Embracing the Yin
While
I’ve been practicing yoga for several years, I’m a recent convert to a Yin
practice. Yin is the feminine – the
opposite of an active masculine Yang practice. As a type A personality, in the
past I’ve avoided Yin because I wasn’t certain that I had the patience for the
practice. But I’ve learned that only means I needed to cultivate my Yin side to
be a balanced person.
Ultimately,
I gave a Yin yoga class a try because my friend Gina is the instructor and the
class was moved to a time that worked for me. I was a bit hesitant. In a Yin
practice, one holds an asana or pose for several minutes. The poses concentrate on the muscles and
joints of the lower part of the body – particularly the hips. I wrongly
believed that what is truly a loving kindness to myself would not really serve
me well because the poses seem almost gentle.
But
I was wrong. Despite the restorative aspects of a Yin practice, I could feel
that my muscles had been stretched the next day. The quiet and seemingly gentle practice has
helped to ground me. I’ve developed a fresh appreciation for the emotional,
psychological and physical benefits to Yin, which has enriched my capacity for
meditation and dealing with long buried, unresolved past issues that I’ve kept
bottled within.
Opening
myself to new experiences, such as this Yin practice has helped to deepen my
spirituality, my ability to self reflect, and my journey to peace and serenity.
I am grateful to my teachers for sharing their journeys and to Jill, the yogini
who operates my local yoga studio and makes it all possible.
Namaste!
Yin
Yang
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