om body
you offer your body a little patience and
kindness it will respond in a more positive
way. It’s the same for life really: often the
more we surrender the easier things flow.
Yin is a gentle, very accessible practice,
but gentle doesn’t always mean easy. Yin
can be a very challenging practice, but
in a quiet powerful way. We often have
this mind-set that we must be grunting,
struggling, rushing our way through life;
but there is actually great power in slowing
down, especially when it comes to cortisol
(the stress hormone). Yin taps into our
parasympathetic nervous system (tend and
befriend) which balances cortisol levels
within our bodies - the healing power of
slowing down is not to be underestimated.
Mind
Life is increasingly busy and our minds are
often cluttered, overwhelmed and lacking
in clarity and tranquillity. Yin offers an
opportunity to create some space to slow
down that constant flow of thoughts, that
never ending current of ‘to do’ lists (you know
they never end, don’t you?). It offers us space
to cultivate mindfulness. Initially as we drop
into a posture the mind may focus on the
subtle or stronger sensations of the shape
as the body melts into the posture. Then
once we allow the physical body to settle,
we practice awareness of the breath; the
breath allows in a little less past and future
and a little more ‘now’. It is the mind’s nature
to wander, we just do our best, to practice
keeping it still from moment to moment,
breath to breath. With time, we cultivate some
well needed space between our thoughts.
This for me is where the real magic happens.
Ultimately, it is a practice for the mind.
Soul
Every emotion we experience is held in
the consciousness of our cells deep down.
Although the initial emotional reaction of
anger or upset may pass in hours, days
or weeks, our cells still hold onto this long
after the emotional reaction has passed.
Ever wondered why you shed a few tears in
your yin class (we’ve all been there!)? This
is why we are creating space in our tissues
- often referred to as the meridian tissues
for our energy (prana/chi) - to flow a little
better, and with this balance and flow of
energy we release trapped emotions. Some
of these have been embedded deep down
for years, so the odd tears are a good sign
in yin; it means you are mastering the art of
letting go. Trapped emotions do not serve
us well and I strongly believe that if they are
not released this can manifest in disease.
We know stress is one of the most harmful
toxins in our bodies, so with the guidance
of an experienced teacher yin can be a safe
place to cultivate a release of what is not
serving you.
To soothe ourselves we often look
outward, to external sources such as food,
alcohol or television. These things may offer
some temporary relief from our emotions,
but it is superficial. For a deeper, long lasting
soothing, it is necessary to look inward.
Whilst it is not a necessity to have a
formal specialist yin qualification to teach,
yin is certainly not a slow Hatha class. There
are key fundamentals that make it such a
unique way to practice. We should try not to
take yang mind-sets or teachings into our
yin class. For the student’s experience, and
progression in both body and mind, seeking
out a yin trained teacher is important. The
gifts of yin potentially may take months
or years rather than days or a week to
reveal themselves. But the validity of the
experience is not something you can read or
intellectualise, it has to be experienced and
embodied in mind, body and soul.Theories of practice
Long held postures: The ‘yin tissues’ do
not respond in the same way the ‘yang
tissues’ do, therefore a different way to
train them is needed. While muscles require
movement and repetition to gain in strength,
the yin tissues are less elastic in their nature;
they are more plastic, therefore require
gentle, long-held postures applying a safe
amount of stress to keep them healthy.
Stillness & softening: We cultivate
stillness to allow our bodies and minds to
calm and settle. The stillness in yin isn’t
feeling like you are frozen and can’t move,
it’s a feeling of being comfortable and at
ease with the present moment.
Let go of perfection: In yin we honour
when our body is at its edge. We apply
manageable stress to the body, and
then patiently wait; it’s finding that sweet
balance between feeling a deep, subtle
intense challenge, but being able to remain
calm, settled and quiet. Yin should never
be painful, but switching off that striving
yang nature can be very challenging for
many students. It takes time and practice
to cultivate a nature of surrender. Keep
reminding yourself it’s never about how the
shape looks it’s about how it feels for you as
the individual.Carliann Langley is a yoga and
meditation teacher based in Liverpool
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