There is increasing scientific evidence confirming the positive effects of yoga on health, both physical and mental. Regular practice of the asanas of this ancient discipline provides innumerable benefits for the body and mind. Among them, increased flexibility, endurance or strength, as well as greater emotional balance, self-confidence or self-assurance.

Although all varieties of yoga provide these benefits, it is also true that each of them stands out for one in particular. Thus, one of the best-known styles, Hatha Yoga, focuses more on body work, that is, on postures or asanas; On the other hand, Kundalini Yoga is a more energetic variety, and Iyengar Yoga It focuses above all on postural correction.

Another of the specialties with the most practitioners is Yin yoga. This style was created by Paulie Zink, a martial arts champion and Taoist yoga teacher, in the late 1970s. Zink decided to combine asanas from Hatha Yoga, Taoist Yoga and other disciplines that he himself developed, and as a result of this fusion, Yin Yoga was born.

slow and deep

Yin yoga has its roots in Hatha yoga, one of the most practiced styles in the world, but it has its specific characteristics. One of them is that Their asanas are held in a relaxed manner for between 2 and 5 minutes. This allows the practitioner to enter the posture in a much deeper and more conscious way. Thus, it is possible to calm the mind, balance the energy (prana) that circulates through the body’s channels (nadis) and prepares us to enter meditation.

Furthermore, Yin yoga does not seek to activate the muscles. The idea is to relax and stretch the muscles. In fact, what is done is working on the deeper tissues, the connective tissues: fascia, ligaments, tendons, joints and synovial fluid. It is also about mobilizing the energy that circulates through these tissues in order to recover or maintain balance, and therefore, physical, mental and emotional health.

It is a passive yoga, so experts like yoga teacher Xuan Lan advise compensating your practice with other more active styles such as hatha yoga or the Vinyasa yoga. It is, according to the wellness expert, the best way to balance the excesses and defects of Western habits. Recovering that stability is key to maintaining good health. An idea that has its origins in Chinese medicine, since this discipline identifies illness with imbalance. Therefore, by balancing forces, we once again enjoy the lost health.

two opposing forces

In Yin yoga there is a key concept: the balance of forces. Yin and yang are two opposing forces that are not only found in nature, they are also located in the body and mind. In reality, these forces do not confront each other, but rather complement each other, and therefore, they should be in balance and harmony. And for this, the practice of Yin yoga can be very useful.

Concrete a little more, Yin is slow, soft, passive, cold… It is also identified with the moon, the earth, the night, femininity, water and earth. On the contrary, yan is fast, hard, active and hot and it is also associated with fire, the sun, masculinity and day.

If we transfer these concepts to yoga, yin would be the most passive postures, such as savasana or corpse pose; and the yan would be related to the most active asanas such as utkatasana or chair pose. Additionally, in Yin Yoga specific asana sequences are used to stimulate our vital energy through the energy channels to reach a deep level of relaxation.

What is a Yin Yoga class like?

Let’s get down to practice, which is how you can best understand what meditation yoga consists of.

A Yin yoga class is, above all, a static session in which an atmosphere of introspection is created that favors meditation. A space where the most important thing is to allow feelings and emotions emerge without any obstacles getting in your way.

To do this, it is useful to maintain the posture, with no other intention than to be aware of ourselves, without doing or thinking about anything other than the energy that runs through the body. energy channels and our mere presence in the room.

In short, a Yin yoga class uses those Hatha yoga postures in which yin is most present, that is, asanas focused on deep stretches, such as the lizard posture. Additionally, as we have already mentioned, each posture is held for between 2 and 5 minutes. The time we are in the same posture is essential to enter the posture much more, reach the deepest tissues and promote energy balance.

why do yin yoga?

Although there are countless reasons to practice this style of yoga, below we have collected some of the most convincing. Some are shared with the rest of the styles, and others are specific to Yin yoga:

• Helps you be in a state of deep relaxation to enter into meditation.
• Unlock energetic knots and mobilizes energy.
• Revitalizes the energy.
• Improves the confidence and self-esteem.
• Increases the flexibility and contributes stability to the joints.

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