3 Things A Consistent Yin Yoga Practice Will Teach You
Bitter Practice, Sweet Result
Your first Yin Yoga class is going to be challenging. Possibly very challenging.
After a lifetime of distraction, the simple act of slowing down is bound to be a struggle.
This is compounded by the challenge of the physical sensations that you will feel in the poses.
It’s our instinct to want to move or fidget at the first sign of discomfort.
Over the years, in the face of this struggle, I've seen a small handful of students walk right out in the middle of class. In one of the most extreme examples, I even had a student get up and start doing Vinyasa flows by herself in the middle of class!
To each their own.
And yet, despite the challenges, by the end of class, most students will start to get it.
Maybe it’s the calm they feel in a resonance pose. Or maybe how they feel later in the day after class.
When they see the results of simply slowing down and taking their time, it can feel as if an immense weight has been lifted off their shoulders.
As my teacher Josh Summers says of Yin Yoga: "Bitter practice, sweet result."
But even better is what you will see and learn after 10 classes - or 100 classes or more. Like so many things, the fruits of the practice will only blossom with more time and consistency.
Here are just three of the many things that a consistent Yin Yoga practice will teach you:
You'll Learn How To Truly Play Your Edge
The average person is almost entirely unaware of what their body is capable of. They don't know when to stop or when they can push.
The essence of Yin Yoga is learning to become comfortable with discomfort and knowing the difference between discomfort and actual pain.
While many new students tend to overdo it, experienced practitioners know right where their line is. They know just when to back away and just when they can push a little deeper.
This has tremendous crossover benefits. It will help you in other styles of practice, but also in any other activity that you use your body for.
You'll Be Practicing Covert Meditation
Yin Yoga IS a form of meditation. It's just one where we work with our body along the way.
Instead of just sitting, we pay deep attention to what we feel in our bodies in each pose.
So, just as with more traditional meditation, if you practice Yin Yoga regularly, your senses will sharpen. You'll learn to notice the finest details in each pose you practice.
And you'll also learn how to cultivate profound equanimity.
Poses like Dragon or Swan are bound to stir up resistance in the mind. At first, you may try to fight it or distract yourself, but this is a losing battle.
Instead, you will learn the power of letting go. You will learn to rest with challenges instead of pushing back against them.
This will give you a massive edge when facing the ordinary struggles of your daily life.
You'll Learn The Real Meaning of Balance
Most people are stressed, overworked, and unable to relax their bodies and minds.
Yin Yoga provides a powerful antidote for both.
By allowing yourself time to truly slow down and tune in, you'll be better prepared to face the challenges of your daily life.
Your Yin Yoga practice will become an invaluable oasis in the desert of your busy life.
The most exciting thing is that the busier you are, the more you'll benefit from the practice.
You'll start to learn just how important it is to slow down.
Start Now, Repeat Infinitely
I've taught thousands of Yin Yoga classes and done thousands of Yin Yoga practices.
However, after over 15 years, I am still learning from the practice.
It is an irreplaceable skill that you will carry with you for your whole life. The practice becomes even MORE intriguing with more time invested.
So, if you already have a regular Yin Yoga practice, awesome! Keep up the excellent work, and notice how you relate to the main points of this article.
If you are new, start now! While it may be challenging initially, I promise that the rewards are absolutely worth it.
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