OmYogaMagazineFebruary2019

A gentle yin sequence based on the swan series of poses. By Regina Kerschbaumer

I

n yin yoga we cultivate a beginner’s mind. The names of the

postures have deliberately been changed so that nobody can

say you are doing it incorrectly. It it is not about alignment, it

is about the functionality of the ‘shape’

In yin yoga we reach beyond the superficial muscle tissues

and delve deep into our joints. Tendons and ligaments are yin

tissues which are targeted and stretched to improve the flexibility of

our joints. The muscles need to be relaxed and soft when we stretch

in a yin way. Yin yoga creates space in the body and also space in

the mind – stillness.

You can create a soft fluid sequence completing the whole of

Swan Sequence

one side and then continue into a symmetrical forward bend or a

back bend – creating an intersection between the two sides - before

completing the asymmetrical postures on the other side.

Students may prefer to do the ‘perfect’ pose – sleeping swan (the

yin name for the pigeon) possibly because it feels so much deeper

and looks so much more impressive than the other versions of swan.

I always remind them it is not about the aesthetics – it is all about

the functionality.

I sometimes teach all of the swan variations in a sequence

because the target areas are so different in the back leg and this

way students can really feel the benefit in the variations.

yin yoga