Yin Yoga

The practice of holding yoga poses for long periods of time has always been a significant part of traditional
yoga practice, both in the Hatha yoga tradition of India and in the Taoist yoga tradition of the China area.
Some regard Yin Yoga to be one of the oldest form of Hatha yoga, since it is an effective method of physical
and energetic conditioning for prolonged meditation, which was the principal concern of ancient yogic
practitioners.

Yin Yoga it is a simple and quiet practice. One of the most meditative forms of yoga, yin yoga is designed
to touch the system that restores, regenerates and relaxes the body. It is well known, that the body
becomes stronger in a state of rest, not activity. In yin yoga class, the body will go in parasympathetic
nervous system mode which is related to rest and recovery.

The parasympathetic system is devoted to nourishing, healing and rebuilding the body. When actively
dominant, it stimulates and enhances immune function, circulation, digestion and overall gastrointestinal
function. It improves functioning of the liver, stomach, pancreas and intestines. It also lowers heart rate
and blood pressure levels, while increasing production of endorphins, your body’s “feel good” hormones.
Only when your body is in a state of parasympathetic dominance are you able to achieve deep levels of
rest and recuperation. Achieving and maintaining a healthy parasympathetic state is essential for healing
on both the physical and mental-emotional levels of your being. Parasympathetic dominance enables you
to be more relaxed, content and fully present in the moment. You are able to meet and respond to daily
life challenges both calmly and more energetically.

The parasympathetic nervous system is closely related to the vagus nerve, which is the primary pathway
that the parasympathetic uses to send nerve impulses and signals. The vagus nerve originates in a part of
the brain stem called the medulla oblongata. From here, it travels all the way to the colon, providing
parasympathetic nerve fibers to the organs along the way. Because of this, the vagus nerve helps to
regulate the homeostasis for a majority of the body’s internal organs and the functions they perform. This
includes heart rate, respiration, and gastrointestinal peristalsis. It is also involved with vision, hearing,
speech, and control of the skeletal muscles.

In Yin Yoga, one learns to let go and allow the body’s natural interaction with gravity to stretch the tissues,
rather than consciously manipulating one’s alignment to achieve a deep stretch. When poses are held for
a longer period of time with no effort given to going deeper, reaching further, or searching for results, we
practice awareness, contemplation and reflection. The attention moves inward and allows us to be aware
of the thinking patterns we hold within and how they create different currents in our being.

The practice of Yin Yoga can help us come to that understanding of what is good for us as unique
individuals. Through this, we can cultivate an active attention towards life that is not just about
understanding what is happening to us, but rather becoming conscious of how we relate to what is
happening to us.
 Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is a systematic method in which you learn to relax consciously your physical, mental and
emotional bodies. During the practice of yoga nidra, one appears to be asleep but the consciousness is
functioning at a deeper level of awareness. By remaining aware, one will notice the body how it will pass
through different levels of relaxation until it reaches a very profound relaxation state.

The state of relaxation is reached by turning inward, away from outer experiences. If the consciousness
can be separated from external distractions and from sleep, it becomes very powerful and can be applied
in many ways, for example, to develop memory, increase one’s creativity or transform one’s nature.

In yoga nidra, consciousness is in a state beyond waking and sleep and it is not affecting by neither of the
two. In modern psychology this has been termed “the hypnagogic state”. In this state, the mind is very
receptive. The learning process it is increasing to a larger degree. Suggestions given at this time are more
powerful and successful in removing unwanted habits and mental patterns.

The practice of yoga nidra enables one’s to receive intuitions from the unconscious mind. The intuitions
received in the state of yoga nidra enable one to find in himself the solutions to the problems that he is
confronting. This state is the fount of artistic and poetic inspirations.

Yogic philosophy, as well as modern psychology enumerate three basic types of tension which are
responsible for all the agonies of modern life. Through the systematic practice of yoga nidra, these
threefold tensions can be progressively released.

Muscular tensions is related to the body itself, the nervous system and endocrinal imbalances. These are
easily removed by the deep and progressive physical relaxation attained in the practice of yoga nidra.

Emotional tensions, which stem from various dualities such as love/hate, profit/loss, success/failure,
happiness/unhappiness, are more difficult to erase. This is because we are unable to express our emotions
freely and openly. Often we refuse to recognize them, so they are repressed, and the resulting tensions
become more and more deeply rooted. It is not possible to relax these tensions through ordinary sleep
and relaxation. A method such as yoga nidra can tranquilize the entire emotional structure of the mind.

Mental tensions are the result of excessive mental activity. The mind is a whirlpool of fantasies,
confusions and oscillations. Throughout our life, the experiences registered by our consciousness are
accumulated in the mental body. From time to time these explode, affecting our body, mind, behavior
and reactions. When we are sad, angry and irritated, we often attribute that condition of the mind to
some superficial cause. But the underlying cause of behind men’s abnormal behavior lies in the
accumulated tensions in the mental plane. Yoga nidra is the science of relaxation which enables each of
us to dive deep down into the realms of the subconscious mind, thereby releasing and relaxing mental
tensions, and establishing harmony in all facets of our being.