and strengthened like ligaments, tendons, bones, and joints. These body parts are not used to as much attention as muscles are. They are harder and it needs time and patience to work them.
Both yoga styles, Yin and Yang should be practiced regularly to keep your body healthy and balanced.
What is it that makes Yin Yoga so special?
Yin Yoga is more than just passive Yoga. It changed the lives of many people when they started practicing or teaching it. As soon as you insert Yin Yoga into your routine you will discover its power: it enables you to listen deep inside yourself when you stay still in an asana in absolute silence. You will also find out that Yin Yoga is not easy. Holding the same position for a long time in silence is tough because we are not used to it.
A physically and mentally deep kind of practice
Yin Yoga means holding positions passively (with relaxed muscles) which leads to a very deep state of relaxation, physically as well as mentally. Each exercise is held from 3 to 5 minutes and it is recommended to inhale and exhale deeply when doing so and fixate a spot with your eyes. It sounds easy but it is quite challenging. When we do Yoga we start realizing what is going on inside our heads, we become sensitive to different feelings and notice all the thoughts going through our heads. We get to know ourselves on a very deep level and can change our lives. This is the power of Yin Yoga.
Yin Yoga at a glance
- take your position carefully and consciously
- don’t stretch beyond your limits
- relax your muscles and yourself as much as possible
- use blocks, yoga belts, and cushions to support you
- cover yourself with a blanket if you feel cold
- Listen to your body
- breath slowly and deeply
- try to keep your body as still as possible fo
- fixate a spot with your eyes to keep your mind calm
- hold your poses 3-5 minutes each
- before switching from one position to another relax in Shavasana
Why is it called Non-Violence Yoga?
It is fundamental to relax your body when you are doing Yin Yoga. Active stretching or pushing your body in a certain position activates the muscles, which means you are not working the Yin sphere. Yin Yoga requires your muscles to be completely relaxed. The same applies to our breathing and our thoughts. Only when our attention is directed at our thoughts we can judge their quality: are we critical of ourselves? Are we comparing ourselves to others, are we judging ourselves or others? The goal is to become aware of these thoughts and direct them in a positive direction. Our breathing needs to be deep and regular, without holding our breath – stress-free transport of oxygen into our body.
Our Nervous System
Even our nervous system is affected by Yin Yoga. When you start practicing Yin Yoga you start noticing your life differently. You react much more sensitively to silence or certain situations, actually to everything. You become a lot more aware of your inner reality. The Parasympathetic nervous system is activated and your nervous system starts to balance itself out. You start feeling more relaxed and you gain the impression that you react less to negative external stimuli. Those who practice Yin Yoga regularly, perceive positive changes in all life areas.
This kind of being does not exclude anything in your life but supports you to live more completely, as it is our natural predestination. Being stressed and nervous is not normal, even if in modern society it kind of seems to be. It is as if stress is even something that shows how important you are as a person, and those you are relaxed almost have to feel sorry for it.
Regular Yin Yoga practice, meditation, and active breathing help us to listen to ourselves with awareness and naturally change our lives. A small amount of time is enough to live more relaxed. It is not magic, it is just the result of constantly following a goal: the development of an inner balance and consciousness.
Helpful tips: what supports can you use when doing Yin Yoga?
One of the most important factors of Yin Yoga is, similar to many other kinds of Yoga the ability to listen. Listening to ourselves is extremely important, especially when you have to concentrate on not activating specific muscles. To achieve this poses must not be forced but you have to try to be as relaxed as possible. Sometimes it is better to choose a simpler position to stimulate a joint to make sure to relax as much as possible.
Some Yoga instruments can help you to remain in position and make sure your practice is efficient: a soft Yoga mat, Yoga Blocks, Bolster Yoga Cushion, Yoga Belts, and a blanket that keeps you warm.
The softer the instruments are, the better your Yin Yoga practice will be. Non-violence (Ahimsa) is the concept that applies to the poses as well as the props used!
Conclusion
The world leads us to believe that we can be happy through specific actions or by buying things. If something does not work out we usually blame external factors and feel like a victim of their impact. We create an illusion of peace and happiness around us and to destroy this illusion we need courage. But exactly this courage helps us to find our real truth, our uniqueness. This is the strength of Yin Yoga.
