The first pose of your first Yin Yoga class is kinda like sitting at a “stupid” stop light (as opposed to a “smart” light that changes when you approach the intersection) for a full five minutes at 3am with no other cars in sight. You sit and you sit. Now imagine sitting in an extremely uncomfortable position for that full five minutes. The wait seems interminable. Torturous. Now do it for 90 minutes.
If you’ve never done Yin (yeah, that’s what us Yinners call it), the horror stories can put you off, but don’t listen to the one timers who whine about how painful it is, or the Yang yogis who think Yin is for wimps because it doesn’t make you feel like Arnold (yes, that Arnold).
The key to Yin Yoga--a very recent (and American) addition to the yoga family of styles—is coming back the second time. And then the third. Cause it’s about the third or fourth class that you really start to get it. Or more accurately, your body starts to get it and it starts feeling good to stay in a stretch so long. Your body actually starts craving it.
Creator Paulie Zink designed Yin Yoga to be the perfect complement to the dynamic and muscular (or yang) styles of yoga that emphasize internal heat, and the lengthening and contracting of our muscles. Yin targets the connective tissues, such as the ligaments, bones, and even the joints of the body that normally are not exercised very much in a more active style of asana practice.
I love Yin because you get to use what I affectionately call yoga toys—blocks, straps, bolsters, and blankets—to support your static stretches. And instead of the yang or vinyasa style which moves you smoothly from one pose to the next, in Yin you hold each of the 15 or so asanas, most of which are seated, for 3-5 minutes.
Yin Yoga generally targets the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and lower spine. So if your kids can sit comfortably in Sukasana (or "criss-cross, apple-sauce" for those not fluent in Sanskrit) and your hips are about as tight as a suspension bridge, Yin Yoga is for you.Click HERE to see a sneak peek of Yin Yoga.
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