Yin Yoga Notes

see yinyoga.
com
notes collected from various websites:
yin yoga
place stress on deeper joints and ligaments and the body will start to build bac
k and find opening in them...
the important thing is consistency in practice!
lower back, hips and lower body important for straight spine in meditation! ene
rgy travels up and down the spine!
-----
From my own experience, you can mix and match which organs you are targeting, bu
t generally, I would do something for the Kidneys in every practice. The Kidneys
are the home of Jing, which supports and nourishes all the other organs. Backbe
nds are good ways to work the Kidneys: Sphinx or Swan will do it. There are seve
ral flows in YinSights that target specific organs, including the Kidneys. (http
://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.2.6.4_flow_for_kidneys.php)
In Yin Yoga we generally target the lower body, and thus we work the lower body
meridians and thus their pertaining organs. (See YinSights again for the meridia
ns and organs: http://www.yinyoga.com/ys1_3.2.5.0_the_meridians.php ) This means
we predominantly work the Liver/Gall Bladder, the Kidneys/Urinary Bladder and t
he Spleen/Stomach. I usually have one of these pairs as my main target area when
I do an organ-specific practice, but again, I will always work the Kidneys too.
----------------
In Yin Yoga we are not actually trying to warm up; we want the muscles to remain
cool, so that they are not taking up all the stress of the postures. When the m
uscles are cool, the stretch can go deeper into the connective tissues. But we s
till want to have a period at the beginning of the practice when we ease into th
e body. There are a few asanas that work well at the beginning of a practice to
get us started.
-------
http://www.paulgrilley.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19:stret
ching-ligaments-a-yogis-apology&catid=9:pauls-writings&Itemid=11
The natural therapeutic for ligament contracture is long, sustained traction. Li
gaments are formed of overlapping slender filaments of collagen. In sustained tr
action ligaments respond by sliding their filaments past one another which resul
ts in a longer ligament. The matrix of cells around these filaments also becomes
healthier and this results in stronger ligaments as well. This allows for great
er range of motion and less chance of injury.
Whenever a ligament is being stressed the force must be gentle and sustained. If
too much force is used the ligament will be strained or torn. If the stress is
too brief the ligament will remain unaffected. The analogy is that of stretching
taffy versus stretching a rubber band. Muscles are like rubber bands, they can
be stretched easily. Ligaments are like taffy, if they are pulled too hard they
tear. But if a modest stress is placed upon them and sustained then they gently
elongate without tearing. Although these elongations are minute they are necessa
ry to balance against contracture.
Some yoga poses can be done with the specific intention of beneficially stressin
g the joints. Doing poses with the intention of stressing a joint is called Yin
yoga. Yin yoga postures are done while seated on the floor so the muscles can re
lax. When the muscles are relaxed the ligaments take the stress. Yin poses are d
one very gently for up to five minutes at a time or even longer.
.
-----
The faster-paced yang-style yoga, such as ashtanga or vinyasa, targets lengtheni
ng and strengthening the muscles, says Oregon-based Grilley, who teaches yoga na
tionally and internationally and wrote "Yin Yoga: A Quiet Practice" in 2002. Tao
ist-based yin yoga targets the connective tissues, ligaments, joints and synovia
l fluid and the energy channels or meridians that the philosophy hypothesizes ru
ns through them.
Adds the San Francisco-based Powers: "This means that instead of coming into a p
ose for a short amount of time and hugging the bones close together by engaging
our muscles, [one] needs to pull the skeleton apart non-aggressively and with ap
propriate pressure and then remain stationary a while, allowing the muscles to r
emain stretched but without engaging them."
--------------
When you are thinking of the meridian theory, you should think of it in two way
s. First there is the yin, which is the physical meridian, the actual structure.
Then there is the yang, the chi or prana that moves through the meridians.
The analogy would be an irrigation ditch. The physical ditch is a certain width
and depth like a meridian. This is yin. The water that moves through the ditch i
s like the energy, which is yang. So when you say that you are stimulating the m
eridians, do you mean that you are increasing the water flow [yang] or the healt
h of the meridians [yin] themselves?
Yin is concerned with the actual physical structure and health of the tissue. In
Yin Yoga, somewhat paradoxically, the chi temporarily stagnates and leaves you
feeling a bit stagnate. That s normal. But in the long run, it improves the health
of the tissue. And then later in your life or that day or week, when you move a
round or are doing other forms of yoga, you move the chi through the meridians.
In the short term, yang practices move the blood and energy and make you feel gr
eat, but in the long term they can tear tissue [and comprise health].
Saying that yin is better or yang is better is the wrong approach. Try to see ho
w one complements the other. This is Taoist Yoga, but you can call it whatever y
ou want. Using the terms yin and yang is a good way to communicate how to be inc
lusive with seemingly opposites ... When adapting a Taoist approach, you can alw
ays conjure in your mind the opposite situation.
--------------
It isn t body type so much as what a person needs. It is a question of the yin an
d yang balance. If you did a three hour practice one day, then you just need a l
ittle bit the next. As the Taoists say: The bigger the storm, the longer it last
s. And this changes with the season. In the summer you want to be outside and mo
ving. In the winter you want to hole up by the fires and lie on the floor. It is
about the natural rhythms ... Winter is yin. Summer is yang.
Athleticism needs to be complemented with down time, but because we use artifici
al lights and heat, we feel we need to be yang all the time. And that leads to a
breakdown. There is a time that you stop and ask yourself: What am I chasing? If
there is no yin time to time to stop and reflect there will be no answers.
--------------
shallow to deeper
back bends for kidneys:
straddle pose, sphinx, seal (finish with child's pose or forward fold)
down dog after swan feels great
shoelace goes to swan
-----------
Beginning Asanas
As we just saw, at the start of our practice we want to ease into the body. Ther
e are a few excellent beginning postures that we can use to help us open the bod
y gently. These are:
Butterfly - loosens up the spine for deeper forward bends
Caterpillar - loosens up the spine for deeper forward bends
Child Pose - grounding and soothing
Dangling - loosens up the spine for deeper forward bends
Frog (aka Tadpole) - loosens up the hips and upper back
Sphinx - loosens up the spine for deeper back bends
Each of these postures begins to work a specific area of the body and prepares i
t for the deeper postures to come. A very flexible student could start her pract
ice with almost any postures if she remembers the first tattva of Yin Yoga: play
your edges appropriately. However, there are a few asanas that definitely need
preparation before attempting. Even the most flexible students will want to work
up to asanas like Snail, the full Seal or the winged Dragon. Before the Snail,
loosen up the neck. Before the deepest back bend like the Seal, do a gentler bac
k bend. Before the deepest hip openers, start with milder versions.
---------
finishing asana : reclined twist
The twist in the spine can be directly higher or lower to relieve whatever area
was most worked in the practice. Moving the knees higher toward the armpit bring
s the twist more up the spine by curving the spine forward. Pointing the knees s
traight away straightens the spine, allowing the twist to be even along its leng
th. Moving the knees downward arches the spine slightly, bringing the emphasis i
n the twist to the lumbar/sacrum.
Of course, twisting the spine can be done in many orientations. You can do it si
tting up as well as lying down. And twisting the spine is not the only way to en
d your practice; but twisting does restore equilibrium to the nervous system and
gets a lot of the residual kinks out of the system.
-------
If you are short of time, do fewer postures instead of holding many poses for le
ss time. It is those last few breaths that give you the most benefit in a pose.
It is like that last push-up that strengthens you the most, or that last sugar-f
illed, creamy doughnut that puts on the most weight. Of course, there are no abs
olutes, so feel free to do the opposite too; do more poses for shorter holds if
you have less time. But shortening the time in the poses moves us away from the
real yin nature of the practice. If you have time for only one posture, do the B
utterfly.
-------
Personal trainers know that if we work one area of the body today, we need to le
t that area recover for at least thirty-six hours or more, depending upon our ag
e and the strength of the workout we just did. Tomorrow, the trainer will work a
different area, allowing the first area to get the rest it needs. Rest is essen
tial for optimal performance of the body. When we use an area and let it relax,
the body naturally ensures that the area becomes more usable in the future.
------
Hey Moksaman: here is a sequence I used in my class last night (it was a 75 min
class). The theme was the Kidneys
Butterfly - 4 mins
Snail (option: Caterpillar) - 4 mins
Straddle fold over right leg, with twist half way through - 4 mins
Straddle fold over lef leg, with twist half way through - 4 mins
Straddle fold right down the middle - 4 mins
counter poses for ~ 1 min (windshield wipers)
Saddle (option Sphinx) - 4 mins
Child's pose - 1 min
Sphinx - 4 mins
Seal - 4 mins
Child's pose - 1 min
Frog (Tadpole for 2 mins, then full Frog for 2 mins)
Reclining twists - 4 mins each side
Shavasana.
-------
http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.2.6.4_flow_for_kidneys.php
Flow for Kidneys
This flow includes forward and back bends that work these lines very well. Any f
low focusing on the spine will be very effective at stimulating and nourishing t
he kidneys.
Opening Meditation
Butterfly for five minutes
Windshield Wipers for one minute
Dragonfly: fold over right leg for five minutes
Dragonfly: fold over left leg for five minutes
Dragonfly: fold through the centre for five minutes
Table for one minute
Seal (or Sphinx option) for five minutes
Child's Pose for one minute
Saddle pose for five minutes
Dragon with right leg forward
Baby Dragon for one minute
Overstepping Dragon for one minute
Dragon Splits for one minute
Down Dog for one minute
Child's Pose briefly
Ankle Stretch for thirty seconds to one minute
Dragon with left leg forward
Overstepping Dragon for one minute
Dragon Splits for one minute
Child's Pose briefly
Ankle Stretch for thirty seconds to one minute
Caterpillar for five minutes
Hug knees to chest, while lying down, for one minute
Happy Baby for two minutes
Toes to nose variation for one minute
Windshield Wipers lying down: knees drop from side to side for one minute
Reclining Twist on right side
Reclining Twist on left side
Shavasana
Finishing Meditation
Cheers
Bernie
--------
Flow for the Spine

1) Time: Ninety minutes
Whenever you work the spine, be alert for any signals of pain; sharp, burning or
electrical sensations are indications that you have gone too deep. Come out if
you get to that point. Back bends, and long-held forward bends, can become addic
ting; beware of overdoing back work. [1]
Opening Meditation in standing position
Dangling for three minutes
Squat for three minutes
Dangling for two more minutes
Squat for two more minutes
Deer for one minute on each side
Caterpillar for five minutes
Tabletop
Sphinx for five minutes
Rest on your stomach or in Child's Pose for one minute
Seal for five minutes
Lie on your back and hug knees to chest for one minute
Cat Pulling Its Tail for one minute, each side
Hinge for two minutes with head up, or support head with hands behind head
Happy Baby for two minutes
Hug knees for one minute
Snail for three to five minutes
Mild Fish or upward facing Cat for a counterpose
Reclining Windshield Wipers for one minute
Shavasana
------------------------------
Flow for the Hips
This flow will get deep into the hips' sockets - it may be quite intense. Watch
for any emotions that arise during the flow. Don't be alarmed, and don't stop ju
st watch the ebb and flow of feelings. Rod Stryker once asked his class, "If you
have never cried, or laughed, during a yoga class, what are you waiting for?" N
aturally, if it is a struggle to stay in the pose, if the body is tightening ins
tead of releasing, you have gone too deep and will need to back off a bit.
Opening Meditation
Child's Pose with knees apart for one minute
Frog tadpole for two minutes
Frog full frog for two minutes
Child's Pose with knees together for one minute
Shoelace with right knee on top for five minutes
Swan with right leg back for one minute
Sleeping Swan for four minutes
Square with right foot in front of left knee for five minutes
Windshield wipers or tabletop for one minute, as the counter pose
Shoelace with left knee on top for five minutes
Swan with left leg back for one minute
Sleeping Swan for four minutes
Square with left foot in front of left knee for five minutes
Windshield Wipers or tabletop for one minute as counter pose
Sphinx for five minutes, with, optionally, Seal at some point during this time
Saddle for five minutes
Dragon Cycle right leg forward
Dragon Flying High for one minute
Dragon Flying Low for one minute
Dragon Wing for one minute
Dragon Cycle left leg forward
Twisted Roots on right side
Twisted Roots on left side
Shavasana
----
Flow for the Liver
The keys to stimulating energy flow to the liver are the Gall Bladder and Liver
meridians. The Gall Bladder lines run along the outside of the leg and the outer
hip. From there they zigzag their way up the front and sides of the ribs to the
shoulder and face. The Liver lines come along the inside of the ankle, along th
e inside of the leg, and through the groin before going inside the body toward t
he liver.
To help activate the Liver and Gallbladder it is useful to activate the Kidneys
too. The Kidneys support all the internal organs. The Kidney lines run along the
inside of the legs into the groin, where they combine in the sacrum, before ris
ing up inside the body along the line of the spine. This is described in more de
tail in The Daoist View of Energy. This flow, and any flows, including hip opene
rs stimulate the Liver and Gall Bladder lines very well.
Opening Meditation
Butterfly for five minutes
Dragons
Come into Baby Dragon with right foot forward for one minute:
Move into Twisting Dragon for two minutes
Step back to Down Dog for one minute
Come into Baby Dragon with left foot forward for one minute:
Move into Twisting Dragon for two minutes
Step back to Down Dog for one minute
Table for one minute
Sphinx (or Seal) for five minutes
Sleeping Swan on right side for five minutes
Square on right side for five minutes
Sleeping Swan on left side for five minutes
Square on left side for five minutes
Cat Pulling Its Tail for one minute on each side
Shavasana
-----------
A Yin/Yang Fusion Flow
Saul David Raye, a wonderful yoga teacher and Thai Yoga Massage therapist and te
acher, channeled this flow. It is a combination of yang and yin movements, which
works well with a moderately bright CD playing in the background. [1]
Opening Meditation
Sit in Virasana (on your heels) for three minutes in meditation
Neck release: move your head in circles in time with the breath
Circle left one minute
Circle right one minute
Shoulder Circles: move your shoulders in circles in time with the breath
Up, back and down one minute
Reverse directions one minute
Heart Tapping [2] one minute
Use the tips of your fingers and tap up and down on your sternum.
Sitting Side Bends while sitting cross-legged
Place right hand on floor and left arm up in the air,
lean to the right for one minute
Switch sides: left hand to the floor, right arm in the air,
lean to the left for one minute
Sitting Back Bend
Place hands behind you, keep your knees low or on the floor and
lift your hips forward/upward for one minute
Butterfly for three minutes
Come to standing:
Uddiyana Bandha
With empty lungs draw your lower belly in, up, and under your ribs.
Agni Sara
With empty lungs, slowly pump your stomach in and out.
Pressing the Reset Button
Make a fist with your right hand and stick out your thumb. Hold your right
wrist with your left hand, and gently but firmly push your right thumb into the
navel. Relax the stomach on the inhalations and push deeper. If pain occurs, sto
p.
Large Arm Circles circle the arms in big circles crossing in front of you.
Circle in both directions for one minute each
Hah Breath Drops With legs wide apart and bent slightly, raise arms up while inh
aling deeply and shout "haaah!" as you drop the upper body and arms between the
legs. Catch the wave and swing back up as you inhale, and repeat five times.
Squat for two minutes
Dangling for two minutes with knees very bent: chest and thigh together if possi
ble
Squat two more minutes
Dangling two more minutes with legs straighter
Dragon Cycle right leg forward
Dragon Cycle left leg forward
Cat's Breath for one minute
Flow from upward facing cat to downward facing cat as you breathe.
Squat for one minute (it should be much easier this time!)
Dangling for one minute
Roll up in Rag Doll to Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Step feet apart three feet; turn feet outward
Squat, lowering hips half way to the floor,
arms out to the side for one minute
Hands pull thigh apart for another minute
Side Fold (Parsvottanasana);
Straighten legs, keep them apart and fold over right leg for one minute
Come up to centre and fold over left leg for one minute
Wide Leg Squats:
With feet wide apart, squat as low to the floor as you can go; place your h
ands on the floor. Walk hands and hips to the right, keeping feet on the floor i
f possible (especially the left foot). Walk to the left. Switch sides with each
breath. After one minute, remain on one side for thirty seconds, and then go to
the other side for thirty seconds.
Frog for three minutes
Reclining Windshield Wipers. With knees bent, feet on the floor touching the edg
es of your mat, drop your knees from side to side for one minute.
Happy Baby for two minutes, holding both feet
Happy Baby, holding just right foot for one minute,
Left leg straight on floor (easier is to place left foot on floor with
knee bent)
Switch feet and repeat on the other side
Reclining Windshield Wipers for one minute
Sitting for one minute
Shoelace: right side for three minutes
Shoelace: left side for three minutes
Straighten both legs
Bounce the legs on the floor as fast and as hard as you can, for one minute.
Bend knees and bounce the feet on floor, for one minute. Go hard!
Hamsa Breath: Hear the word "ham" as you inhale and "sa" as you exhale. Slow the
breath down so each inhalation and exhalation takes at least four seconds. Do H
amsa for two minutes.
Shavasana for seven or eight minutes
----------
Three Beginning Flows
1) Time: Sixty minutes
This flow is a gentle one. Hold each posture for three minutes. Relax the body i
n any way that feels comfortable for thirty to sixty seconds between the asanas.
Opening Meditation
Butterfly
Dragonfly: fold over right leg
Dragonfly: fold over left leg
Dragonfly: fold down the middle
Sphinx
Child's Pose
Seal
Child's Pose
Half Shoelace with right leg forward
Half Shoelace with left leg forward
Happy Baby
Shavasana
The above flow can be extended to ninety minutes by increasing the holds to five
minutes per posture.
Hold these poses for four minutes. This will make this flow more challenging tha
n the first flow. Again relax the body in any way that feels comfortable for thi
rty to sixty seconds between the asanas.
Opening Meditation
Frog tadpole for first two minutes
full frog for a second two minutes
Sphinx
Shoelace with right leg on top
Sleeping Swan with right leg back
Shoelace with left leg on top
Sleeping Swan with left leg back
Caterpillar
Dragon cycle with right leg forward
Baby Dragon for first two minutes
Overstepping Dragon for last two minutes
Down dog for up to one minute
Dragon cycle with left leg forward
Baby Dragon for first two minutes
Overstepping Dragon for last two minutes
Down Dog for up to one minute
Shavasana
3) Time: Ninety Minutes
This flow is more in the Paul Grilley style of shorter holds, but with repeated
postures. It won't be necessary to relax as long between the postures here, but
be guided by what your body is telling you. Notice how the experience of the But
terfly Pose changes each time you come back to it. Use a timer to make sure you
are staying in the poses the right amount of time.
Opening Meditation
Butterfly for one minute
Swan with right leg back for one minute
Sleeping Swan for two minutes
Swan with left leg back for one minute
Sleeping Swan for two minutes
Dragonfly for three minutes
Sphinx, or Seal, for three minutes
Dragon Cycle: right foot forward - one minute in each position
Baby Dragon
Dragon Flying High
Dragon Flying Low
Dragon Cycle: left foot forward - one minute in each position
Baby Dragon
Dragon Flying High
Dragon Flying Low
Child's Pose for one minute with knees apart
Frog tadpole for two minutes
Frog full frog for two minutes
Child's Pose with knees closer for one minute
Anahatasana for three minutes
Half Butterfly [1] with right leg straight to the side for three minutes
Hug knees to chest, while sitting, for one minute
Half Butterfly with left leg straight to the side for three minutes
Lie on back and hug knees to chest for one minute
Shavasana

Yin Yoga Notes

Caricato da

Informazioni sul documento

Copyright

Formati disponibili

Condividi questo documento

Condividi o incorpora il documento

Opzioni di condivisione

Hai trovato utile questo documento?

Questo contenuto è inappropriato?

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

Yin Yoga Notes

Caricato da

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

see yinyoga.

Flow for the Spine

Potrebbero piacerti anche