Therapist: Liz Smith

Yin Yoga, also known as ‘Yoga for the Joints’, uses long-held postures to find stillness of mind and body while opening up the hips, pelvis and lower back. It is a deeply rejuvenating practice that can restore balance, equilibrium and harmony.

Yin Yoga focuses on the connective tissue and the bones, stimulating the flow of chi through the meridians of the body. It is a beautiful complement to more yang forms of exercise such as running, swimming, Ashtanga yoga or a busy hectic lifestyle.

 

What are the benefits of Yin Yoga?

Physically, Yin Yoga helps increase and maintain the agility and mobility of the joints below the navel and above the knee, giving rise to more comfortable stillness and more graceful movement;

Energetically, Yin Yoga is essentially needle-less acupuncture, enabling your energy system to move towards its own natural equilibrium, balance and harmony;

Emotionally, Yin creates a space to breathe, to remain still and simply observe in a
non-attached way the array of emotions that ebb and flow, cultivating acceptance of what is, breeding an emotional resiliency and maturity;

Psychologically, this practice can help develop the capacity to concentrate, to focus our attention, to cultivate awareness of what is arising within.

What are the three main principles of Yin Yoga?

(1) Come to the appropriate depth of the pose: the place where you reach your natural limitation, where areas of the body unfold and elicit sensation free from pain and muscular tension, allowing the breath to retain its natural rhythm;

(2) Find stillness in the body, surrendering into the shape and allowing the muscles around the targeted area to release;

(3) Hold the posture for time. In the classes I teach postures are held on the floor for about 5 minutes.

 

No previous experience is necessary and the practice can be as gentle or as intense as you want it to be. All welcome but do call 01702 433959 to book your place!

For further information about Yin Yoga feel free to contact Liz on 07551 648092 and visit www.yinyogainessex.co.uk