Yin yoga - What is it and why do we do it?

Yin yoga is a more modern style of yoga which was first culturally recognised in the 1970's/1980's. When you experience Yin yoga, you can feel that it has been created in direct response to, and as an antidote to, our modern, busy lives.

Yin yoga is a style that focuses on floor-based postures, and holding those postures for longer, i.e. up to and sometimes beyond the 3 minute mark. Using long deep breaths to allow the body to soften and the mind to remain present, but relaxed.

Yin yoga can be a challenge for those with busy minds and busy lives, as it feels like pressing down the off button on the movement of your body and mind. It requires that you are still, in a certain posture for longer periods, with no distraction. Much like meditation, when you become quiet, this is when your own thoughts, feelings and emotions can surface, and this is when practices such as Yin yoga allow you to feel more, in a safe environment, while the body and mind are relaxing.

Yin yoga invites us to be and remain fully present with our experience; thoughts, feelings, emotions, sensations, and uses the breath as an anchor to bring us back to the present moment. When resistance arises, it allows our bodies and minds to soften and let go. This process activates our sympathetic nervous system, or the rest and digest response, which helps us to improve our response to perceived negative stimuli in our external environment, off the mat.

If you want to experience Yin yoga, book onto an Evening Hatha & Yin class now.