Yin Yoga might not be as widely talked about as other styles of Yoga, but the benefits of Yin Yoga are profound. This slower, more passive style of Yoga is like a therapeutic escape from the hectic pace of everyday life. While other forms of Yoga can be dynamic and physically demanding, Yin Yoga slows things down. It’s all about deep, prolonged stretches that help you unwind and connect with your body on a deeper level.
What is Yin Yoga?
Yin Yoga is an amazing practice that was first created in the 1970s. Paulie Zink created it but it was Paul Grilley who spread the word and popularised Yin Yoga. Although Yin is a more modern Yoga practice it is inspired by ancient practices like Taoist Yoga and Hatha Yoga, blended with contemporary insights from anatomy studies and even Chinese medicine.
It’s a big contrast to more energetic Yoga styles. Yin Yoga offers a slow-paced, meditative approach, holding poses for longer periods from 3 minutes to 10 minutes. This allows for deeper stretching and a unique kind of relaxation. Don’t worry, you won’t be in eagle pose or Virabhadrasana III! Think, long pigeon holds to release tight hips and Pashchimottanasana to stretch the hamstrings. These long holds are also the perfect time to turn inwards. In this go-go-go world we live in there are never moments of reflection or contemplation, Yin creates the perfect opportunity for this quiet reflective time.
Whether you’re a seasoned Yogi or a beginner, Yin Yoga offers a gentle, yet profound way to balance your physical and mental well-being.
The Benefits of Yin Yoga
Yin Yoga is particularly effective for increasing mobility, releasing tension and promoting overall well-being. What sets Yin Yoga apart is its deep focus on the body’s connective tissue, the fascia, ligaments, joints and bones. It targets the parts of the body that are often neglected in more active styles of exercise, offering a unique opportunity to increase circulation within the joints and improve overall flexibility. The gentle tension applied to the connective tissue also helps to strengthen these areas, supporting better posture and mobility. But these physical benefits just scrape the edges!
Calms the Nervous System
One of the most significant benefits of Yin Yoga is how it calms and balances the nervous system. In today’s world of technology, the majority of us are overloading the sympathetic nervous system, also known as the flight or fight response. This state of being comes in handy when you are in true danger, it helps you run away from, or fight immediate danger. However, it’s often triggered by daily stressors, like a busy inbox or a never-ending to-do list.
When you spend too much time in fight or flight it can negatively impact overall health, it can lead to:
- digestive problems
- high blood pressure
- mental health issues
- adrenal issues
- unexplained weight gain
- low immunity and more.
Yin Yoga can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as rest and digest. This response helps to reduce stress levels and slow the overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system.
The meditative breathing and mindfulness during Yin Yoga encourages a state of deep relaxation and peace. Are you ready to try out a Yin Yoga class yet?
Lowering Cortisol Levels
Further on from the Nervous System, let’s go a little deeper. Cortisol is best known for its role in the body’s stress response. When you’re faced with a stressful situation, your adrenal glands release cortisol, which helps your body manage the stress by providing the energy needed to handle the situation.
For example, if there was some kind of wild animal chasing you, fight or flight would activate, cortisol would be released and you’d be able to react and run faster (hopefully away from the wild animal).
The systems you need for survival would be optimised and the other systems you don’t need in that urgent moment (like digestion and endocrine) would be unoptimised.
As you can now clearly see, in most of our lives… these levels don’t need to be elevated all the time. Especially when your immediate danger is an overflowing inbox.
You might also be thinking right about now, ahhh that’s why I always have tummy issues on busy stressful work days!
Chronic high cortisol can lead to a bunch of health issues like anxiety, trouble sleeping, issues with weight management and even heart disease. This is why it’s more important than ever to have a relaxation practice, like Yin.
By focusing on deep, prolonged stretches and calm breathing, Yin Yoga helps to slow down your cortisol production. This helps you feel more relaxed and also helps to bring your body’s chemistry back into balance.
