Somewhere between movement & relaxation, lies a revolutionising stillness. I’ll see you there…
Thank you Rumi, for inspiring me to do a wordplay on one of your most iconic quotes, nothing describes my camaraderie with Yin Yoga better. Picture a very excited, hyper & jumpy girl going around the maddening pace of life, constantly convincing herself to exercise regularly (for years now), being aware of the benefits it brings. Exploring plenty of options to work out, including playing a sport had become routine to add spice & feel mentally satiated post any session. But what was the one activity that had my respect?
Yoga. As a child, I had done yoga, grooving to music & marvelling at the poses moulding my body into flexibility I’d only ever seen in tutorials. Of course, this was all before the teens hit me & I stopped exercise altogether.
With time, some sense & health issues, of course, I found my way back to exercise. Stepping onto the yoga mat was probably the only time I didn’t cringe or feel forced to be active. Childhood memories perhaps. It was a combination of going for classes & practising at home for a long time, that made me sure that yoga was going to be part of my lifestyle.
Little did I know that I’d only scratched the surface, there was a universe waiting to unfold. There are various styles & forms of yoga, each with its ideologies, beliefs & energies that are of much value to the world. Hatha Yoga was the practice I’d learnt & felt comfortable with, it’s an active way of yoga that’s designed to bring strength, flexibility & equilibrium to the body & breath. And so I heaved a sigh of relief, I’d found a routine I could rely on to keep my body & mind in good shape.
My turning point happened when I started taking interest in listening to and being aware of my movement, mind & emotions. That’s where I met Yin. She came as a breath of fresh air, promising to be a passive practise that would help me introspect further. The notion is that people would judge her for being an easy-going, free form of yoga that didn’t promote true movement & that’s exactly what I wanted to break.
Meet Yin, she’s passive, slow, earthy, even, soft & mysterious among the many more qualities, which exist in all of us. Yin works to channel our reflective and feminine side. She exists in relation to Yang, who is active (very much like our life), rapid, energetic, obvious, fiery & restless, also the male side every person possesses. We observe & perceive the famous Yin–Yang symbol as portraying the perfect balance that a lot of us are striving to strike in life.
As a style of yoga, Yin is unique. She targets the bones, ligaments & joints aiming to guide you to their feelings & how to connect those to your emotions. Her method sounds easier said than done: holding a few seated poses for at least 2-3 minutes, paying complete attention to yourself.
It’s tough to stay in an asana, not to let your mind wander & to converse with the deep emotions of your body, sending it some love and asking for it to love you back. She’s focused on quality over quantity & the journey over the destination. It’s after a Yin Yoga session that your mind & body feel awakened, assuring you that they’ll evolve with you through this journey.
My first encounter with a Yin Yoga class was while I was training to eventually teach all you wonderful souls. The poses were familiar but holding them was challenging & I’d think to myself that I’m going to need the patience to find my edge & stay still. But, after the effects of the first 2 sessions (a good night’s sleep and an unexplained level of enthusiasm); my soul was hungry & greedy for the time I spent understanding my tissues & their feelings. I was hooked.
I smile the widest on my Yin dates, for she’s giving me an active body, better sleep, time to love myself & a whole lot of self-confidence. As someone, who’s taken long enough to find her purpose, I know for sure, Yin won’t disappoint you. Don’t hesitate to give it a try.