Elements of a Yin Yoga class
[ld_video]
You have to watch the whole video to mark it as finished.
Gravity
- Concept: Allowing gravity to carry the body deeper into each position, without forcing it into the stances.
- Goal: To find inner peace, rather than just seeking flexibility or appearance.
- Tip: Provide a variety of accessories to help use gravity effectively.
Immobility
- Concept: Finding stillness in the breath, body and thoughts.
- Challenge: Maintaining stances for prolonged periods can be uncomfortable.
- Practice: Notice sensations and emotions, and find silence in the breath. Let the students choose between deepening exhalations/inspirations or following the natural flow of the breath.
Balance
- Concept: Seeking balance and harmony, key principles in Ancient Taoism.
- Benefit: Achieving physical and emotional balance, especially important in fast-paced lifestyles.
- Practice: Balancing exercise with rest, and plastic tissues (joints, bones) with elastic tissues (muscles, skin).
Time
- Comparison: Yin Yoga classes hold postures for 3 to 10 minutes, in contrast to 1-3 minutes in Yang-style classes.
- Practice: Keep track of the time with a clock or phone and tell the students the midpoint of each stance.
Modifications with Accessories
- Importance: Provide various modifications to ensure safe and comfortable practice.
- Options: Use supports, blocks and other accessories to adapt the postures to the students’ individual needs.
Uniqueness
- Concept: Avoid pain and seek your personal limit with light tension.
- Tip: Encourage the use of accessories to adjust postures individually and allow students to understand and respect their own limits.
Cold
- Practice: Yin Yoga requires no prior warm-up, as the focus is on the deeper connective tissue.
- Benefit: Relaxed muscles help achieve the goal of Yin Yoga.
