Rainy Yin Yoga

"Wait...without Anxiety."

Waiting without anxiety...it's almost like an oxymoron. This is Yin Yoga's mantra. What is "Yin" Yoga you ask? Well, it's the opposite of Yang! Yin Yoga is holding yoga postures to stretch the connective tissues. The connective tissue is everywhere in the body...the dermis of the skin, it forms and interpenetrates every bone, every joint, every organ, tissue + cell. Yin/Yang is a Taoist concept: YIN being stable, unmoving, hidden aspects of things. YANG is the moving, changing, revealing aspects of things. Yin yoga postures gently stretch and rehabilitate the connective tissues that form our joints. It's important to maintain joint health - think about it...you never hear of pro athletes retiring because of muscle problems - it's always because of bad ankles, bad knees...bad joints. Yin postures should be held longer and with the muscles relaxed. Your breath in yin yoga is guided by the postures - there is no set way to breath, you're encouraged to just trust yourself and your breath.

YIN YOGA by Paul Grilley...a great source!

I was first introduced to Yin Yoga by an amazing Canadian Yogini, Laura Warf, who I had the pleasure of studying under over a long weekend at a yoga conference 2 years ago. It's slowly beginning to pop up here and there, but it still hasn't really caught on {especially to our Southern Jersey region...}. It's important to have a Yin yoga practice to compliment your Yang {vinyasa} practice. Here was today's class:

• Begin with Chris Del Moro's 7 circles {to lubricate + wake up the joints}.
• Several rounds of standing breath.
• Uttanasana.
• Leg Raises: lie on back, place hands under the butt, bend knees, draw to chest. straighten legs towards the sky. lift chin to chest, lower feet towards ground - hold, breathe, release. repeat 4 times.
• Forward Bend: hold 3-5min *use strap for assistance
  
• Tripod: left leg long, right knee bent, foot to inside of left thigh. left hand one foot behind left hip. inhale right arm up to sky, press into feet, lift hips. slight backbend. hold for two breaths. release. repeat. repeat on opposite side.
  
• Wide Legged Forward Bend: place block in between legs, rest head. hold 3-5min
• Camel: hold1minute
• Seal: on belly, legs wide, updog w/ thighs on ground. hold 1 minute, lower, repeat.
• Childs Pose: all variations; walk out to R, L, back to center. knees wide, cradle the ribs between the thighs. rock side to side

*Transition: Downdog. Wag tail, heels to earth.

• Pigeon: hold 3-5minutes each side {place block under hip if needed}
• Reclining Half Heroes: hold 1-3min each side
• Folded Pose: Pull R knee into chest, L leg long. Raise head to knee. Hold 3 breaths, opp side, then both legs together.
  

* Hip circles: R knee to chest, circle for 1-3 minutes. opposite side.

• Reclining Bound Angle: w/ blocks 3-5minutes each side
• Spinal Twist: 1 minute or so each side
• Supported Bridge: place block at base of spine
• Savasana...try to feel the various sensations of chi, blood + fluids moving into or out of the parts of the body that were stressed during the previous postures.
  

YIN attitude of MIND: "WAIT without ANXIETY."

Soaking, dripping wet. And completely ZEN.

7 of us today for morning Yin Yoga...rainy yin yoga! We all agreed that the rain was amazing. Torrential downpour, but it almost lulled you into meditation as you were challenged, holding poses for several minutes at a time. After class my friend Martha and I jumped into the ocean in our clothes, because we were already soaking, dripping wet. It was amazing. Then I rinsed off, changed, and drove home listening to Bob Marley. His song "Natty Dreads" came on, which has the BEST beat and melody, and I couldn't help but smile. Drove all the way home, aware of the chi flowing through my body, soaking up Bob's beats, and completely stoked to have started my day with rainy yin yoga!


This is the affirmation that I started and ended class with...

The entire universe is one family.
The earth is our root.
The sky is our roof.
The four directions are the walls.
We are all children of eternity.
I am grateful for all the gifts of life.
I am grateful to all my ancestors, parents, teachers, society, nature and myself.
I forgive all the beings that may have offended me knowingly or unknowingly in the past.
I pray for the health, harmony and peace of all beings.
I love my family of diversity.
Everyone is evolving at his or her own rate. I love them with compassion as they are.
I feel the friendship of my family members.
I am surrounded by love, peace and abundance.
I feel the joy of living and flourish in the comfort of the harmonious universe.
I feel content.


Namaste!