Yin Yoga
Yin Yoga is based in lunar (cool) energy known as “tha” energy. Most of our western culture is focused on Yang (hot) energy known as “ha” energy. Yin yoga brings balance into our Yang world and balance to our mind, body, emotions, and feelings.
What is Yin Yoga?
In Yin Yoga, our goal is not to become perfect. Our goal is to become whole.
Wholeness has many layers in our western culture. Yin Yoga is based, in part on: Taoism, Chinese medicine, Buddhism, Mindfulness, and Yoga rooted in Eastern traditions. With consistent practice of Yin Yoga you will feel the balance and focus returning; that same balance you had when you were born. You will notice mobility returning to your body and a stillness in your mind.
The Yin classes offered on this site seek wholeness with a balance between Yin and Yang energies. There is Yin and Yang energy in everything we think, say, and do. However, our western culture emphasizes Yang energy over Yin.
Without Yin energy we can feel “off” and out of balance, wondering why we are not able to experience the highest version of ourselves. That inner balance is always there for you to experience and tap into. With the guidance of your certified Yin instructor, you will be able to return to that serene balance with ease and as often as you choose. You will feel stress dissolving and your body softening as you move through class. And you will notice mobility returning to parts of your body that may have atrophied over time.
The practice of Yin Yoga focuses on your connective tissue which is everywhere in your body. Connective tissue is in the tendons, muscles, joints, organs, cells of the body. By the time we reach the age of 25 years, our connective tissue begins to lose its hydration. When this happens, the mobility in your body begins to lessen. As we age. our connective tissue begins to move from the consistency of a wet sponge to a more immobile leather like quality. You notice you cannot move like you could in your younger years. Yin moves your body back to hydration and with consistency, back to mobility.
Is there meditation in the Yin classes?
In Janet’s classes there is always meditation: beginning, middle and end of each class. Class begins with 10+ minutes of various relaxed meditative breathing techniques which ignite a seed within you for calm and stillness. Breath work moves the mind and body away from the fight or flight sympathetic nervous system into the parasympathetic nervous system. This allows us to transform the mind body from a day on “autopilot” to the present moment where life actually happens. After all, the present moment is all we have.
Class then moves into relaxing Yin postures and students are encouraged to continue to follow their breath. This allows students to remain in the relaxed state of the present. Class is then concluded with a 15-minute guided meditation to further release any tension, worry or anxiety that may be holding on consciously or unconsciously.
We practice on the mat so that we can take our Yin experience into the Yang world.
We as yogis and yoginis can, with practice, take our Yin energy off our mat and into our Yang world. When we find our balance between Yin and Yang and return to our frenetic world, we become the calm in the midst of chaos. We become the change we want to see. This change is noticed by those around us and this change ripples out around this planet Earth. BE the change.
YOU ARE the change you wish to see.
