Ten Days Calm 

Day 4: Yin Yoga

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There is no quick and easy way to summarise what yin yoga is as the words I would choose would not do it justice. But to give you an idea of what it is, I would describe it as a gentle floor based practice where you hold poses for up to 20 minutes using props to help you find comfort in the pose. It is calming and meditative and accessible for anybody, no matter how flexible or inflexible you are.

 

Yin yoga works the connective tissues in our body such as ligaments, tendons and fascia. In order to do this we must relax the muscles and so as a yoga practice it can be very calming.

 

There is no warmup, just get into it. Come slowly into the poses and use props such as cushions to support the body in a relaxed position. As time in the pose goes on, the support can become less as the physical body relaxes more. You can practice yin yoga in silence or you could play some calming music in the background. When I first started practicing yin yoga I actually listened to hip hop as I found it difficult to keep my body and my mind still at the same time. The music gave me something to focus on while the physical body rested.

 

Below are four poses to take the spine through all the ranges of movement. They are Reclined Butterfly, Child’s Pose, Bananasana and Supine Twist. Follow the instructions and stop if any pain appears. Be cautious in pregnancy of lying on your back and over stretching or twisting.

 

After performing all of these poses write down how each part of your body feels, and where you feel most stretched and lengthened.