Do you feel overwhelmed by endless to do lists? Are you stressed from work, university or a busy family life? For many people, busy has become the new “norm” due to more stimulation than we have ever seen before. We have transformed the way we live so it's not surprising that increased levels of anxiety, stress and stimulation are keeping us on edge all day and insomnia at night. That’s where yin yoga can be of benefit. Beginning with some mindfulness, a lot of stillness and self-love, you can start the journey to yin yoga to experience a powerful practice to help you relax, rejuvenate and reconnect to your true self.

What is Yin Yoga?
Yin Yoga, is a quiet yoga practice with long held poses structured to access your connective tissues, while healing both your physical and energetic body. The tissues accessed by yin yoga are responsible for 47% of your body's limited range of motion. By holding specific yoga asanas (poses) for 3-20 minutes, can create ample space to allow rest and relaxation into our lives; while offering fascinating new depths of flexibility and quiet peaceful thoughts into our busy minds.

In addition to the physical benefits of yin yoga, there are a myriad of psycho-emotional advantages to this practice. Drawn from the lineage of traditional Chinese medicine, yin yoga stimulates the movement of chi through twelve distinct meridian lines where we store many of our deepest emotions. Through extended holds, we create ample space for our bodies to energetically release these emotions and create a sense of clarity, calm and truth.

Benefits of Yin Yoga

• Calm and balanced mind and body.
• Increased functional mobility of the yin tissues, which occupies 1/2 of our whole bodies functional mobility.
• Increased flexibility, range of motion, and durability of the joint.
• Reduced stress and anxiety.
• Deep rest and relaxation through mindful living.
• Preserves moisture of tissues.
• Increased circulation.
• Helps us to keep doing the things we are inevitably going to do for longer.
• Stimulates flow of qi (energy) to our organs, based on Daoist Traditional Chinese Medicine.
• Freedom from deep and long held emotional and physical restrictions.

How Yin Yoga is Unique
Finding Stillness: Your yin tissues are accessed in times of stillness - by relaxing your muscles and sinking into a space of non-rigid stillness. If you feel pain or sharpness allow moments of gentle movement and readjustment to uncover a place of stillness.

Find your edge: Your edge is your sweet spot, where sensation meets intensity, meets deep feeling. This is not a place of strain or pain. We go to our edge in yin yoga in order to encourage energetic flow and healing.

Holding Time: Yin poses are held anywhere from 3-20 minutes. Yin tissues are more plastic than elastic and require time to expand. 

Many yoga practitioners relish the quiet space in yin yoga. From resolving the pains of arthritis, mobility, and flexibility, yin yoga is a powerful tool to add to your repertoire of healing modalities. 

Yin Yoga, is a quiet yoga practice with long held poses structured to access your connective tissues, while healing both your physical and energetic body. The tissues accessed by yin yoga are responsible for 47% of your body's limited range of motion. By holding specific yoga asanas (poses) for 3-20 minutes, we can create ample space to allow rest and relaxation into our lives; while offering new depths of flexibility and quiet peaceful thoughts into our overthinking minds.

Practice these postures sequentially as listed above, allowing for 3-6 minutes in each pose.  The postures that are suggested here can be held for less time if needed.  Be certain to honor your practice, and release sooner or change the angle of the pose if you begin to feel pain or sharp sensation arises.  Get creative with how you navigate your experience, and be sure to give yourself at least 1-2 minutes between postures, especially when first practicing Yin. Static, muscular holds and even some slow, controlled dynamic movement are also appropriate ways to transition.  It is normal to feel some fragility as you exit a posture, and that sensation may stay present for a minute or two. Finish your practice with Savasana for at least 5-10 minutes.


Caution: Not all yoga poses are suitable for everyone. Always consult your health care provider before practicing yoga or any other exercise program. The information provided in this blog is strictly for reference only and is not in any manner a substitute for medical advice.

The hips are the center of the body, connecting the upper body and the legs. Ancient yogis name this location in our bodies as the resting place of kundalini-shakti energy. When our hips are strong, balanced and flexible, they are the foundation for a yoga practice and a life that hold those same qualities.

Lizard Pose or Utthan Pristhasana in Sanskrit, comes from the words Utthan meaning “stretching out” and Pristha meaning “back of the body.” An alternate translation of Pristha is “page of a book,” an appropriate description as we hold many of our emotions in our hips. Lizard pose opens the hips and hamstrings while strengthening the inner thigh muscles of the front leg. The hips store an abundance of emotions so this stretch not only helps the muscles but also helps to release that stored energy allowing for healing and strength. Tight hamstrings are an indication of feeling stuck in our lives so this pose also helps us take on new strides and abound to new wonderful moments in our yoga journey.
 
How to do Lizard Pose

Begin in Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana), step your right foot forward between your hands. Heel-toe your foot towards the edge of your mat, so that your foot is slightly wider than your shoulders.

Let your hips grow heavy, so that they settle forward and down. Begin to walk your hands forwards until you are able to come down on to your forearms (You may place your forearms on the ground, or on a block). Either rest your hands palms facing down on the mat (as seen in the picture), or bring your hands together in prayer position.

Extend your heart forward, lengthening the spine. Try to soften the heart and draw the shoulder blades together, taking heed not to round your back.

Keep your right knee hugging towards your midline to get into the inner hip and thigh area of your right leg. You can keep your left knee lifted with your leg active, or for a more restorative version, you can lower your left knee (as seen in the picture).

Tips: 
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Don’t worry if the forearms can’t come down onto the mat just yet. Work on softening into the hips as much as possible, and try placing a block underneath the elbows as you begin to find more openness in your hips. For those with sensitive knees, place some padding underneath the knee such as a rolled up yoga towel or fold your yoga mat over for extra cushion for the knee. Repeat other side (if needed).

There’s a tendency to drop the head and collapse through the chest in Lizard Pose. Keeping the head and neck aligned with the spine by lifting the chin slightly and sending the gaze forward allows for more extension along the body (rather than contraction).


Caution:  Those suffering from hip, groin or knee injuries should avoid this pose. Also, those who have had any recent surgery of the abdomen, thorax, hips or legs should not attempt this pose.
 

​Yin Yoga is a non-heated, slow-paced style of yoga in which asanas (postures), are held for longer times (sometimes for 5-10 minutes). This spiritual, meditative style of yoga is beneficial for recovery after injury, pain management and enhancing the mind-body connection. While more active yang styles, such as vinyasa yoga, focus on movement with the breath, strengthening and toning, yin is the opposite. Yin yoga targets the deep connective tissues, known as the fascia, within the body. This meditative style helps regulate energy flow throughout the body.
 
Yin Yoga Poses
Most yin poses are seated or reclined postures. You follow a more meditative approach to release tension from the fascia. Meditation is an important component to this style of yoga. You might initially struggle with sitting still and working through feelings and sensations that come up during each posture. Cultivating a meditative mindset is important for finding spiritual stillness, harmony and balance. Yin teaches you to truly sit still and listen to your body. Often it can be difficult to find moments of stillness and surrender. In yin practice, it is the perfect time to come into one's own body and mind, accept what is, and simply learn to be. This spiritual practice is important for working through not only physical limitations, but also past emotional ordeals.
 
Benefits of Yin Yoga
Benefits of a non-heated yin practice include: regulating energy levels in the body; calming and balancing the mind and body; increasing mobility, especially in the joints and hips; lower stress levels; and faster recovery from injury. Releasing tension from the fascia not only for movement, stamina and flexibility, but also achieving greater relaxation. Once you get into a regular practice, you can sit still longer for meditation and find the practice of meditating more rewarding and calming.