AQUA OM YOGA

Yin Yoga is a practice beyond the stylisation of the Asana, beyond rules of alignment. An invitation to truly experience and ultimately connect to the essence of what lies inside. A connection to the inner workings, the deeper layers of our body, mind and soul.

 

Slowing down the pace, holding the asana longer, with time comfortably set within the practice for the body to rebound and transition in a relaxed, unhurried manner, allows the practitioner to remain focused and quiet within.

 

Anatomically, Yin Yoga targets areas within the body that are difficult to reach with more traditional forms of exercise and/or asana practice. By staying longer in the pose, whilst keeping the muscles relaxed, Yin Yoga targets the connective tissue which surrounds every muscle and bone. It is the connective tissue in our bodies that  improves our flexibility and range of motion, just like muscles, the connective tissue needs to be exercised to bring more oxygenated blood to the area to make it healthier and stronger.

 

Degeneration in the tissue happens naturally due to the ageing process but also due to immobilisation. Ligaments tend to shorten constantly with every movement, If we don't stretch these ligaments then we lose the water content in the tissue, we essentially lose our elasticity. As we age, this becomes more difficult to recover unless we begin to address it.

 

Yin Yoga is also proven to stimulate the production of Hyaluronic Acid. The ability to retain water in our tissues comes from here. H.A can hold 6000 times it's weight in water, more in children and less as we grow older. By stimulating our joints we stimulate the production of Fibroblast cells (collagen fibre cells) which is full of Hyaluronic granules. This means, we are literally slowing down the ageing process.

 

Yin Yoga champions the move of focus away from the aesthetic form in the posture and encourages instead a shift to a more authentic expression of the pose, namely one that is comfortably stimulating each individual practitioner according to their own body, within their own range of motion, abilities, flexibilities, restrictions and limitations.

 

By recognising and celebrating the differences in human anatomy, yin yoga supports relaxation in the mind and body, whilst maintaining the integrity of the pose.

 

Using the breath as an anchor to patience and a quietening of the mind, the yin yogi is able to remain mindfully connected, present to fully embrace all sensations that may arise physically and internally. It is important that the practitioner allows the process of letting go of the tensions created by the mind, so that the body can follow and melt fully into the asana without holding back

 

By removing the external distractions of comparativeness, competitiveness and ego within a group setting, yin yoga brings the focus inside. A softening begins to happen organically which can allow one to delve into the depths of the soul and can resolve stagnation of the deeper myofascial tissue as well as deep rooted unresolved  issues.