Most people still see yin yoga as just the practice that gives a ‘good stretch’, but here are a
few reasons why yin yoga is so much more than meets the eye.
1 – Yin yoga does improve mobility, yes. However, did you know that by ‘stressing’ the
tissues an appropriate amount, we also stimulate cell regeneration and hydrate the tissues,
which gives us a spring in our step, helping us to carry out life’s activities more easily and
helping us feel younger for longer. Remember, if the body is healthy and well, the mind is
more likely to follow.
2 – The toxicity of today’s culture can stress the body, burden the immune system and
undermine emotional balance. Fortunately, our yin yoga practice has the innate ability to
strengthen our meridian system - harmonizing Qi flow and with it, our physical, mental and
emotional wellbeing.
3 – We can’t underestimate the role of trauma, stress and the pressures of modern-day
living. Learning to slow down, take rest and immerse ourselves wholeheartedly in stillness,
silence, simplicity and solitude, stimulates our parasympathetic nervous system, helping to
bring us into a much-needed state of rest and digest.
4 - Our yin yoga practice honours individuality – not only with regards to our physical body
and the shapes we choose to surrender into - but also with regards to the differences in our
mental and emotional imprint. Yin yoga offers a mindful, trauma-informed space, for us to
take ownership of our unique and very personal experience, as we begin to explore the
many layers of our being.
5 – We live in a world where we are trained to chase pleasure and avoid discomfort, at all
costs. A world in which sitting with our self, has become so abnormal - so difficult - that
many people have lost the ability to process or regulate their emotions in a healthy and
productive way. Our yin yoga practice provides a safe container for meditation and
compassionate self-inquiry, where we can learn to sit with discomfort, face our shadow and
cultivate the self-awareness required to instigate change, as we start to build the emotional
muscle required, to handle life on life’s terms.
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