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Member
Posts: 34
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand | Sat 19 Sep 09, 7:41 am
Good Morning All,
I posted this on Bernie Clark’s Ying Yoga Forum, http://www.yinyoga.com , which is a little bit sleepy, so thought I would post here as well to generate some discussion.
This is about Yin Yoga, but I am posting it under in the meditation forum because my questions are more applicable, I think, to meditation than to asana.
In addition to my little yang practice, I have been practicing with Bernie Clark’s Yin Yoga DVD the past few months. Paul Grilley is Brilliant, but I think Bernie’s DVD is more accessible for beginners. Anyway, yin has become an important addition to my practice. I know some people here doubt such a thing even exists. However, it does, and I am grateful as it is more like my fantasy of yoga (asana) was like before I actually got involved and discovered the predominance of energetic, vinyasa styles which are the only type of classes I have access to locally.
Anyway, the Bernie DVD practice is wonderful. The narration was a welcome distraction from the holding and (sometimes) intense sensations. The content is interesting and useful in it's own right, worthy of multiple listenings. However, after three months, it has gotten old, and I have begin using music and an egg timer instead of the DVD. That's works out fine . . . BUT gawd, getting off the DVD, the first thing that becomes obvious is that there is a LOT of time in those 4 minute poses, and a full session for me 120 minutes !!!
. . . And that brings me to my question. I know to pay attention to sensations, to try to soften my muscles around the areas of stress, to follow my breath, and bring my thoughts back to it when they wander (which seems like every 5 seconds or so). However, can any of yooze guys expand on this theme a little and point to some readings or other sources which get into the subject in more depth? An hour is an hour whether I think about girls or what I am going to have for lunch, or what a pain in the butt (hip) dragon is . . . but I would like to make use of that wonderful luxury of time to explore the deeper possibilities of yoga. Is there anything I can do to enhance what I am doing?
Thanks for any suggestions, feedback, and discussion.
Aloha,
Rex
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| You might take a look at the Heart of Yoga by TKV Desikachar - to get a sense of the "deeper possibilities of yoga."
Have you only studied yin yoga through a DVD? Teachers are best for questions like this.
Best wishes.
Vic |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
   
| Hi Rex - sorry, I seem to have missed this one the first go around. 4 minutes is a long time to hold a pose! If it is uncomfortable, that probably makes it easier to keep the mind focused. If it is very comfortable, that is harder. It is always ok to pay attention to your breath in a pose and it is always ok to check in with all parts of your body to see how they are reacting to the pose as well. Yin is supposed to be all relax-y, right? In that case, be in constant surveillance mode in regard to your facial and neck muscles, especially eyes, mouth, jaw, throat. That should keep you busy! 
And yes, I was surprised to discover all the various grunt and sweat yoga styles when I came back to yoga, as well. In the olden days in the middle of the previous century, there was a whole lot less teacher yelling and a whole lot more savasana.   |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Oregon | So, as I understand it, it is a kind of a "game" of "playing your edges", of bending and stressing enough to get the benefit, but not going too deep, or so much that your muscles get involved trying to protect you from injury.
I haven't gotten that from what I've read. What you say above is how I now approach my Bikram studio practice. I don't have a Yin practice, so to speak. But I do have some familiarity with Paul Grilley and even Chinese Medicine. To me, the concept of Yin Yoga is to hold a pose long enough and gentle enough to allow the body to break through resistance on it's own. This doesn't involve playing on the edge.
I've experienced this myself in a basic supine floor twist, just holding it for 2-3-4 minutes, and letting the hovering knee be heavy... the hips just release and there's no tightness, just a puddle of me. Incidentally, I've also noticed a similar experience after a few long conversations with people. A total release of tension in my lower back. This is an area where I carry a HUGE amount of stress, tension, pain, etc. |
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| can you speak a little bit about these seven yoga mistakes?
all i get is a screen that wants me to sign up for somethings... |
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Member
Posts: 17
| Calm for sometime .... |
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Member
Posts: 6
| each pose should reach it's perfection, whatever methode you follow, stick to it..slow and steady progress is the remedy for mistakes..isn't it ? |
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What to do while you are "holding"?
