Many people are drawn to the strong, flowing nature of a vinyasa class. Some poses may be held for a longer period of time but even still, the class remains relatively fluid. This type of class is beneficial for both strengthening and stretching and it also demands a lot of focus in order to follow the alignment and transition cues as you flow through. That being said, many of us lovers of a flow can neglect yin – a practice with longer, more passive holds. So should we make an effort to complement our stronger asana practice with a yin class from time to time? Below, Jade Lizzie explains some of the benefits a yin yoga class can add to your current routine, not just physically but mentally and emotionally.
In yoga, I hear a lot of talk about surrender and letting go. However, having been brought up to believe that happiness comes as a reward for ambition, striving and hard work, surrender can be a foreign concept. So in a goal-orientated, success-obsessed culture, how can I learn to surrender and, frankly, why should I bother?
Overcoming Discomfort
Contrary to popular belief, yin yoga is not the same as restorative yoga. One of the first things many people notice about yin yoga is how uncomfortable it can be. Yet, despite the discomfort of some of the postures, the intention is still that you surrender and relax into the sensations. There is a life lesson there. It’s tempting to get trapped into patterns of thinking where you believe, “I’ll relax when…” or “I’ll be happy once…”. There will always be difficult times, unexpected discomfort and challenging situations. Learning to surrender to the postures on the mat can help teach you to let go of all that may be holding you back off the mat as well.
When you practice yin yoga, you learn to sit with discomfort and accept it without resistance. Although yin should not be painful, it’s a good place to explore the saying that "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional."
Releasing Expectations
So much of what we do is because we want to reach a certain level, status or position. Even in yoga, there can be a temptation to strive for a certain yoga posture or level of flexibility. With yin yoga, there are no “fancy” or deep poses, the focus is very much so on on how it feels.
As Bernie Clark puts it when referring to Yin yoga, “We don’t use our body to get into a pose; we use the pose to get into our body.” Each day you do yin yoga, your body will feel different, so learning to let go of the expectation that you should be anywhere is essential.
Gaining presence of mind
How much of your life do you actually spend being present? Not thinking about yesterday, or tomorrow or next month, but actually being present with what is?
Yin yoga is a powerful mindfulness practice. The reason for this is that the physical sensations you experience help to anchor the mind and keep you focused. Instead of distracting yourself with what has been and what could be, you surrender to what actually is right now.
When you surrender, and allow yourself to experience what the present moment has to offer, you find what is called ‘sukha’, the deep happiness and pleasure that already exists without you having to strive for something.
Relaxing your body
On a physical level, the surrendering of yin yoga lets the nervous system relax and believe it is safe to let the muscles release, thus permitting your body to open up and move deeper into the postures. Paradoxically, when it comes to increasing flexibility, you can find that by striving less, you may actually achieve more.
The same applies for anything you want to manifest. When you want something, there is a temptation to chase it and pursue it. In return, this dissatisfied state of wanting becomes your norm and more often than not, your goal seems to get further away. Even if you do reach it, you may immediately fixate on something else. So….
Let go
Yes, it is good to know what you want, but it is also good to surrender to it. Maybe by letting go you’ll find that it comes to you, or maybe you’ll discover that it wasn’t quite right for you anyway. In the words of Sonia Ricotti:
Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.
As with yoga in general, there is a lot more to the practice of yin than meets the eye. It may just be worth substituting one of your other asana practices for a yin and sticking with it for a while, to see what it brings not only to your practice but your life.
Check out our Timetables to see when and where you can get your Yin practice in at TIY!