With the increasing popularity of the more passive yin styles of yoga, it's important to recognise the subtle differences so that we may lean towards what it is that we are really needing at the time, in order to find that peaceful place of balance.
The practice of yoga has always been evolving, but in essence it's all about cultivating strong connections, whether by lying in stillness or by exploring movement. By coming to our yoga mat we aim to explore the unique interplay of energies between our body, mind and breath.
While both Yin and Restorative yoga definitely fall into the spectrum of the more inward, passive styles of modern yoga, as opposed to the active yang styles such as Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga or Bikram, they are not necessarily easier.
At first glance it might seem like just lying around on cushions and chilling out, but on a deeper level both Yin and Restorative yoga offer a safe place to really observe all the sensations that may be arising in the body and mind, physically and emotionally.
Yin yoga is a real slowing down on all levels, coming to the present moment and inviting an inward journey of complete acceptance of what is.
In this way it's quite a deep meditative experience, which may not always be accessible while practicing more faster paced active styles of yoga. And for some this stillness is not always a comfortable place to be!
It can be a bit confronting when you strip away all the moving and doing, and you simply be in the moment. All sorts of unexpected things can bubble to the surface, especially on the emotional and metaphysical levels.
We create time and space for feeling into the practice from the heart space, rather than getting stuck thinking about our next move, or worrying about not falling over. Unfortunately the complex structure of some modern yoga classes can tend to dilute this experience of union and meditation, making them more akin to a gym workout or exercise class.
By bringing a slower paced mindfulness to our yoga practice we learn to feel it in real time, rather than think about it. This is the essence of meditation.
The supportive and nurturing qualities of restorative yoga are especially beneficial for those needing to recuperate or heal after illness or injury. We may need to switch off and allow the cradle of support using props to gently nurture us back to health. It's a complete de-stressing of the body and mind.
Yin yoga on the other hand aims more towards taking ourself to an uncomfortable edge, placing healthy stress on the joints, ligaments and connective tissues, while at the same time consciously letting go of muscle control in favour of trusting gravity to create these openings to release deeply into our body. For this we need to remain fully aware of the strong sensations, yet at the same time surrender to them. It's a bit of a watch, wait and see type of experience, which doesn't necessarily feel restorative or comforting at the time.
The disengagement of the muscles is a powerful tool to trigger the letting go of the mind control, and it can be quite confronting. On the emotional level there is a simultaneous feeling of letting go of the ego which so often drives us to push harder, do more and go deeper. For some this can be far more challenging than simply focussing on the physically active forms of yoga and movement.
In Yin yoga we sit at the edge of our comfort zone, and in this space we begin to re-train our cell memory and levels of tolerance, thus becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. The flow-on effects into our daily life can be quite remarkable.
Our often busy lifestyle is very much geared towards pushing, competing and controlling, in order to reach a certain goal, but in order to fully appreciate the benefits of yin and restorative yoga we require a certain amount of trust and patience. That old saying, 'trust the process' really has merit if we dare to peel back the layers of our deeper emotional body. By supporting ourselves physically with the use of props such as cushions, bolsters and blocks, we feel safe and secure so that we may trigger the 'letting go' response within the nervous system.
This allows us to come face to face with aspects of ourselves which we may need to really acknowledge in order to move through the healing process on all levels, not just physically. It may be a slow process, but the benefits are profound.
While originally developed by the ancient yogis as a way of preparing for long periods of sitting in meditation, these days we recognise the benefits of combining different styles of yoga to balance and harmonise both our Yin & Yang energies, which flows much more in alignment with our often busy and complex lives.
If you are ever curious to explore your yoga journey more deeply, then perhaps consider trying one of the more passive yin styles for a completely different experience. It may just be the key to finding that magical place of balance and wellbeing.
I am currently offering weekly Yin yoga classes at the Kin Kin School of arts Hall ( Noosa Hinterland of Qld ) from 630-8pm on Monday evenings. I would love for you to share the wonderful benefits of this slower style of yoga, and hopefully spread some light on the importance of honouring the more gentle, feminine and yielding side that is within us all.
If you would like to learn more about our complete change of lifestyle from busy city dwellers to chilled out star-gazing, tree-hugging yogis, then please connect by message or subscribe to our mailing list.
Sending lots of love and light from our new home in nature,
Danielle & Tony ( Frankie & Georgie) xx
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