72 A JOURNEY INTO YIN YOGA
My hope is that after you have read this overview of human anatomy, you
have an understanding of the physical effects of practicing yin yoga. If you
would like to dive even deeper, know that entire books are dedicated purely
to the topic of fascia. See the bibliography for some suggestions. But what you
should understand at a minimum is that throughout the body is connective
tissue that unites the various parts of the body and performs sophisticated
functions. What happens in one area of the body ripples through the entire
body. If this network of connective tissue becomes unhealthy, then the entire
system suffers.Good Pain Versus Bad Pain
As a yoga practitioner, it is important to be able to discern the difference between
good pain and bad pain. Part of the human experience is to feel natural discomfort
within the body. Inevitably, in your yin yoga practice you will be in positions where you
encounter difficult sensations, and this is quite normal. If you have been to a massage
therapist, then you understand what good pain is. They frequently take their thumb
or elbow and dig into knots of tension within your body. While this is happening, it
doesn’t feel all that good, and you might even notice a grimace on your face. But
what happens after they finish working out the knot of tension? Chances are, you
feel tremendous relief. Hopefully, the massage therapist also brought a certain level
of sensitivity to the process. Even though they were digging into the muscle tissue,
there should have been a quality of respect. When this happens, you will most likely
return to that therapist for further treatment.
Your yin yoga practice, in a way, is like getting a massage. The main difference
is that you are both the giver and the receiver of the massage. This means that if
you are attuned to your body, then you should be able to find that perfect spot of
discomfort that is beneficial without being too much.
How do you know whether it is bad pain? Feeling sharpness, numbness, or a burn-
ing sensation is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. In this case,
you have a few options. First, you can try backing out of the pose. Sometimes you
have just gone too deep too fast, and the body isn’t ready for that depth. Second,
you might want to explore one of the modifications offered in the pose descriptions.
Sometimes using a prop for support can help immediately. Any time the body loses
anatomical integrity, the law of compensation kicks in. In the event of misalignment,
other areas of the body are forced to compensate, and usually this strains these areas.
Last, sometimes because of the way your body is built, some positions will never
feel right. It doesn’t matter how much stretching you do, the pose won’t improve. In
this case, find a variation that exposes the same muscle groups but is more suitable
for your body.
Bone grinding into bone is never a good sign. Always look for the stretch within
the deep fascia. It is common when coming out of a long yin pose to feel tenderness
and sometimes a dull, achy sensation. Never rush yourself within the transitions. Allow
your body the time that it needs to adjust to the deep stretch that it just experienced.
Bring mindfulness into each and every movement.