"We do not use the body to get into the pose, we use the pose to get into the body"-Bernie Clark

There are many ways to practice yoga and even more reasons why people are drawn to practice. It is undeniable that the physical benefits of yoga are many, and the mental and physiological benefits unfold when we become more aware and allow them the time and space to be realized. But it is inevitable that in order to develop a practice that is truly embodied and informative, as opposed to performative, requires the cultivation of discernment.

Discernment (Viveka in sanskrit) is the ability to tell the difference between what is seen and unseen, what is real and unreal, and what is known and unknown. Discernment requires you to pay attention, to make choices that serve you well and to know when your ego is getting in the way. Does your practice, your teacher, your routine allow for discernment when you step on to your mat? Do you feel pressure to do what you are told, to go deeper, to perform some feat that creates strain or even pain? Do you have full agency over your practice and are you developing a solid set of tools to navigate the inevitability of change & suffering?

If the preceding questions made you pause then maybe you need to incorporate a Yin Yoga practice into your life. A Yin practice is the ideal method in which to develop the skill of discernment especially if you find that the current way you practice does not create the atmosphere in which to do so. It is often said the Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga (which is Yin like in theory but different than Yin Yoga in practice) are the two most advanced practices in that they ask us to break from conditioning, to do less and not more, to listen and allow as opposed to push and progress. They balance the Yang aspects of so much of our lives. Yet both practices also require you to turn inward, to sit with yourself and your body in relative stillness and observe what arises. To be a Participant Observer, without judgement and without expectation. And for some people that may be a hard request.

I have been offering Restorative Yoga classes regularly and believe that a Restorative practice is not only beneficial for the individual, but for the community as a whole. Being well rested and regulated is a gift not just to yourself, but to all of those around you. Restorative Yoga encourages you to be effortless & supported by props, to activate your rest & digest response, and to drop into a state of deep conscious rest. Yin Yoga, on the other had, is a bit more of a mental and physical challenge as it builds resilience, which is why discernment is so crucial to practicing safely and effectively. So what is Yin Yoga?

Yin Yoga is a slow, meditative practice that focuses on bringing balance to our Yin/Yang energy (chi or prana) by stimulating and opening the meridian pathways (energy channels like nadis) through long holds of postures that create controlled sensation and stress on the connective tissues of the body and around the joints. As Sarah Powers says "Yin Yoga can be considered both preventative and restorative…When we practice Yin Yoga, we enrich the quality of chi by slowing down and surrendering to our experience. This unhurried and unambitious attitude, combined with the ability to feel deeply attentive to our bodies diminishes our stress levels and allows our system to discharge excess tensions that have built up through unaware living as well as past frozen traumas that are locked in our tissues."

Yin Yoga explores the depths of sensation in a posture to:

• remove blockages: from emotions, from stress, from trauma, from physical injury;
• to calm the central nervous system and cool the limbic system (stored emotions).
• to "stress" yin tissues, and load them (not stretch them) appropriately. Ligaments and tendons are strengthened, joints lubricated, fascia releases.

And the three Tatvas, or principles, of a Yin practice really rely on our ability to build discernment.

1. We first come into the pose to an appropriate depth, learning how and when to play our physical, emotional and mental edge.
2. We then resolve to remain still.
3. We hold the pose for a length of time (3-5 minutes) and sit with what arises mentally and physically.

In order to do this properly we must be able to decipher the difference between discomfort and pain and ensure we are not feeding our ego. Yin yoga has nothing to do with how the pose looks and has everything to do with how the pose feels.

I am offering Yin Yoga & Self-Myofascial release class as part of my Sunday Reset Series this coming Sunday, February 23rd, and while the class is full due to limited space I wanted to share the knowledge and importance of embracing the qualities of a Yin-like practice into your life. If there is interest I would love to host a Yin series this coming Spring. Be in touch if learning more about Yin Yoga is of interest to you. In the meantime you can still find space in my Monthly Restorative Yoga Classes and the last of my Sunday Reset classes in March will focus on Restorative Yoga & Self-Lymphatic Massage. I will leave you with a quote that has always resonated with me and I hope resonates with you as well as you contemplate more opportunities to invite Yin into your life:

“Be content with what you have;

Rejoice in the way things are.

When you realize there is nothing lacking,

The whole world belongs to you”

~Lao Tzu