Yin Yoga Diamond Pose, bending forward towards a Child Pose
My first Yin Yoga experience was in 2019 during the Yoga Festival at Strijp-S in Eindhoven. After that event I didn’t search anymore to try again. For me it was a ‘NO WAY’. Last year I had a talk with one Yin Yoga teacher and she invited me to give it a try with her. Since then I haven’t stopped practicing this discipline. I connect so much with it because it is all about accepting your body and what is. In the summer 2021 I had a call to follow the Yin Yoga Teacher training.
Who founded it
Yin yoga was founded by Paul Grilley. The original idea was to hold a yoga posture, from Hatha yoga, for a longer time. The intention of this type of Yoga was to supplement other Yang forms of yoga. It is a challenging discipline where you’re asked to get out of your comfort zone and feel. It works on the skeletal segments and myofascial groups.
The difference between Kundalini and Yin
Kundalini Yoga is mostly focused on yang exercises where you’re asked to keep up and over win the mind. Yin is for me a softer form of yoga. Despite the challenging postures you can still enjoy the stillness within. While Kundalini Yoga is more focused on the awakening of the Kundalini energy, pranayama, mantras and meditations, Yin is more about creating stress and stretching your body.
For whom is this Yoga
If you’re looking for a type of yoga that will help you bringing more flexibility to your body and working out your joints and stretching your muscles, Yin Yoga is for you. You decide if you use it as a supplement to your actual yoga practice or if you will only practice Yin.
Benefits of the practice
Calms your mind
Helps your body to relax
Improves flexibility
Works on the fascia (connective tissue surrounding every organ, muscle, bone)
Improves joint mobility
Balances the internal organs
Works on the nervous system
Supports the prana energy flow in your body