“Am I doing it right?”
“Where am I supposed to be feeling it?”
“How long do my self-care practices have to be for me to get a benefit?”
These are questions that I’ve consistently heard from students over the years both on and off the yoga mat. In a world that favors an ethos of “more, faster, bigger, and more complex” as better, it can be quite revolutionary to slow down – and both physically and mentally uncomfortable to do so. And yet, so many of us say we want more space in our lives, less stress and tension in our bodies, and less anxiety in our minds.
Yin Yoga is a passive, quiet type of yoga with longer holds and usage of many supportive props, that embodies and emphasizes slowing down, going inward and giving our bodies – and most importantly, our minds – ample time to do less or nothing at all.
The philosophy of Yin Yoga comes from the ancient Chinese text, the Tao Te Ching: a collection of profound aphorisms that emphasizes a middle way, a path of less extremes, a life that elevates gentleness as true strength.
We can attend a Yin Yoga or Restorative Yoga or slower-paced yoga class to embody this path. We can also practice this philosophy off our mats, in daily tasks and responsibilities, by multi-tasking less, choosing simplicity whenever possible, and taking time to breathe deeply.
“Gentleness and flexibility bring the results that force and rigidity fail to achieve.”
– William Martin From a Path and a Practice
How you do something is just as important, if not more important than what you do. For example, if you shame or guilt trip yourself on the days you don’t make it to your mat, can you really say yoga is a healing and helpful modality for you? It is better to do less, done well, than to cram as much as we possibly can into our busy lives of what we deem “good” and “healthy.”
The foundation of Yin philosophy is to not underestimate the power of simplicity. There can be a common misconception that the solution to our complicated problems must be a complicated answer. However, oftentimes it is not that we need to add something to our lives, but rather we need to distill and simplify, so our innate gifts and passions can bubble up to the surface.
We cannot be creative without having space in our lives and minds to come up with new ideas.
And we cannot have space without rest. They go hand in hand. The nature of space is inherently restful.
When we have space in our bodies, we have more freedom and ease in our joints and muscles and less constriction and tension.
When we have space in our lives, not everything is a task or responsibility, and some things are done just for the sheer joy of it. And we play!
I could have easily written a blog about the 5 benefits of Yin Yoga or the 3 reasons you should get a massage or take a bubble bath, but I intentionally leave space for you to compassionately reflect on your life and where there may or may not be space, what true rest looks like for you and how to meet yourself with gentleness in this very moment.
I will leave you with this passage from the Tao:
“Understanding that we are capable for our lives, we stop exhausting ourselves and begin enjoying ourselves.”
Want to practice stillness and rest with us at Blooma? Check out these offerings:
Get Trained to Teach Yin Yoga at the Yin Yoga Teacher Training Oct 25-27th, 2024
Get a Massage Mon-Sun at our Minneapolis location
Take Restorative Yoga every Sunday online or in person at 7:30pm
Take Slow Flow every week Tues/Wed online or in person at 7:30pm
Retreat with us this November 7-10th at Wild Rice Retreat Center in Bayfield, WI
– Meghan Foley is a Yoga Therapist, Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer. She will be leading the Yin Yoga Teacher Training this October at Blooma. You can find her on the weekly schedule for 9:30am Flow Yoga on Fridays in person or online.
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