Yoga Types: Yin Yoga for Relaxation

Take time to unplug and unwind with yin yoga for relaxation. | photo © sherrie smith | dreamstime.com

Have you tried yin yoga? It’s a more passive style of yoga in which the poses are held for extended periods of time, from one to twenty minutes. This can facilitate relaxation, flexibility and patience. Yoga teacher Karen Faith holds a yin yoga class lasting two hours! Read on to learn more from her about yoga types: yin yoga for relaxation.

Yoga Types: Yin Yoga for Relaxation

Yin yoga is fast catching on among yoga practitioners.  Until recently, it could prove difficult for a studio to fill a Yin class because so many people want to get a workout from their yoga practice and go for Vinyasa or Ashtanga – Yang yoga practice.  Stillness and mindfulness are now being cultivated to combat stress, so meditation, Restorative and Yin yoga are attracting a larger following.  One of the keys values of a Yin practice is that of patience, a virtue sorely missing in out harried, frenetic lifestyles.

Karen is a lithe and gentle teacher with a calming voice and settling presence.  She leads the class with the knowledge of deep stretching and a quick sense of humor.  “We are going to get on the floor and spend some time dealing,” Faith says, “We are going to deal with our joints, our limitations, and our attitude problems. We’re going to expand our comfort zones, as I like to say, by hanging out at comfort zone border patrol and making friends with the guards.”

During the two hours, attention is focused primarily on opening the hips and shoulders.  The poses are held for much longer than in a conventional yoga class; to the point that might verge on discomfort, but not pain.  The purpose of such stretching is to open the joints deeply, reaching to the fascia and connective tissues, keeping joints open and flexible, increasing circulation and range of motion.  Most all of the poses are done while seated or lying down, some are more aggressive incorporating low lunges and pigeon pose.  When students cannot access a pose, Karen is right there with a more gentle modification.

Original article on Examiner.com.

I enjoy attending a 75 minute yin yoga class on Friday evenings. This class is the most popular yoga class I attend, with as many as 50 students. It’s a great way to end the week – I call it my Friday Happy Hour. I encourage you to try this peaceful yoga type: yin yoga for relaxation.

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