10 Key Benefits of Yin Yoga
Have you ever heard of Yin Yoga? It is a type of yoga that might seem a little less well known as it doesn’t show up on social media as much. Why? Because it doesn’t give off the same “wow “ effect as other types of yoga. What I mean is that the poses in Yin Yoga, in comparison to those from Yang Yoga like Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Hatha etc., look like deep sometimes funny looking stretches. To tell you the truth that is actually exactly what they are.
In Yin Yoga we practice deep stretches, which allows the muscles to relax. We hold the poses for a couple of minutes in order to reach the connective tissues, which lie deep within us. These connective tissues take a little bit longer to ‘activate’ in comparison to muscles. Once they are in movement they do their job of stimulating our energy channels, called meridians. These meridians run through our body and are linked to specific organs, which are linked to specific physical and emotional sensations.
Yin Yoga is based on the beliefs of the Chinese medicine, unlike more physical yoga, which originates from India.
What is specific about Yin Yoga is that it generates energy by creating a calm meditative state.
The benefits of practicing Yin Yoga are long, these are just a few main ones:
helps hormonal balance
sleep improvement
creates clarity
creates a calmer state of mind
increases overall energy
improves memory
arthritic prevention
physically healing
boosts immune system
increases flexibility/mobility
The list goes on. Being still in a position, while letting go of muscles can feel uneasy at first. It is a bit like letting go of control. Surrendering to the mat. Surrendering to physical tension. Surrendering to release blockages so that in turn we can connect to what goes on within us. It can be quite an emotional experience at times and that’s ok. The more we learn to relieve ourselves from tension whether it be physical or emotional, such as stress, anxiety, fear, loss, etc. then the more we improve our overall health and wellbeing.
Originally, I came across Yin Yoga during a weekly class for mums in Tokyo. It created this time and space where mums could just be. A moment to release tension as well as increase our overall physical health. Sometimes, I had tears that would not stop rolling down my cheeks, and other times where I almost fell asleep. Each time was different, but each and everytime I left the space feeling lighter, more aligned, happier, and physically better. It became a necessity in my life, and I continue growing and bettering my practice of Yin Yoga to this day!
I took time to dig into this practice and now I value it more than I thought I would. I am thrilled to be sharing it with my clients through online classes, one on one customized sessions and group lessons. You can register to a class here and follow some of my free courses on my YouTube channel.
