In order to have true balance in our lives we must have both YIN and YANG. This is the balance of movement and stillness, noise and quiet, light and dark. I truly believe we live in a society where YANG dominates our lifestyle – we are constantly busy, contactable 24/7, over worked, stressed out and rarely satisfied.

When we bring more balance of both YIN and YANG into our lives then we are able to prioritise much more effectively, look at problems from a more objective viewpoint and see the beauty in all things, including ourselves, much more clearly.

In Yin yoga, we find stillness… all the poses are seated or lying down and are held for several minutes at a time. We use plenty of props (cushions, blankets, yoga blocks) to make the poses manageable for everyone. As we release all muscular engagement, the yin poses begin to work by putting just the right amount of stress onto our joints and connective tissues in order to promote healing, lengthening and strengthening at a very deep level.

So who is Yin yoga for?

Yin is for everyone – it doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned yogi or if you’ve never set foot on a yoga mat before. If you run, cycle or play sport there’s every chance that you have shortened muscles like your hamstrings or pectorals over time. Yin will provide enormous benefits by releasing these over tight parts of the body and restoring mobility. It’s great for those who are feeling stressed and who want to calm down. It’s a perfect way to begin or deepen your meditation and mindfulness practices.

What are the benefits?

Yin helps to improve and restore your range of movement
Injury, postural habits like sitting in a chair, ageing and emotional stress can all cause our muscles and connective tissue to be restricted and reduce our range of movement. The way in which poses are held in Yin Yoga means the joints and connective tissue are gently stressed. This enables the muscles and fascia to move more freely just as they are meant to, resulting in a bigger range of movement being gradually restored.

Yin Yoga reduces stress and anxiety
Too many of us are living our lives with heightened levels of stress, anxiety and overwhelm. Everything needs doing yesterday, our to-do-lists are getting longer by the minute, work and home life is more demanding than ever. When we live our lives this way we are allowing stress hormones to soar through the body and dominate our nervous system. It’s harder to relax and many people suffer digestive conditions such as IBS, Crones Disease, Reflux, or they might have difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep. Some people struggle to get pregnant and this too could be connected to too many stress hormones raging through our system. Yin Yoga helps us to restore balance to our ever-stressful and busy life. It allows us to calm the stress hormones down and instead produce and release ‘happy’ hormones into the body. The nervous system that produces these hormones is known as the Parasympathetic Nervous System, or more commonly the Rest & Digest or Calm & Connect. The hormones include Oxytocin, Melatonin and Endorphins and are crucial to how we feel about ourselves and the world around us.

Yin allows you to switch off
This is a biggie! Most of us are on 24/7. We are contactable at every moment of the day. Addicted to our phones, we are constantly surrounded by stimuli in one way or another. We very rarely allow ourselves any time to completely switch off and let go of everything buzzing around in our heads. Yin Yoga allows exactly that! It gives you the opportunity to just be with you, and as you move through the sequences you will find that the chatter in your head naturally starts to quieten down. By the end of the session you will enjoy a delicious relaxation and most likely the chatter becomes completely silent. Most people report they slept better than ever after a Yin Yoga practice!

Yin yoga helps the flow of Qi (Energy) around the body
Whether you’re interested in Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Meridian Lines or prefer the Yogic approach with the Nadis and Chakras, there is so much to learn about energy. How it flows around the body, whether or not fascia is affected by Qi and how it affects every single aspect of our life from health and emotions to wealth and happiness. When we practice Yin Yoga we are allowing a fresh vibrant flow of energy throughout parts of the body that perhaps have previously stored stagnant or dormant energy. This can lead to tightness, discomfort and eventually disease. When we allow fresh energy to flow freely, we enable the body to start the detoxification process. Therefore having a fresh flow of energy that moves through and around the organs and joints is imperative to our health and longevity.

 

Norman Blair, author of Brightening Our Inner Skies “One joy of Yin yoga is its simplicity. No need for a mat and it is feasible to practise relatively soon after eating a meal (though that will influence how you are practising). It can be practised on the beach, in the garden, on the carpet. We can practise at any time of day. There is not a set of binding rules. One principle is what I call ‘the princess and the pea’ .. [or] .. ‘the joys of padding’. That just one blanket or well-placed cushion can make a significant difference to a person’s experience in a posture.”

 

Yin Yoga at Blooming Bamboo

At Blooming Bamboo we have regular Yin Yoga classes each week as well as monthly workshops to help you go even deeper.

Quite simply the perfect antidote to a busy, stressful or over-worked lifestyle.

Yin Yoga Classes

  • Online - Tuesdays 7-8:15pm
  • Dalton le Dale Parish Hall - Every Wednesday 4-5:15pm

The Next Yin Yoga Workshops

  • Sunday 29th January - 2-4:30pm - book

 

Workshops & Courses

Yin Yoga Extended Practice
Sunday 26th March
2-4:30pm
£20
Book

Yoga Nidra & Soundbath
Thursday 20th April
6:30pm
£15
Book

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