Yin Yoga

What is Yin Yoga?

Yin yoga penetrates deep into connective tissue expanding flexibility while stimulating the nadis or meridians to loosen energetic blockages and increase energy flow. This improves both physical and emotional functions of the body.

Yin yoga is a passive approach to yoga where you perform the majority of the poses seated on the floor or laying down. The poses are held for longer periods of time (3 - 5 minutes). Props such as bolsters or blocks are often used to support the body. Yin yoga is very different to Yang styles of yoga, which are more dynamic, energetic and powerful styles such as Vinyasa flow, Power and Ashtanga.

Meridian Channels:

Liver
Gallbladder
Stomach
Spleen
Kidney
Urinary Bladder
Heart
Small Intestines
Pericardium
Triple Burner (the three burning spaces, the triple burner, refers to the division of the torso into upper, middle and lower).

Yin Poses:

Ankle pose
Cat tail pose
Dragon pose
Twisted dragon
Twisted roots pose
Shoelace pose
Square pose
Stirred up pose
Reclined butterfly
Dangling
Catterpillar
Saddle
Upward swan
Sleeping swan
Dragonfly
Sphinx
Seal
Rolling panda
Snail
Frog

Postures on the legs would be held for around 5 mins, arms/shoulders for around 3 mins.

Between each pose the body would be reset with a pose such as childs, savasana, downdog style resting poses. This would beld for about 2 minutes between poses.

The practice would end with meditation, maybe seated or savasana (corpse pose).

Myofascia

Fascia or myofascia is the dense, tough tissue which surrounds and covers all of your muscles and bones.

When myofascia becomes damaged or traumatised it can become too tight causing a number of issues: