Restorative (Yin) Yoga

Most of my practice revolves around an Ashtanga flow.   I do this for a number of reasons.   I find the physicality of it refreshing and challenging.   Combined with my breathing,  I can forget myself for the hour or so it takes me to work through the primary series poses that I can accomplish (some I cannot do).   Doing it at a continual pace allows me an aerobic workout and, finally,  it just makes me feel good.  

At my age I need a break from the daily challenges of 15 to 20 Sun Salutations plus the other poses that are part of the Ashtanga flow.   It is not an easy practice and there are days I just need to take off.    I do not, however, need to take a break from Yoga.   This is where Yin yoga helps my practice.  

Yin is a slow-paced style of yoga with postures or asanas that are held for comparatively long periods of time.   Depending if the pose is bi-lateral  (meaning you work each side separately) or uni-lateral,  I generally hold the poses either 3 or five minutes.  Most of the poses work ligaments and tendons and fascia (fibrous tissue) as well as general muscle groups.   The poses are almost exclusively done seated or laying down.   This is quite similar to the Yoga that I did in college and high school.

Many of the poses are focused on hips and lower back (as well as other areas) and when in position,  you control the intensity and the level of discomfort.    I find with the hips especially,   you can really feel the stretch and there is a level of discomfort  (I would not call it pain) that you  control.    For example.   The Pigeon or Swan Pose is held for at least 3 minutes and the level of discomfort in your hips can be very startling when you do the pose for the first time.  The goal of this pose is to make the bended leg as close to a 90 degree position as possible and to have the hip of that bended leg be flush on the floor.  The action of moving the lower leg forward and moving the hip flush to the floor can be felt very readily in the hip.   It is a great feeling once you surrender to the pose.




A Yin session in class or home session is intense in the sense that you are in difficult poses for an extended period of time.    It is not a hot class and I find that is is a very mellow experience.   When I am done with a session,  I have a much greater feeling of relaxation that I do after a flow session.  I also have worked on areas of my body that are not normally addressed by a flow session.

I really love some of the poses.   I can sit for a long time in Baddhakonasana (Butterfly) where your feet are out in front of you touching  (and the distance closer works your abductors more and further works your hamstrings more) and you are bent forward.   It is a zen like experience after a time.  







I use a book called  "The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga" by Bernie Clark.  It is a really good book. The link to the inside of the book on Amazon is below.

Complete Guide to Yin Yoga