YIN YOGA - Undo what you put your body through

Yin yoga is accessible to everyone… the only requirement for this style of yoga is that you have a body. Beyond the fact that everyone can do Yin Yoga, everyone can benefit from this practice. I consider my less flexible students to be at an advantage when practicing this style of yoga simply because they feel more sensation and therefore have the potential to connect their mind-body without having to contort their bodies too much. Our bodies speak to us through the language of sensation and learning to feel, accept and listen to our bodies is a big part of this practice. Only when we listen do we develop our intuition… our ability to discern what is wrong or right for us as individuals.
This increasingly popular Yin practice focuses on the tissues in the body that are considered Yin in nature; fascia, ligaments, bones, joints and organs. Many students are referred to me by their doctors or physiotherapists and my Yin Yoga students are a most diverse group of students. Some are government workers that sit at a desk all day and others are elite athletes that are seeking to undo all the pounding they put their bodies through. The athletes often tell me that they are not looking for another workout when they do yoga and they love the Yin because they feel so much more energized and flexible after a class.
Deep stretching of connective tissue, decompression of joints, nourishing of organ tissue and regulation of hormonal function are a few of the benefits that result from this practice. I consider Yin Yoga an anti-aging tool that slows down the physical effects of aging. As bipeds (meaning we walk around on two legs), the aging process causes us to become tighter in our hips and weaker in our upper bodies. The Yin practice counters this tendency. The Yin practice offers a different approach to dealing with life’s stresses. It is a tool that can help you increase your mental and physical health.