Moons + Meridians
The following are the props, guidelines, and ย principals that will help to support you in your practice! Please read before practicing. Thank you!
Yoga Props
Practicing Safely
Skip to Yin Yoga Overview
Yin Yoga Props
Watch this 5 minute video to learn about what props are needed and how to modify yoga props with household items!ย
โ The 3 Guiding Principles
#1 Safety
The first guiding principal when moving into a shape/pose is to find what I like to call a safe edge. Also referred to as the 'Goldilocks position', this is when you move into a stretch that will allow your body to relax fully while still experiencing a sensation that will challenge your tissues in a constructive way. (Sensations will be anything from mild, to medium, to spicy!) The sensation will likely shift at different points within the stretch and it's also likely that at the beginning of a stretch, the body's natural protective reflex will kick in, making sure that your range of motion is within it's healthy limit. This reflex will relax after about 60-90 seconds, once the body can see that you are not in harms way & provided you're not too deep into a stretch. Too much sensation will alert the body to hold and resist while too little sensation will not challenge the tissues of the body to change. The depth of stretch will depend on the degree in which your body is capable of fully releasing into Stillness. (Props are ALLIES in being able to access this level of release and letting go of resistance).ย
#2 Stillness
The second guiding principal of the physical practice is to resolve to still the body in each pose or shape. Props are highly recommended to support you in being able to fully surrender to stillness. There will likely be a tendency to fidget and move around unnecessarily. The goal is to remain still until you are cued to come out or when your body feels complete. In my personal practice, I use a timer to keep me on track and accountable for the desired time in any given shape. If need be, always come out of a shape if your body is in pain, experiencing numbness or overly uncomfortable. (We will go into more detail of how long to remain in a posture in the shapes/poses content).
#3 Space
The third principle of the physical practice is actually energetic in nature; Space. This is where the fruits of your commitment to safety + stillness give rise to a sense of spaciousness within the body and mind. This is where your body begins to expand and soften from the inside and the space between your thoughts begin to widen. It is here where time ceases and to-do lists dissolve. Here, you shift into the mysterious, vast space of nothingness. It is in this space that the deepest medicine of yin yoga is accessed.
Overview of Yin Yoga
"We use the shapes as a way to access the body rather than the body as a way to access the shapes." - Mike Ninomiya (my Dao Yin teacher)
A brief explanation of Yin Yoga...
This practice aims to support the release of deeply held tensions in the connective tissues of the body (known as fascia) as well as support the distribution of energy throughout the jin Jing lines of the body (also known as fascia). Areas of tension + blockage have an opportunity to dissolve and areas of excessive energy have an opportunity to diffuse. In effect, energy distribution has an opportunity to flow more evenly + easily throughout the meridians = a more optimal state of health and vibrancy!
A deeper look ๐...
Fascia is the most pervasive tissue in the body and is a container for all constituents of the body. It wraps around each muscle fiber and it encompasses your internal organs to suspend them in your abdominal cavity. Fascia is what gives your body its' shape + form as well as transmits information throughout the entire body.
Meridians are energy channels, or 'rivers' that carry energy through a particular route. Acupoints are distinct landmarks throughout the meridian that are of particular importance in moving energy. (These are the points that acupuncturists put needles in).
The slower pace + longer holds of each shape give an opportunity to influence the transformation of tough, tense fascia into more mobile, fluid tissues. This allows for energy to flow more freely and for the shape of the body to be in its' more natural state (verses chronically tense/contracted).
Your attention + breath will be guided to specific areas of your body (meridian lines + acupoints) to influence the release of tension + invite flow of energy. These areas correlate to the influencing Moon as well as the season.โ๏ธ๐ฑโ๏ธ๐
๐๐จ E N E R G Y F L O W S W H E R E Y O U R A T T E N T I O N G O E S
*IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:
It is important to understand that to be balanced + resilient, we need both healthy tension and resting length in our tissues. Yin yoga is not a standalone practice, it is meant to compliment yang-style practices that are more dynamic + strength oriented. Read more about it in Yoga Journal HERE.
It is important to practice with mindfulness + awareness of your body's history to prevent injury.
I once had a student in Denver who came to my yin class for the first time. While in a front-of-the-shoulder stretch, her shoulder popped out of socket and she began moaning and rolling around on the floor, causing a scene. Fortunately, her companion knew how to resolve this (hang all body weight from a bar) and the issue was quickly resolved. She disclosed to me later that this was a re-occurring theme with her shoulder and that she should have known not to go that far into the stretch.
These practices will be offered in a manner that is safe + supportive to joints + body tissues, but please keep in mind that only you have the awareness of your bodies' history. You will have to strengthen your capacity to discern where the 'Goldilocks' position for each shape is in your body to avoid any potential injury. It is important to not OVERSTRETCH vulnerable areas of the body which mainly include:
- unstable/hyper-mobile joints
- injured sites
- inflamed areas
- and ligaments
