YIN

Yöga
Going Beyond Flexibility and Extending the Yielding
Approach
of Yin Yoga to Master Your Mind

Yin Yoga Poses with photos and description

Sasy Cacace
YIN YOGA
 Going Beyond Flexibility and Extending the
Yielding Approach of Yin Yoga to Master Your
Mind. Yin Yoga Poses with photos and
description.
Sasy Cacace
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Table Of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: Yin Yoga, The
Process Of Yielding And Letting Go.
The Creation Of Yin Yoga. Yin Principles. The Chinese Five Elements.
Chapter 2: The Science And Benefits Of Yin Yoga.
The Sympathetic/Parasympathetic System. Chapter 3: The Power Of
Breathing.
Ujjayi, Ocean Breath. Chapter 4: Yoga And Joint Health.
Contracture. Fixation. Chapter 5: What Is Limiting Your Range Of
Motion?
The Vipassana Approach. Chapter 6: 19 Powerful Yin Yoga Poses,
Variations, And Their Benefits.
1. The Butterfly Pose. 2. The Caterpillar Pose. 3. The Dangling Pose.
4. The Dragon Pose. 5. The Dragonfly/Straddle Pose. 6. The Frog
Pose. 7. The Snail Pose. 8. The Saddle Pose. 9. The Sphinx Pose.
10. The Fire Log/Square Pose. 11. The Happy Baby/Stirrup Pose. 12.
The Sleeping Swan Pose.
13. The Shoelace Pose. 14. The Recline Twisting Pose. 15. The
Melting Heart/Puppy Pose. 16. The Bananasana. 17. The
Shavasana/Corpse Pose. 18. Stressing The Arms. 19. Pec
Stretch/Shoulders Roll. Conclusion.
Introduction
Thank you for reading “Yin Yoga: Going Beyond Flexibility and
Extending the Yielding Approach of Yin Yoga to Master Your Mind. Yin
Yoga Poses with photos and descriptions”, which is my sequel to The
Key to Happiness. If you read my previous book, then you learned
about how everyone can improve their life with the yogi lifestyle. By
beginning your spiritual journey with meditation and Yin yoga you can
reduce stress, increase wisdom, and even slow down the process of
aging. Of course, this isn’t some miracle cure, I do not claim to
eradicate all aging or stress. But, you can greatly lessen these
negative aspects of life, as has been proved through many scientific
studies. We will go over the science and studies in this book, and
more so that you can plainly see the amazing benefits the yogi path
has to offer. You can trust in knowing that the tools and methods
taught in this book are reliable and helpful. I am an Experienced Yoga
Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500) and a Yoga Alliance
Continuing Education Provider (YACEP). I use these certifications not
only to master the yogi path, but also to teach and help others
discover the yogi path, understand its benefits, and learn how to
faithfully follow the lifestyle themselves that is not designed to tone or
stretch your body but it is designed to free us from obstacles and
liberate us from any fear. Before adopting the yogi path I have been a
detective on the police force for twenty years. While I can certainly
help many people while working in this field, it is not an easy position.
It would be difficult for anyone to witness the crime and pain in the
world daily for their job, especially a soft-hearted man like myself. I am
someone who has always dreamed of a world free from pain. While
having a world free from pain is a dream and not reality, I still believe
that it is possible to lessen the pain in the world. We all have the
opportunity to transform our pain, and the pain around us, thereby
increasing joy, peace, and growth. We can use these experiences as
a way to improve ourselves and our lives, constantly growing and
becoming better people. This is doing Yoga.
After fifteen years of walking the yogi path on my spiritual quest, this is
what I have discovered, and I would like to share this knowledge and
the tools needed to accomplish the goal of a better life with you. While
you may be familiar with standard yoga classes, Yin yoga is much
more powerful and meditative. This process focuses on promoting
deep physical, spiritual, and mental awareness. Rather than just
working the surface of your joints and muscles, you can work your
deeper tissues. Your connective tissues and fascia are included in the
poses, as well! People often lose vital flexibility as they age, with
stiffness in the fascia causing pain resulting in the muscles becoming
overwork. Yin yoga helps to increase flexibility and overall health as
you age, reducing the risk of injury. With fast-paced yang yoga, people
can often miss out on many of the benefits it has to offer, such as the
deep connection it requires with a person’s own soul, body, emotions,
and sensations. On the other hand, Yin yoga excels at slowing down
and allowing a person to truly connect deeply, offering benefits on all
levels. It is necessary to understand that it is not the movement that
frees you, but the quality of the relationship you have with it. With Yin
yoga, you are no longer distracted by movements as people are with
flowy Yang yoga practice. By removing the distractions while
maintaining a still pose you have the ability to focus inward and
meditate. As you will discover later in this book, the pairing of Yin
meditation and yoga has many benefits to the soul and mental health,
benefiting you in everyday life. Most people are not adjusted to living a
life with stillness and meditation. Instead of keeping the body and
mind still, most people are always looking at their phones or running
around doing task after task, in a constant flow of doing, doing and
doing that they forget what it is simply be. But, there are many
important benefits to sitting still and meditating. Simple be instead of
doing. It will take time to adjust to the process of Yin yoga and
meditation, but with work, you will find that your time of meditating and
practicing poses is rejuvenating and cleanses your body and mind for
the day to come. To truly gain all of these benefits, you should read
my other book, The Key to Happiness, in which we discuss methods
of meditation, life-altering tools to
increase peace and to let go of pain, the keys to gaining joy and
happiness and more. In this book, you will learn all about Yin yoga, its
benefits, nineteen poses with their variations, for a total of 51 asanas
with photos and an extra section for shoulders and neck health using
Yin yoga principles, and more. Let’s take this journey for better health
and a better life. All you have to do is begin.
Chapter 1 Yin Yoga, the Process of Yielding
and Letting Go.
Allow every aspect of your life be your growing edge. Your efforts
won’t be wasted and what you gain won’t be overturned. If that is your
way of life, you are doing Yoga. Sasy Cacace Yin yoga is both an
ancient method and a new practice. This is because the practice of
both Yin meditation and traditional (Yang) yoga were combined to
increase the benefits of both Yin and yoga. By combining the two, the
effects become even more profound. Who was it that combined these
two methods? While the teachings of many people were used, the
person who combined all of the knowledge into a single method is
Paul Grilley. Some of his influences in the combination of all this
knowledge were Paulie Zink who was the heaviest influencer and laid
the groundwork, Dr. Gary Parker who taught the importance of
anatomy, and Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama reminded Grilley of the greater
purpose of yoga in Daoism. Now, let’s look into the creation of the
original yoga and Yin yoga. After all, if you want to reap all of the
benefits that this practice has to offer, you need to understand the
theory behind it.
The Creation of Yin Yoga.
Documentation on the history of yoga has been found that dates back
hundreds and thousands of years. This includes ancient texts such as
the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yoga Sutra, Gheranda Samhita, and more.
Yet, you simply can’t only read these works in order to gain all of the
understanding from them. You require the help of a master or guru to
fully understand and utilize the knowledge these ancient texts share.
The texts themselves only share a part of the knowledge, a
condensed version which requires the proper teaching through the
guidance of a teacher. Why is this? The premise was that only a
master could know when their student was ready to gain the
knowledge. Therefore, much of the knowledge was kept in secret at
the master's discretion, until they felt their student was advanced
enough for the
understanding. The ancient texts themselves do not fully explain how
yoga was physically practiced. However, it is plain to see that the
deeper purpose of yoga was more than just physical. Yoga was meant
to help prepare a person for the deeper implementation of meditation.
The earliest spiritual books of India, the Vedas, had many meanings
for yoga. One of these was the word “discipline”. On the other hand,
“asana” which is a series of poses commonly practice used in yoga
today, is not named. Instead, the closest word to asana is described
as a block on which people sit to meditate. When the Yoga Sutra was
written, the practice of yoga had advanced further since the Vedas. By
this time, asana was a part of the practice, but only a small part of it.
In fact, the Sutra only mentions asana twice. At this time yoga was
defined as a psychological-spiritual method meant to attain the
pinnacle of enlightenment and liberation. It is important to mention that
when the Yoga Sutra mentions asana it defines what the movements
should be like. It uses the words “sthira” and “sukham”, meaning that
the movements should be both steady and calm (Sutra 2.46). This is
important information, as these are key qualities of Yin yoga, rather
than the Yang yoga often used throughout the West. Yoga was
created as a tool to facilitate meditation, deeper understanding, and
liberation. While there are many types of yoga with their own
principles, the ultimate original goal of all yoga is to achieve this end.
Some of the yoga methods place a higher emphasis on the
movements of the body, whereas others left almost no mention of
poses and movements. Some methods of yoga were so extreme, and
unhealthy, that they believed that the body only got in the way of
enlightenment and liberation. Therefore, they sought a way to attain
out-of-body experiences as rapidly and quickly as possible. This
resulted in unhealthy practices that only damaged the body.
Thankfully, there were also yoga methods that outright rejected the
idea of the previous extreme. For instance, the Hatha yoga method
placed emphasis on maintaining a strong and healthy body. Their
principle stated that since people can only attain knowledge and
liberation while in their body, the body should be cared for, kept
healthy, and strengthened. By doing this, the yogis of the Hatha
principle were able to maintain meditation for hours on end, as their
bodies were so well trained that they could stay still much longer than
a
person of average health. With Hatha, the goal was still to sit in a still
and meditative pose, but asana began to have more importance in the
overall practice than with previous forms of yoga. No history of yoga
would be complete without mentioning the Hatha Yoga Pradipika,
which was written by Swami Swatmarama in the fourteenth century
C.E. It is one of the oldest surviving documents detailing the principles
and methods of Hatha yoga. This document discussed the importance
of asana much more than anything of its kind had in the past.
However, still, much less emphasis is placed on asana than many
people place on it in today’s day in age. Instead, the document largely
focuses on mudras (hand gestures) and pranayama (breathing
techniques). When the document does mention asana, it only details
fifteen positions. Most of these positions are done while still and
seated, much like Yin yoga. Although, there are a few yang yoga
poses. While there are fifteen poses in the document, there is one that
is written about as being the ultimate pose. It was written that if a
person masters this one Hatha yoga pose, then all other poses were
meaningless. This pose is known as the Siddhasana, translated as the
Perfect pose or the Accomplished pose and it is a seated pose. To
perform Siddhasana sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front
of you, bend your left knee, and bring your left heel into your groin
near the perineum, the area between the genitals and anus. Then
bend your right knee and slide your right heel toward the front of your
left ankle. By lifting your right foot, position your right ankle just above
your left ankle, and bring your right heel into the genital area. The
little-toe side and the outer edge of the top foot are pushed down into
the space between the calf and thigh muscles of the bottom leg and
the spine is held erect. As time continued, the asana from the Hatha
Yoga Pradipika was expanded on and further explained. For instance,
a few hundred years after the original writing of the document,
Gheranda Samhita documented his own thirty-two types of asana.
Some of these asana fit closely with Yin yoga practice, whereas
others fit more into the Yang yoga principles. At this point in time,
much of yoga asana began to ease more toward Yang rather than Yin.
A few decades after this, eighty-four asana were documented in the
Shiva Samhita. And, when England began to colonize India and alter
the school systems, asana were further ingrained in the everyday
culture of India. No
longer was yoga only for the select yogis who dedicated their lives to
its practice. Now, yoga was a part of physical activities in school right
alongside martial arts, gymnastics, and other forms of exercise. This
naturally leads to further changes in the practice of yoga, having it
blend with other forms of exercise and becoming known largely for its
physical benefits rather than purely psychological-spiritual. While there
had previously only been a few asana, by the end of the nineteenth
century there were thousands. Yang yoga was predominantly
practiced, with the traits that would later define Yin yoga being largely
abandoned. The sudden evolution of asana yoga practices, made the
methodology largely move from Yin style practice to Yang style. Of
course, Yin yoga never disappeared, but it was left very much less
appreciated and taught than it once was. While yoga was once seen
as a means to gain insight, wisdom, enlightenment, and liberation
through meditation, it is now largely seen as only a way to gain health
and strength. Of course, the physical benefits of yoga are wonderful
and numerous, but that doesn’t mean that the psychological-spiritual
benefits should be left behind. While Yin yoga practices have
obviously existed for thousands of years, as you now know, Yin yoga
as a defined and coined term with specific principles has a more
recent history. Let’s look into this history now... Cho Chat Ling, master
of Chi kung and Chinese martial arts trained Paulie Zink as his lone
protégé. They spent their time devoted to physical conditioning,
flexibility training, and energy cultivation all as part of Taoist Chi Kung;
a form of Kung-fu known as Tai Shing Pek Kwar (monkey style) that
requires harsh physical exercise, tremendous mental concentration,
and enigmatic spiritual practices. Paulie Zink trained under his master
for ten years free of charge. Along with his training under Cho Chat
Ling, Master Zink also studied other matters under his own initiative.
This includes the observation of animals, Taoist alchemy theory, and a
system of yoga using Taoist principles. Master Zink began to combine
together the different methods he was learning into one cohesive
principle. He even included the Hatha style yoga he had
learned as a child along with meditations, philosophy, and perceptions
all gleaned through his years of research, practice, and study. He
referred to his combination of principles as “Taoist yoga.” Master Zink
began to share his knowledge in the West as he became a three- time
winning international martial arts grand-champion. He was well-known
not only for his martial arts championship winnings, but also for his
thirty- five years of experience that made him famed for his artistry,
fluidity, and flexibility. Yin yoga, as it is now known, takes knowledge
from Master Zink’s Taoist yoga that places a priority on philosophy,
health, and spirituality. At its core, it teaches the importance of living in
rhythmic harmony with nature. The Taoism emphasizes living in
harmony with the Tao (a word for ‘way’ or ‘route’) and Lao Tzu, the
father of the “Tao te Ching”, named it ‘wú wéi’, meaning an action that
flows effortlessly. The ‘wú wéi’ concept is the alignment with the
rhythms of the elements both within and outside our bodies. It is the
concept of ‘without effort’, ‘without forcing’, ‘without resistance’, a state
of unconflicted personal harmony, a kind of ebb and flow, an effortless
surrender to the natural rhythm and pulse of the nature. The principles
of Chinese medicine and acupuncture are used in Yin yoga, together
with the teachings of the five elements of earth, water, fire, metal, and
wood. The word “Yin” in Yin yoga also comes from Chinese spirituality
and the premise of Yin and Yang. “Yin” encompasses dark, whereas
“Yang” encompasses light. Only together are Yin and Yang a whole.
They are both dark and light, male and female, hot and cold. Yin and
yang make up the entire universe, and neither can exist without the
other. The ancient spirituality and medicine are brought in as different
yoga poses embody various creatures to activate the revolutionized
five elements. By doing this, a person can better harmonize with the
energies within their own bodies, allowing their inner primal spirit to
thrive. By empowering and transforming yourself through the use of
these elemental energies you can balance both your mental and
physical health. Yin yoga poses are meant to clear energy blockages,
promote growth through stillness, and enhance circulation. Although,
the flow of energy is more than just what poses you do. Just as
important as the poses you practice is your pose transition. This is of
equal importance as the poses themselves as you
want to promote energy movement that is fluid and circular to
incorporate a continuous, relaxed, and graceful all-day energy. Yin
yoga got its name after Paul Grilley studied under Master Paulie Zink
to learn Taoist yoga. After studying under Master Zink for a year,
Grilley began to share his knowledge with others. In this process, he
developed his own principles combining Zink’s Taoist yoga, Dr.
Motoyama’s knowledge of chakras and acupuncture, and his own
knowledge to combine what he named “Yin yoga.” After the above
description, the story of the birth and development of Yin yoga should
be clearer. Yin and Yang yoga do not need to be ranked. You do not
need to claim one is better than the other. Remember, Yin can not
exist without Yang, and vice versa. They both have their place and
should be appreciated. There are many forms of Yang yoga currently
available, such as Power Yoga, Ashtanga, Hot Yoga, Flow Yoga, and
more. You can still practice any of Yang yoga methodology you would
like, and along with it, you can also practice Yin yoga. By doing this,
you can gain all of the benefits of Yin yoga and more.
Yin Principles.
There are four main principles of Yin yoga. By now, you should have a
slight understanding of some of the principles from learning about the
history of Yin yoga. The four principles are as follows: 1. Find an
Edge When you enter your pose you should move gently and slowly
with grace into the suggested position, without a defined picture of
how far you should push the movement. With Yin yoga there is no one
ideal or end result you are looking for, you simply need to keep a quiet
mind and listen to your body to do what feels right. This means that
sometimes you need to stop and simply notice what your body is
feeling and how it is reacting. Before you move more deeply into a
position in an attempt to strengthen the sensations, listen and wait for
feedback from your body. This step is important for everyone, but
especially those who are highly physical. The reason for this is
because athletes and dancers are used to pushing past the limits off
their body to achieve their end-goals. While this may be beneficial in
sports, dancing, and
exercise, it is not the goal in Yin yoga. When practicing Yin yoga you
want to balance between giving your body space and allowing it to feel
an appropriate amount of sensation and intensity. Don’t try to push
your body out of its comfort zone or as far as it can go. Relax into the
position and your body, exploring what your amazing body is capable
of. In time, you will find that your body becomes naturally more flexible
and capable of going more deeply into the pose without pushing it too
far. Simply take the time your body needs to discover the pose and
you will find that it appreciates the gentle and graceful positions. When
finding the appropriate amount of sensation for a Yin yoga pose, look
for your Goldilocks place. This means that you want neither too much
or too little sensation, it should be just right so that you feel the
sensation without pain. 2. Be Still. We are used to living a life on the
go, always moving and doing something. Whether you are exercising
or relaxing, you are often listening to music, doing your phones, or
talking to someone. We are always moving. However, Yin yoga
prioritizes being still and quiet. This means that no matter how hard it
is at first, you need to try to resolve yourself with not moving. Don’t
fidget. Don’t try to change your pose, even if you want to change it,
“fix” it, or increase the intensity. Simply focus on being still with the
pose, and try to relax. Even if you cannot make yourself relax at first if
you imagine yourself relaxing you will find that with practice you learn
how to ease into the pose. With dedication, before long you will find
yourself relaxing like a pro. By moving too much you can cause too
much strain on your joints and connective tissue, possibly leading to
injury. But, if you stay still at the edge of your range of motion, then
you will find that your muscles and connective tissue increase in
flexibility and range over time. Even if you are unable to mentally relax
into a pose, if you try to envision your muscles relaxing into the pose,
you will find it becomes easier. This process will help your muscles
relax, even if your mind requires more time. The stillness you maintain
should be effortless. This stillness should follow the already described
principle named by Lao Tzu as ‘wú wéi’, meaning an
action that flows effortlessly. Lao Tzu explained the importance of
simply letting go of yourself and experiencing the world without
complex thought. You need to apply this principle to your Yin yoga
practice, allowing not only your body to remain still, but your mind, as
well. Applying this principle in your Yin yoga practice is training for
your mind, allowing you to reach this same stillness in your daily life.
You will be able to learn not to react to the happenings of life. This is a
great benefit because, as Lao Tzu emphasized, “To the mind that is
still the whole universe surrenders”. To be still doesn’t mean you
cannot move at all; as there are two exceptions for this:
You can move to find your edge, allowing you to go further into a pose
as time passes. That’s why when I am teaching and I describe the first
Yin Yoga law I invite the students to find and play with their edge. You
have to move when you need to back off if you feel sharp pain or
numbness. Pay attention to these sensations, they can be dangerous,
because if you feel them it means you are pinching some nerves. If
you do not listen to these signals, then over time you could develop
some chronic injuries and pain.
3. Hold for a While. In Yin yoga the long static holding approach is
more important than intensity. Yin yoga is a practice of yielding and
letting go into the sensations of the pose, observing those sensations
arise, lingering for a while, and disappearing. This is what exactly
happens to all the transience phenomena in your life. So training to
yield and let go on the mat can turn out to be a way to learn to yield
and letting go in your life. It is important to learn to overcome and let
go of the idea that tells us to move and come out of a pose at the very
first challenge we meet; we need to understand that what we resist
persists while what we embrace looses its grip on us, it doesn’t scare
us anymore, it doesn’t bother us anymore. This is as true in Yin
practice as in your life, so this practice can become training for us.
We train on our mat to be ready for our life. In Yang yoga, people
often move between yoga poses in quick succession. However, with
Yin yoga beginners hold poses between one and three minutes, with
those more advanced can hold poses for five or more minutes. During
this time, you don’t want to watch a clock, as it will prevent you from
focusing on relaxation and meditation. Instead, use a timer which will
allow you to focus on relaxation while still knowing how long to
maintain the asana. You will find that longer or more difficult holds
allow the mind to learn to relax and meditate skillfully, even under
difficult circumstances. This allows a person to learn to meditate, even
when circumstances are not ideal. Even if you are struggling with your
emotions, environment, or anything else, you will be able to meditate
through it. While you can hold a pose for only one minute if you are
new to Yin yoga and out of shape. However, you only receive the
benefits when practicing the poses longer and we are diving into this
later in the book. Therefore, try to at least hold the pose for two
minutes, and you can gradually increase it up to five minutes overtime.
4. Release Gently. When you practice Yin yoga you do long holds of
asana that have your joints in unguarded positions. There are many
benefits to these positions. But, if you move out of these poses quickly
or violently it can cause damage to your joints. Instead, as you come
out of your asana move slowly and use your arms to support. This
means you use your arms to support your torso, to push yourself up to
a sitting position, and gently move your legs. Remember, Yin yoga
exercises your deep muscular and connective tissues. Usually, your
body prevents these tissues from stretching too much, as if they
stretch too rapidly it can cause damage. But, since Yin yoga practices
slow and gentle poses it gives these tissues a chance to stretch and
increase in strength and flexibility. You need to respect your bodies
and the amazing work they are doing, and thank the body by moving
gently and carefully out of these poses so that the tissues can
harmlessly go back to their original position.
When you come out of your asana you may at first feel unsteady,
shaky, or uncomfortable. Don’t let this worry you, as these awkward
sensations will fade. Now that the Yin yoga principles are described,
you can better understand why the Yin yoga practice can be a
challenge: it is because the approach is so far away from the way we
live our life, always on the go, always with a to do list to follow. That’s
why we feel more comfortable with Yang practice, because that style
is closer to the way we live, always fast, competitive, and on-the-go.
But, what we really need is often what we dislike; it is often the
opposite of what we do on a daily-bases; it is often what can push us
into a challenge that can be for us a way to grow up, a way to go
beyond the surface of the feelings and body sensations. The Yin Yoga
approach is indulging and giving yourself the permissions to simply
be; yielding all the sensations and thoughts you experience into the
pose without fighting them, but observing them, witnessing the way
your mind reacts to them and again yielding to that process without
following it. Traditional Chinese Medicine. Yin yoga implements
Chinese medicine, as Master Paulie Zink studied its benefits
extensively in his years as a protégé. But, most people have not spent
the same amount of time, if any, studying this ancient medical
practice. Thankfully, I have compiled the information you need to
understand and utilize this longstanding practice. The fundamental
understanding of Chinese medicine is that humans are made up of a
holistic body, mind, and soul. This means that as humans, we are
deeply connected to a powerful healing force within ourselves. Not
only that, but we are also linked to our environment, society, and the
Universe. By understanding this, we can see that illness and disease
is a result of an imbalance within ourself or in our relationship with the
universe. We have all heard the phrase “a picture speaks a thousand
words”, well, this is not a new line of thought. People have long known
the importance of visual depictions in communication and
understanding. The above-mentioned Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu,
once wrote “Writings do not express words clearly, words do not
express thoughts clearly; thus the sages created images to express
thoughts clearly”.
In order to better communicate insights and knowledge, the ancient
sages created images. This includes the image of Yin and Yang that
we are all familiar with, along with the image for Dao (also known as
Tao). While many unfamiliar with Chinese medicine have never heard
of Dao, it is an essential part of the practice to understand, it is used to
embrace the eternal primordial source also called the Void, as well as
the potential from which all things arise. Dao has two sides, similar to
Yin and Yang. One side of Dao represents an empty and passive
state, whereas the other side is active, creative, and pushes reality
forward. The purpose of Dao is to learn how to welcome and embrace
that ancient and eternal Void from which all things come. Yin-Yang
builds upon the understanding of Dao. The purpose of Yin and Yang
are to explain the nature of duality that exists inherently in everything.
There are four principles of Yin-Yang used to explain its nature,
including:
1. All of nature contains two inherent opposing sides. 2. Yin and Yang
only exist as a pair, one can not exist without the
other. 3. Yin and Yang support and nourish each other. 4. There is an
inherent transformational ability between Yin and
Yang.
Yin and Yang both express different aspects of nature. Yin expresses
water, cold, dark, stillness, and yielding. On the other hand, Yang is
the properties of fire, heat, light, movement, and force. You can see
how these aspects of Yin and Yang classify yoga practices. The Yin
yoga presented in this book is one that focuses on stillness and
healing. Whereas Yang yoga, which is popular in the west, is one that
prioritizes movement and force. We can only understand Yin when we
compare it to Yang, and vice versa. These are not absolute terms that
can stand up independently, they rely on, support, and nourish each
other. Not only are there Yin and Yang versions of yoga, but Yin-Yang
can also explain the way we approach living. Do you live with a quiet
mind or a mind rushing from thought to thought? Are you more likely
to yield or use force? Everyone approaches their life with their own
Yin-Yang balance, and if either
is out of balance you develop unhealthy coping mechanisms. But, if
you learn about Yin-Yang you can learn to create a more balanced
lifestyle. Along with Yin-Yang and Dao, it is imperative to understand
the meridian channels. These are an aspect that play a part in every
Yin yoga pose, and greatly affects your daily life. The meridians are
channels that carry energy throughout the entire body, forming an
intricate network. However, just as plumbing can get clogged up and
malfunction, so too can your meridian network. When this network
becomes blocked, then your Chi, Shen, and Ching - the vital energy,
the spirit and the nutritive essence, the "Three Treasures" in Chinese
medicinal theory, also known as Qi, Shen, and Jing - are unable to
flow properly. When this happens, then imbalances occur and your
organs are no longer able to function fully. But, if you clear your
meridian network then the energy is able to flow freely, allowing you to
experience your best physical, mental, and spiritual health. This
energy network throughout your body is not only described in
Chinese medicine, as there is a similar yogi belief. In India, yogis
long have taught about ancient energy networks known as nadis.
While the exact number of nadis within the human body is
unknown, some documents suggest that there were
three-hundred thousand whereas others claim there are
seventy-two thousand. The exact number of nadis doesn’t matter,
all that does matter is that there are too many to count. This is
important to understand, as it helps us to understand that these
energy systems run throughout the entire body, affecting every
aspect of your lives. Just as the yogis in ancient India
understood the importance of the nadis, those practicing ancient
Chinese medicine saw the importance of the meridians. Chinese
physicians named seventy-one different meridians, although only
twelve of these were most important for physical well- being.
Each of the body’s ten major organs has its own meridian, which
can be either Yin or Yang (lung meridian, heart meridian, small
intestine meridian, large intestine meridian, spleen meridian,
kidney meridian, liver meridian, gallbladder meridian, urinary
bladder meridian, stomach meridian). Along with the pericardium
(the membrane surrounding the
heart) and the San Jiao meridian, this makes up a group of twelve
main meridian channels, known collectively as Jing Mai. This
chapter of the book doesn’t have the vanity to cover the whole topic
related to Traditional Chinese Medicine and the meridian system, but I
would like to spend some more words about San Jiao meridian. This
meridian, also called ‘Triple-burner’, is not an independent organ, but
rather a functional energy system involved in regulating the activities
of other organs. It is made up of three parts, known as 'burners', each
associated to chest, abdomen, and pelvis. The top burner is above our
diaphragm and it controls the intake of air, food, and fluids; the middle
burner affects our digestive system and it controls our stomach,
spleen, and pancreas; lastly, the lower burner affects our urinary and
reproductive systems and it controls liver, kidney, bladder, and
intestines and it is responsible for absorbing nutrients, and eliminating
wastes. When a person’s San Jiao is functioning well, then all of
these organs work in harmony together and fluids within the
body are optimally transported. How do the meridian channels
become blocked? According to Chinese medicine and Yin principles,
this occurs when you have unbalance in your life. These imbalances
can arise from many areas, whether physical, mental, emotional, or
spiritual. Many of us have these blocks without realizing due to
unhealthy habits in diets and exercise, injuries, daily stress, or trauma.
If we can open your meridian channels, then we allow our life force to
flow freely inside our bodies, creating positive energy and balance.
There are fourteen major meridians, with two single and twelve paired
channels. The paired meridians go hand-in-hand, they run parallel to
one another, with each pair making up both Yin and Yang. The Yin
channels flow upward in the body, whereas the Yang channels flow
downward. There is also a specific order in which these channels are
paired, which is important to understand if you want to clear your
channels. It is to know this, as you need to complete Yin yoga poses
that activate your meridians in a certain order to promote clear
channels, otherwise, you won’t fix the problem. The meridian order
includes: Paired Meridians.
Lung (Yin) and Large Intestine (Yang) Stomach (Yang) and Spleen
(Yin) Heart (Yin) and Small Intestine (Yang) Bladder (Yang) and
Kidney (Yin) Pericardium (Yin) and Triple Heater (Yang) Gallbladder
(Yang) and Liver (Yin)
Single Meridians .
Conception Vessel (Yin). It starts from the tailbone and runs upwards
through the front of the body, from the pubic area to the mouth. It
plays a role in monitoring and directing all of the Yin channels.
Governing Vessel (Yang). It starts from the uterus, runs down to the
central region of the pelvis around the genitals and moves upward
from inside the coccyx and sacrum, enters the brain and ends at the
gum. It governs all the Yang channel.
The energy within your bodies is constantly moving and flowing.
However, there are specific times of the day in which each meridian
has its own peak flow. This is known as the meridian clock. When you
experience blockages in your meridian system, you will experience
physical systems that signal where the blockage is located. In order to
fix these blockages, you need to enhance the energy flow in the given
meridian channel. For instance, you as your lungs are responsible for
your intake of air, you will know you have a blockage in your lung
meridian if you experience coughing, congestion, changes in your
sense of smell, or infections such as the common cold and flu. In this
case, you will want to increase the flow of energy to your lung
meridian. In the same way, since your stomach works to digest food,
digestion-related symptoms such as prolonged or rapid digestion,
cramping, constipation, diarrhea, and gas are all symptoms of a
blocked stomach meridian and in this case you need to increase the
flow of energy to your stomach meridian. Yin yoga focuses on
increasing the flow of energy to your meridian channels and
stimulating the body’s connective tissue or fascia. The connective
tissue
makes up most of the human body, with it being used throughout your
organs and tissues to hold everything together. Yin yoga exercises
these connective tissues to not only strengthen and increase flexibility
but also to active your meridian channels and increase energy flow. By
holding Yin yoga poses for a long time, you can focus on lengthening
and increasing the flexibility of your connective tissues. This process
naturally increases the balance to the meridians, strengthens the
body, lessens the risk of injury, and even makes you less prone to
meridian channel blockages in the future. The meridian channels have
five main functions, which include:
Keeps the organs running; Energizes the body; Warms the body;
Transforms substances; Protects the body from outside influences;
Yin yoga acts as acupressure to the meridians and connective tissues.
The slow and long pose holds apply pressure to the organs, meridian
channels, and connective tissues over an extended period of time to
increase both energy flow and blood flow to flush away the toxins and
blockages. When you hold Yin poses, you compress the body’s
tissues where the meridian channels are located. This pressure
causes blood to push into the area with more force than usual,
allowing it to push out older blood and toxins, filling the organs with
fresh clean blood in its place. The same principle happens with energy
in the meridian system. The meridians affected the most by Yin yoga
practice are the ones that begin or end in the lower body: The Liver
meridian. It begins at the inside of the nail of the big toe, runs along
the top of the foot, passes the front of the inside ankle and moves up
through the inner leg. It runs upwards, passes the knee, and reaches
the groin and pubic region, where it circulates the external genitals. It
connects with the conception vessel in the lower abdomen where it
enters both the liver and gallbladder. Then it
branches with one line connecting to the lung meridian while another
one runs up through the throat and connects with the eye and ends at
the crown of the head where it links with the governing vessel.
Another branch reaches down and circle the mouth. Lower back pain
and abdominal pain, may be a sign of disharmony of the liver.
Irritation, frequent or irrational anger, together with some mind
disorder may also be a sign of liver dysfunction. The Gallbladder
meridian. It begins at the outer corner of the eye, moves down
towards the ear and then up to the forehead. It descends behind the
ear to the corner of the skull to return to the forehead and then moves
down to the bottom of the skull to reach the neck and shoulder. It
zigzags along the ribs down to the waist and pelvic. Then it continues
down the outside of the leg, to the ankle, ending on the outside of the
4th toe. Ears pain, throat pain and pain along the side of the body may
be indications of gallbladder meridian problem. Some other physical
imbalances related to gallbladder meridian disfunction are insomnia,
glaucoma, stiff neck, dizziness. The Kidney meridian. It begins at the
outside of the little toe, runs under the sole of the foot and makes a
circle around the medial malleolus. Then it runs along the inner side of
the leg, reaching the kidney through the tailbone. One branch moves
to the urinary bladder and ends, through the abdomen and chest, at
the collar bone. Another branch moves through liver, diaphragm, lung
and throat, ending at the base of the tongue. Gynecological and
genital disorders such as irregular menstruation and impotence,
problems in the kidneys, lungs, and throat, can be related to a
disharmony of the Kidney meridian. Emotional imbalances, such as
depression, fear, hysteria, paranoia, loneliness and insecurity may
also be a sign of Kidney meridian disfunction. The Urinary Bladder
Meridian. It starts from at the inner portion of the eyelid and moves up
to crown and then down to the back of the head. Here it forms two
branches: one enters the brain and then runs down the spine to the
buttocks, where it moves to the
urinary bladder and the kidney; the other one runs from the crow down
to the neck, shoulder, buttocks and leg, circles the outer ankle, moves
along the outer edge of the foot and ends in the little toe. Headaches,
back problem, urinary problems, pain in the eye, and some emotional
imbalances such as resisting change, negative attitude, and lack of
energy, are expression of bladder meridian imbalance. The Spleen
Meridian. It starts at the tip of the great toe, runs along the inside of
the foot and continues up the inner leg. It enters the abdomen above
the pubic bones and connects to the spleen and the stomach. Then it
branches, one line runs up to the throat till the root of the tongue,
while the other line connects to the heart meridian. Indications of
spleen disharmony encompass digestive and stomach problems
together with some emotional imbalances such as poor concentration,
forgetful-ness, cloudy thought process, addiction, attachment,
obsession. The Stomach meridian. It starts between the lower eyelid
and the eye socket and runs down the face. Here it branches in three:
one line loops up to the forehead, another branch moves down to the
diaphragm, running to the stomach and spleen and the third line
crosses the chest and belly and it ends at the groin. The branch
running through the stomach, after reconnecting to the third line,
moves down through the front of the leg and foot, where it splits again
with one line reaching the inner side of the big toe and the other
reaching the outside tip of the second toe. Physical and emotional
imbalances related to the stomach meridian disharmony are digestive
and stomach problems, abdominal pain, soreness in any of the areas
the meridian passes through together with anxiety, worry, skepticism,
poor confidence, or mistrust.
The Chinese Five Elements.
Along with the meridian system, the five natural elements are deeply
woven into the fabric of the Chinese Medicine. These are metal, water,
wood, fire, and earth
We see these elements not only throughout nature, but they are also
reflected within your bodies. Everyone has these five elements,
though they can be arranged slightly differently depending on the
person. Not only that, but these elements are also each associated
with your organ/meridian systems, emotions, and even the seasons.
They are used in the Chinese Medicine to diagnose disease and the
resulting treatment plan will either emphasize a weak element or
sedate an excessive element to restore harmony and balance in the
body. Metal Known for its balance and justice, the metal element
corresponds to autumn, the lungs, and the large intestine. As metal is
heavy and condensed it is known for its stillness and slowness. During
the autumn plants begin to draw their nutrients inward so that they can
survive the coming months. During this process, the leaves fade away
with a brilliant color. In the same way, metal is tied with coming and
going and the end of cycles. Metal is also tied to rhythmic breathing
from the lungs and the excretory function tied to the large intestine.
Your lungs transform the air you breathe into oxygen to fuel the entire
body. In traditional Chinese medicine, they are also related to the
emotion of grief and are connected with the nose, skin, body hair,
sweat glands, and immune system. Meanwhile, the large intestine
eliminates waste and toxins from your bodies, allowing us to function
at your best. As metal is tied to autumn, it isn’t surprising that this is
the time of year when people experience the flu, colds, allergies,
depression, skin conditions, bowel upsets, and anxiety. The metal
element, autumn, the lungs, and the large intestines are all about
transformation. This understanding is important for Yin yoga, as life is
always changing, and you must learn to let go and go with the flow.
Just as precious minerals and metal can be refined and transformed
into something amazing, so too can you. If you dedicate the time to
your full well-being with Yin yoga you can become something more
amazing and precious than ever before. Water
The water element is tied to the ice-cold and darkness of winter when
life is resting and waiting so that it can be better nourished in the
future. The kidneys and the bladder are both associated with the water
element, with the kidneys being an especially important organ as they
represent both Yin and Yang. These two bean-shaped organs hold
your essence, known as Jing as I already described, which was given
to you by your parents at the moment of conception. They also hold
your vitality and bless us with the desire to grow gracefully. The
kidneys are associated with the emotion of fear and virtue of wisdom.
The water element contains both courage and will. Just as water can
be soft enough to swim through or applied with enough pressure to cut
diamonds, with the water element we are able to push past adversity
to truly flourish in all circumstances of life. Just as water can be
transformed into any shape, you too can recreate yourselves by
shifting and yielding with the fluidity of water. This can be seen as you
read this very book, as you are attempting to recreate yourself by
gaining new knowledge, understanding, and enlightenment for better
well- being. When you push yourselves and overwork yourselves
causing burnout and exhaustion it affects your water element and the
kidneys, draining these organs of your essence and vitality. Since the
water element is what keeps your joints healthy, this can result in joint
injuries, stiffness, and pain. Other symptoms of this burnout of your
water element can include forgetfulness, fear, depression, sleep
difficulties, addiction, sexual disturbances, and a loss of the zest for
life. Wood The wood element is fittingly tied to the season of spring
when all the plants are growing and flourishing. But, it is also
connected with the liver, gallbladder, imagination, vision, and dreams.
Just like the seasons come and go out in nature, they do within your
bodies, as well. I am sure you can look back on your life and notice
times when you were full of vibrancy and energy and other times when
you moved slower and needed more rest. This is the body’s natural
seasonal cycle, which you see plainly mirrored throughout nature.
The liver not only helps us to filter toxins from the body, it also
promotes a balanced flow of energy, helps us turn our visions and
ideas into actions, and it is tied to the virtue of forgiveness and the
emotion of anger. But, when you allow your energies to become
blocked you experience negative side effects as a result. A blockage
in the liver can lead to symptoms of PMS, headaches, depression,
and an inability to handle change. You can better express your
qualities of the wood element by focusing on forgiveness and adaption
to change. Just as trees send their roots deep into the ground so that
they can withstand future winds and chills, you too can prepare
yourselves with Yin yoga to withstand the difficulties of your own
futures. Fire Fire is hot and vibrant, and it is paired with the season of
summer, the heart, and the small intestine. It is fitting that something
as passionate as fire is paired with the heart, which is much more than
an organ to pump blood. Science is still to this day discovering much
about the human heart, but it is beginning to understand that highly
complex with its own brain-like processing center. This organ
commonly experiences energy blocks, resulting in heart disease being
the number one killer. The season of summer is one of vibrancy and
abundance when all of nature is maturing and at the height of its life.
Appropriately, the emotion tied to this element is joy. You must learn to
embrace your joy and live with a vibrancy of life that rivals that of
summer and fire. Yes, Yin yoga practices yielding and gentleness, but
Yin can not exist without Yang. We can’t mistakenly try to live a
completely Yin life, just as life made up of too much Yang isn’t healthy
neither is one with too much Yin. While you can practice Yin yoga and
Yin actions throughout your lives, we must not forget to balance it with
the Yang, which includes joy. Earth The earth element represents late
summer or the transitional phase between seasons. It also relates to
the spleen/pancreas and the stomach. These organs work hard to
digest your food and distribute the nutrients throughout the body for
fuel. They give us the ability to manage our day to day lives
accomplishing our goals. Psychologically, these organs help us to
digest all of our emotions and experiences so that we can utilize them
to create. Just as the time between the seasons is a time of
transformation, so too are these organs transformational. They take
raw materials, turn them into nutrients, and then use these nutrients to
make your cells the best that they can be. Earth is a mother to us all,
and just like a mother she nurtures and nourishes us, as the
transformational season of earth allows you to draw in and recenter
within yourselves, allowing your life energy to nourish you in the same
way that food fuels your cells. This is also the reason as the
emotion-related with it is sympathy, as it promotes you to have the
same sympathy as a mother would for her children. With your earth
balance you can notice your life force depletes, affecting you on every
level. You may experience eating disorders, digestive disturbances,
obsessive thoughts, and caring too much about others and not
enough about yourself. These are all a result of losing your center.
Losing your center can affect every aspect of life. Thankfully, Yin yoga
and meditation both put an emphasis on enlightenment and finding
yourself. By bringing your mind back to your body you will be able to
heal and nourish yourself once again.
Chapter 2 The Science and Benefits of Yin
Yoga.
A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just
blooms. Zen Shin It’s normal to seek logic and scientific understanding
when you are taking up a practice to better your health. While yoga
can help physically, mentally, and spiritually, where is the proof? In this
chapter, we will focus on a scientific basis related to the Yin yoga
practice. Yin yoga doesn’t focus on building muscular strength.
Instead, it works on stretching the connective tissues to make them
stronger and more flexible. But, many people know very little about
their connective tissues and how they work. First, while we have many
types of connective tissue, we have three main types, including:
Loose Connective Tissue
This form of tissue holds the organs in their proper place while also
connecting with the underlying epithelial tissue that covers the body,
lines all cavities, and composes the glands.
Dense Connective Tissue
Ligaments and tendons are made of dense connective tissue that
connects the bones together at the joints and attaches muscles.
Specialized Connective Tissue
This includes a number of specialized tissues and components, such
as bone, cartilage, adipose, blood, and lymph. Your connective tissues
work to bind together and connect your other tissues. While epithelial
tissues have densely packed cells, the connective tissue is different.
Instead, it is made up of fibrous proteins and glycoproteins that are
attached to the membrane. The three main components of connective
tissue
include cells, the ground substance and the fibers. Let’s have a look at
the last two components. The ground substance is a gel-like
substance in the extracellular space primarily composed of water,
hyaluronic acid and some other components that works as a fluid
material that keeps the fibers and cells suspended within their own set
tissue type. Both connective tissue fibers and ground substance are
created by cells known as fibroblasts, that secret three main types of
fibers:
Collagenous Fibers:
These are made up of coils of collagen molecules forming fibril
bundles. They strengthen connective tissue.
Elastic Fibers:
These are stretchable fibers made with the protein elastin. They make
your connective tissues flexible and elastic.
Reticular Fibers:
These join connective tissue to other tissues. Connective tissue gives
us the flexibility, strength, and support needed to hold our internal
organs, lymph vessels, blood vessels, and nerves. It is also important
to mention the dense connective tissue, which makes up your
ligaments and tendons that help to attach your muscles and bones
together and form a part of your joints. Unlike loose connective tissue,
that is made with a weave-like composition with constituent fibers that
are loosely organized, leaving large spaces in between, the dense
connective tissue is made with closely-packed collagenous fibers.
However, like loose connective tissue, the dense variety is used to
protect some of your organs as well, namely the liver and kidneys. As
you can see, we have these connective tissues all throughout your
body. They are not only beneath your skin, but they also surrounding
your organs, bones, joints, and move. They are constantly holding us
up and holding us together. The specific connective tissues that work
together to do this job are known as fascia.
Your fascia and fibroblasts (the cells that produce connective tissue)
are just as alive and active as we are. But, as we age, become
inactive, and become sick with disease these tissues and cells also
age, resorting in fewer fibroblasts to do their job. When this happens,
your fascia becomes matted, clotted, and tangled together. Your
fibroblasts can no longer replicate the same amount of young
connective tissue they once did, leading to the fibers that make up
your fascia becoming old and worn out. In fact, the wrinkles that form,
joints that stiffen, and limbs that weaken from old age are all a side
effect of not enough fibroblasts leading to worn out connective tissues.
Thankfully, while we can’t stop aging, we can greatly reduce aging by
increasing your fibroblast production and creating younger and
healthier connective tissues. Yin yoga seeks to give back to the fascia
by exercising them and allowing them to get the strength and balance
they need to increase flexibility and decrease injury. You may go to the
gym every day of the week, but you still won’t be giving your fascia the
care or exercises it needs. This most exercise makes use of
movement to strengthen your muscles. But, while the muscles may
benefit from rhythmic movement, your fascia only gets to stretch and
exercise by having traction applied – a stress that is applied to the
tissue and is left. Thankfully, when you practice Yin yoga your fascia is
naturally receiving this traction and lengthens as it stretches. As you
stay still in the pose the traction applies beneficial stress to the tissue,
causing it to strengthen and increase in flexibility over time. You can
not get this same benefit from other exercises, even other forms of
yoga. This is because the fascia slowly lengthens, meaning it will only
occur when you are practicing a long-held pose for a few minutes, as
you do with Yin yoga. Not only do the stretches of Yin yoga helps to
exercise your fascia, but it is also good for your fibroblasts! This is
because studies have found that the Yin yoga poses, which stretch
and hold the connective tissues, increase the production of fibroblasts.
The increase of fibroblasts then causes an increase in collagen,
elastin and other components of your connective tissue, leading to
both younger fascia and skin along with whole-body healing.
The same way that long-held pose increases fibroblast production, it
also increases the production of hyaluronic acid and synovial fluid.
This is important, as hyaluronic acid is found in the skin and is used to
increase hydration, and synovial fluid is found in the cavities of your
joints to reduce friction, injury, and pain. When you stretch, compress,
and squeeze the fascia tissue as occurs in Yin yoga it causes the
metabolism to stimulate the supply of fluid in your tissues. First, when
you squeeze the tissues it pushes out the old fluid (including
hyaluronic acid) in your tissues, and then when you release the pose it
causes fresh clean fluid to rush back into the cells, hydrating them
better than they were before. This process also causes disease and
inflammation-causing free radicals to be pushed out of your tissues.
The Sympathetic/Parasympathetic System.
As we have mentioned, there are examples of Yin and Yang
throughout all of nature, including in your own bodies. One of the best
examples of how Yin- Yang work within the human body is the
sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous systems. These
are two branches of your nervous systems that control automatic
operations of bodily components, such as breathing, blinking, and
more. Yin/Parasympathetic Nervous System Includes:
Pupils constrict Bronchial tubes constrict Stimulates salivation
Stimulate digestion Slows heart rate Stimulates bile release Constricts
bladder
Yang/Sympathetic Nervous System Includes:
Pupils dilate Bronchial tubes dilate Inhibits salivation Inhibits digestion
Accelerates heart rate Stimulates glucose release Relaxes bladder
As you can see, the parasympathetic goes along with Yin to slow
everything down, whereas the Yang of the sympathetic system speeds
everything up. With the two working in harmony, your body can
maintain an ideal balance. The sympathetic nervous system, or SNS,
is in control of the body’s natural fight-flight-freeze response This
response is activated whenever a person is stressed, anxious, or in
fear. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic
nervous system (PNS) both release hormones to control this
fight-flight-freeze response. For instance, the SNS releases the
hormones norepinephrine, epinephrine, and catecholamines to
increase the body’s heart rate. On the other hand, the PNS, which is
essentially a rest and digest system, releases the hormone
acetylcholine, which is used to reduce the heart’s rate. When the SNS
activates the fight-flight-freeze response it provides the human body
with all we need to actively respond to any threat that might face us,
whether that means we fight, run away, or freeze in place. Then, once
we have achieved the safety made possible by the SNS, the PNS
allows us to once again gain peace by producing calming hormones
that allow the body to rest, renew, and repair itself. In my first book,
The Key to Happiness , I discuss in-depth how the sympathetic and
parasympathetic nervous systems are both impacted by meditation.
You can learn all about the scientifically-proven benefits of meditation
there. Continue reading the next chapter, as well, to learn all about
how deep breathing and breathing exercises as a part of Yin yoga can
affect and improve the functioning of your sympathetic and
parasympathetic systems. Working alongside your sympathetic and
parasympathetic systems is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis,
known more simply as the HPA axis. This axis is responsible for the
central stress response, as it connects the central nervous system and
the endocrine system.
The HPA axis works in a straightforward way of managing the
neurological and endocrine systems to activate the fight-flight-freeze
response we have been discussing, also known as the stress
response. When the fight-flight-freeze response is activated there is a
release of corticotropin-releasing hormone, known as CRH. When the
CRH hormone binds to receptors in the pituitary gland, it releases the
ACTH (adrenocorticotropic) hormone. This hormone then binds to the
adrenal cortex, stimulating the release of cortisol from the adrenals.
After a stressful event, in which the fight-flight-freeze response is
activated, cortisol is continuously released throughout the body for
several hours. The HPA axis also prompts the release of
noradrenaline and epinephrine, as needed. These hormones are
activated through the fight-flight-freeze response, but they play a role
in many of the body’s natural systems beyond what we directly need
in times of danger. For instance, the blood supply is reduced to the
digestive tract, stopping the digestion process. Simultaneously, blood
flow is increased to your muscles so that they can move more quickly
and effectively. We begin to breathe harder and the heart begins to
pump harder to help increase oxygen supply. Through the hormones
affecting the body in this way, we are able to safely get away from any
life-threatening danger. This means that because digesting food isn’t
vital on the to-do list when your life is at risk, these hormones put that
action on hold so that it can put all of its effort in the places that are
most likely to get it to safety. This is important, without this system we
could never react to dangerous situations at a moment’s notice. Yet,
no system is completely perfect. Yes, the fight-flight-freeze response is
essential for survival, but it also activates when we aren’t in
life-threatening danger. Have you ever been cut off in traffic? Spilled
coffee on yourself early in the morning? Maybe you’ve been startled
by a barking dog? I’m sure you’ve at the very least been stressed
before an important test for school or work. All of these and more can
falsely set off your stress response, causing hormones to release in
your body along with the activation of the sympathetic nervous
system. The result? Simply due to a little unmanaged stress your body
stops digesting and burning calories, you experience difficulty thinking
as the blood flow redirects itself to your muscles, your heart begins to
race, and more!
When you frequently experience stress or anxiety, your body is sent
through a constant roller coaster of the fight-flight-freeze response.
This takes a big toll on the health, as it causes cortisol and
epinephrine of being chronically high, and can even cause health
problems. For instance, a person may begin to suffer from heart
disease or obesity, directly as a result of an overactive stress
response. Therefore, it is imperative that we break this cycle of stress
to prevent the fight-flight-freeze response from taking over when it
shouldn’t. After all, while it is an important aspect of human health in
certain situations (such as in life-or-death situations) it is not healthy in
excess. Yoga is able to directly activate your parasympathetic system,
helping to keep us healthy. As you now know, we want to activate the
PNS, but how do we do that with yoga? Yin yoga focuses on sitting
and being still as we consciously breathe and allow the connective
tissues to lengthen. This process of simply being still and breathing
naturally activates the parasympathetic system, as the very purpose of
the system is to promote rest. This is scientifically proven. But, if you
don’t believe me, try it out yourself. Wherever you are at the moment
try sitting completely still. As you do this focus on breathing deeply
and slowly. While you breathe try to focus on feeling the breath deeper
and deeper in your body as you breathe in before you exhale. Pause
slightly between your inhale and exhale. Feel any different? Most
likely you felt any tension in your forehead melt away and your brain is
feeling slightly more relaxed. This is because after sitting still for the
span of only some breaths you have already activated your
parasympathetic system. While any form of yoga can activate the
PNS, the effect is much more pronounced in Yin yoga when you are
not moving your muscles and are just sitting in stillness. All About
GABA, Serotonin and Dopamine. GABA, also known as
gamma-aminobutyric acid, is a form of amino acid that is naturally
produced in the human brain. There are many important uses for this
amino acid, as it functions as a neurotransmitter, therefore allowing
the brain’s neurons to communicate with one another.
If you were to categorize neurotransmitters as Yin and Yang, then
GABA would be under the Yin category. This is because GABA’s main
goal is to reduce the amount of activity and stimulus communicated
between the brain cells and the central nervous system. Some of the
effects of this are reduced mental and physical stress, increased
peace, reduced pain, balanced mood, and better sleep. It even
impacts your muscle tone. While other transmitters work as Yang
making the brain wake up and get going, the Yin GABA makes it calm
down and rest. GABA also plays a role in other systems of the body,
such as the endocrine, immune, and digestive systems. For instance,
for the digestive system, GABA affects both hunger and the
metabolism of calories. There is still much to be learned about GABA
and new research is always being released. Recently, it was
discovered that GABA affects gastrointestinal motility, inflammation,
and hormone regulation. Not only is GABA found in the brain, but it is
also found naturally within your food. For instance, it can be found in
tea and fermented foods. Other foods, such as grains and beans, help
increase GABA production within the body. This helps to show that
many aspects of your lifestyle can affect the GABA balance within
your bodies. You don’t have to simply accept that you have a certain
amount of this neurotransmitter and let it be. Instead, you can work on
actively increasing your GABA production. There are many symptoms
of low GABA, but a few of note include:
Anxiety Chronic stress Depression Insomnia Muscle pain Headaches
Difficulty concentrating Memory problems Substance abuse
When it comes to sleep, GABA is incredibly important. It is this
neurotransmitter that allows the body to not only relax but also to fall
asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. When a person has low
GABA it has been proven that they frequently struggle with both
insomnia and frequent waking throughout the night. In one scientific
study, it was found that people with insomnia also presented with
GABA levels thirty percent lower than the control group. The study
also found that GABA levels corresponded to sleep quality. This
means that the lower a person’s GABA the worse their insomnia will
get. The reason many prescription sleep aids help is because they
target the GABA system in the brain to artificially activate it. But, as
these medications are attempting to alter GABA activity rather than
simply increasing GABA production, they come with a long list of side
effects. These sleep aids can become addictive, cause headaches,
and can even cause hallucinations! While GABA has many roles, one
of its largest is to calm the brain from stress and anxiety. But, in your
fast-paced Yang society in which people are always on the go, people
are also frequently anxious. It is not uncommon for people to live with
stress and anxiety every day of their lives. But, if you increase your
GABA production naturally you can lessen this anxiety and stress,
allowing yourself to feel at ease, calm, and peaceful. This is good
news, as even though there are GABA supplements on the market,
there is not yet evidence to support that the supplements can pass the
blood- brain barrier to help with your mental well-being. On the other
hand, there are plenty of studies proving that by naturally increasing
your body’s own GABA production we can experience the benefits. In
a study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary
Medicine, it was found that yoga can significantly and greatly increase
GABA production. The study tested participants for twelve weeks, and
it found that not only did GABA greatly increase, but anxiety
decreased and mood improved in the participants, as well. The
researchers believe that this improvement was due to the combination
of yoga, deep breathing, and meditation. Another study, this one
conducted at Boston University School of Medicine, sought to answer
whether or not GABA would increase after a single yoga session.
They had participants complete a sixty-minute yoga session, and the
results are exciting! After only an hour of doing yoga, the participants
experienced a twenty-seven percent increase in GABA levels. This
means that if you are having trouble dealing with life, you can always
increase the amount of Yin yoga you are doing to help manage stress.
You may usually only practice yoga for thirty minutes a day. But, if you
are having a hard week you can make time for an extra thirty minutes
to increase your GABA further. Along with GABA, yoga can promote
other feel-good hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine. These
hormones have long been shown to be vital for not only for relaxation,
but also contentedness, happiness, and enjoyment. Deficiency in
serotonin is one of the most prominent causes of major long- term
depression. Like GABA, serotonin is a neurotransmitter, and in the
same way, it can be increased naturally through lifestyle factors.
Studies have shown that regular practice of yoga and meditation
increase serotonin, leading to increased happiness. In one study, it
found that those who practice meditation experience a higher
day-to-day baseline of serotonin than the control group, and this
serotonin level only increased further after practicing a session of
meditation. Other studies have found similar results of yoga increasing
serotonin. This means that when Yin yoga and meditation are
combined, a person can expect great things. Of course, if you have
depression, please do not go off of any medication without talking to
your doctor, as this can be dangerous. Some people may still need to
take medication even if they practice Yin yoga and meditation.
However, the good news is that even if you do need medication, by
including Yin yoga and meditation into your daily life you can reduce
the likelihood of your depression worsening or breakthrough
symptoms that are not controlled by medication. Lastly, the
neurotransmitter dopamine focuses on the pleasure-reward system of
your brains. When we have balanced dopamine we can feel satisfied,
fulfilled, joyful, blissful, and even euphoric. On the other hand, if a
person has too little dopamine (common in depression) they can be
unmotivated, unfocused, lethargic, and yes, depressed.
Thankfully, a study published in Cognitive Brain Research found that by practicing yoga and
meditation a person can increase the dopamine production in the brain naturally. This
dopamine will also help give you a reward for doing yoga. Since
dopamine focuses on the reward part of the brain, when you do
something it
rewards you by making you feel good, happy, and satisfied. This is
why dopamine is also called the “I-accomplish something” hormone. It
is a chemical reward for not running away from a challenge, you can
face a challenge head-on on the mat as well as in your daily life. All in
all, if you practice yoga you can increase your GABA, serotonin, and
dopamine, all of which are found to help make people happier,
healthier, and more satisfied.
Chapter 3 The Power of Breathing.
When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the
breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long
life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath. Hatha Yoga
Pradipika Most people are not using their lungs to their full effect. In
fact, most people are only using only thirty-three percent of their lungs,
a mere third of their full capacity. This is plain to see if you watch a
newborn baby breathe, as you can see them breathing with their full
might making their backs, chests, and stomachs move in the process.
While most of us don’t use your lungs to their full effect, they have a
big job! After all, it is your lungs that are responsible for delivering
oxygen to the bloodstream, where it is then delivered to each and
every cell in the body. Close your eyes and inhale and you can feel
your diaphragm as your lungs take in their oxygen. However, if you
are continuously not using your lungs to their effect, like most people,
you will develop air buildup in them. This air reduces the room the
diaphragm has to contract. The end result is that you are now
breathing in too swallowing, as the lungs can no longer take in the
amount of oxygen they truly need to and leading to less oxygen being
delivered to your cells. A person may even develop muscle fatigue
and pain as a result. On the other hand, deep breathing pushes out
excess hair from the lungs, increases functionality, and even boosts
the lung’s capacity. When a person has practiced and learned how to
breathe deeply well, they can learn to make full use of their
diaphragm, allowing them to breathe so deeply that they clear out
toxins from the lungs and increase oxygen to the blood supply. This
oxygen increase is ideal for exercise, sports, or anyone who hopes to
use their body at its highest ability. In this chapter, we will discuss the
many benefits that you have to gain if you fully utilize your power of
breathing. Your lungs are full of blood vessels, but did you know that
these vessels collect the most in the very bottom of your lungs? But,
when you have air pockets in your lungs or breathe shallowly you
can’t make use of the densest
vessels. When you take a slow deep breathe it allows your lungs to
fully expand, pushing out any air pockets and fully inflating the lungs.
When this happens, the hemoglobin, which is the red cells within your
blood, attracts the oxygen molecules. A single red blood cell can
attract up to four molecules of oxygen. Yet, if you breathe quick short
breaths, rather than long deep breaths, you are not giving the red
blood cells the time they need to attract their full carrying capacity of
oxygen, the hemoglobin cells don’t attract their full compliment of
oxygen. When you do this, your heart is having to work much harder
in order to supply your cells with enough oxygen, therefore putting
more long-term strain on your heart. With heart disease being the
number one killer of both men and women, we all should seek to
improve our heart health and put less of a burden on it. Thankfully, the
longer you keep the air in your lungs, and therefore the slower you
breathe, the more time the red blood cells have to collect oxygen. This
means not only your heart doesn’t have to work as hard, but your
whole respiratory system experiences the same benefit. Remember
the HPA axis that you learned about in the previous chapter? When
we breathe slowly and deeply this axis turns off, also signaling the Yin
of the parasympathetic system so that the fight-flight-freeze response
to shuts down. When you are able to stop this stress response, it has
many benefits. Not only because long-term stress is damaging to the
body, but also because during the stress response your blood flow is
pushed largely to your muscles. But, when you stop this response the
blood flows back to your organs and brain so that they can function at
their best, allowing you to better digest food, burn calories, think more
clearly, store memories more effectively, and more. The serotonin,
which we mentioned in the previous chapter, is also impeded by
cortisol (the stress hormone). When this happens, people are unable
to sleep at night. If you ever spend time laying in bed and your brain
just won’t stop thinking, then you know what this feels like. But, if you
can decrease cortisol not only the stress will melt away, but your
happiness will also increase as serotonin increases. As you can see,
the simple act of slowing down your breaths can make your
respiratory system run more effectively, your heart runs more
efficiently, your digestion will run more smoothly, you will burn more
calories, think
more clearly, sleep better, and more. It is as simple as breathing with
more awareness and intention. Before we get into my favorite
breathing technique, let’s first look at a list of deep breathing benefits.
These will encourage you as you try out the following breathing
method. 1. Increase Energy. Oxygen is the resource your cells most
require. After all, we can survive weeks without food and days without
water, but only a handful of minutes without oxygen. By increasing
your oxygen supply through breathing deeply you can also increase
the fuel your cells have, thereby increasing your energy. 2.
Strengthen the Lymphatic System. The lymphatic system is a
network of tissues and organs as thymus, spleen and lymph nodes,
that help rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials. It
relies on muscle movement, gravity, and breathing to maintain
function and cleanse the body. In this way, deep breathing can help
protect the body from toxins, bacteria, viruses, and other threats. In
1979 a prominent lymphologist, Dr. Jack Shields, conducted a study
on deep diaphragmatic breathing and the lymphatic system. This
study revealed that deep abdominal breathing causes the lungs to
push into the portion of the thoracic duct that has already been
purified by the lymph nodes. This causes the duct to press fluid back
where it belongs to the bloodstream. It may seem insignificant, but by
doing this it takes the pressure off of millions of valves throughout the
entire lymphatic system, resulting in a greater elimination of toxins. 3.
Release Muscle Tension. When you are stressed, angry, or in pain,
your breaths become more shallow and your muscles contract. This is
a classic picture of the sympathetic system at work. But, when we
activate the parasympathetic system through deep breathing your
muscles are able to release their tension, and in the process release
any pain they were holding onto. You will find this especially beneficial
for the muscles around the neck and shoulders, which are some that
take the brunt of the constriction when stressed. 4. Improved
Cardiovascular Health.
Not only does deep breathing take extra work off of the heart, but it
also helps to massage this vital organ. When your breathing is full and
deep, the diaphragm moves through its entire range, massaging the
liver, stomach, and other organs and tissues when it moves
downward, and massaging the heart when it moves upward. To better
understand the benefit the heart gets from a deep and slow breathing,
it is necessary to have a sneak peak at the vagus nerve and the
cardiac-vagal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). The vagus nerve is the
longest nerve in your body that connects your brain to other organs
throughout the body, as intestines, stomach, lungs and heart that is
the organ we are focusing more on. Increasing your vagal tone
activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and having higher
vagal tone means that your body can easily and faster relax after a
stress. BRS is a measure of the heart's capacity to efficiently alter and
regulate blood pressure in accordance with the requirements of a
given situation. So a high degree of BRS is thus a good marker of
cardiac health. Now a study published on US National Library of
Medicine - National Institutes of Health showed that a reduced
breathing rate, hovering around 6 breaths over the course of a minute,
can increase vagal activation leading to reduction in sympathetic
activation, increases cardiac-vagal baroreflex sensitivity, and
increases parasympathetic activation. All those positive effects are
tied to stress and anxiety reduction, mental and physical wellbeing as
an improved cardiovascular health. If you want to take care of your
heart, you need to start breathing more deeply. 5. Prolonged Aging.
Everyone will be happy to hear that deep breathing can literally
prolong aging. How it this possible? It is simply your body doing
what it is designed to do. While your cells naturally decay over
time and there is nothing you can do to stop the process, you
can slow it down. A Harvard Medical School study found that
people who meditate and practice deep breathing daily for four
years have younger cells. Specifically, your cells have protective
caps on them known as telomeres. Telomeres are a caps of DNA
at the ends of chromosomes that protect your cells from aging.
Long telomere lengths are related to greater
longevity, while shorter lengths are linked to a weakened immune
system and to aging diseases such as cancer, arthritis,
Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Now as a person ages, the
telomeres become shorter and, as I mentioned above, short
telomere length, as well as low telomeres activity, has been
associated with psychological, chronic and life stress in a
number of studies. The study found that the people who
practiced meditation and deep breathing had longer telomeres
than the control group. Long telomeres length, now you know
that, is related to longevity. Now that you are looking forward to
utilizing the power of your breath, let’s look at my favorite deep
breathing exercise!
Ujjayi, Ocean Breath.
A powerful tool to help engage your full breathing capabilities is Ujjayi
Pranayama, or Ujjayi for short. It translates as “ocean breath”. You
can make use of this breathing technique as you practice your Yin
yoga, or any other time of the day as well, as it makes it impossible to
breathe quickly. When you use the Ujjayi method your breathing
naturally slows its pace down, and have you now know, that will allow
the breath to fill your lungs completely, slowing your heart rate, and
increasing the oxygen supply to the bloodstream. With the Ujjayi
method, you use your diaphragm to its full effect. As you breathe in
the diaphragm, that large dome-shaped muscle directly under the
lungs, contracts. By contracting a vacuum is created, letting air rush
into the lungs. And then, when you breathe out the diaphragm relaxes,
pushing on the lungs and allowing the air to release. When you
breathe in air you are letting in both oxygen and carbon dioxide. The
blood vessels attract the molecules of oxygen and once they are done
you exhale to release the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.
Ideally, you want to collect as much oxygen as you can before
releasing your breath. With Ujjayi you not only collect a large amount
of oxygen, but you also get what is known as a full exchange. This
means that your lungs carry all of the oxygen into the blood vessels
and lets out all of the carbon dioxide, without excess
oxygen left over. Unsurprisingly, this breathing method can help to
slow down the heart rate and stabilize blood pressure. This is good
news for anyone, but especially those with heart disease and high
blood pressure. The muscles love a good massage, and not only
because it feels good, but also because it has health benefits.
Whenever your muscles get a massage it causes all the old blood to
flow out, allowing fresh clean blood to flow in. The same is true of your
organs. They love a massage, but is that possible? Well, as you
learned earlier, you can massage your organs with Yin yoga. But, this
is not the only way. You can also massage your organs by simply
practicing deep abdominal breathing. This is because your diaphragm
is such a large muscle that it pushes on your stomach, liver, spleen,
pancreas, and other organs as you breathe. The deeper you breathe
the better you massage and care for your organs. When you are in a
deep meditative state your breaths naturally begin to slow and
deepen. This means that you are simultaneously benefiting from the
enhanced parasympathetic system, a stop to the fight-flight-freeze
response, increased energy levels, reduced inflammation, and pain,
detoxification of carbon dioxide through the lymphatic system,
improved digestion, increased blood flow, improved brain processing
and memory retention, and more. Before long you will be experiencing
a long list of physical, mental, and emotional benefits just by taking up
Ujjayi. While there are many breathing techniques to be used during
meditation, Ujjayi isn’t one of them. This method is specifically for
using during sessions of yoga or Pranayama. When Ujjayi is done
properly, then your breathing should be both energized and relaxed. It
is the perfect combination of Yin and Yang. There are a few easy
steps to start practicing Ujjayi:
First, seal your lips and then begin to breathe in and out through your
nose. Now, take in a breath through your nose that is slightly deeper
than usual. Lastly, exhale through your nose slowly as you constrict
the muscles in the back of your throat.
There should be a distinct sound made when Ujjayi is done correctly.
This sound is caused by gently constricting the muscles at the
opening of your throat in order to create a certain level of resistance
as the air passes through. By gently pulling the air in and then gently
pushing it out you create a soothing and well-modulated sound that
can be compared to the sound of ocean waves on the beach. If you
have trouble getting your breathing just right, then it may be as simple
as the effort you apply to your breaths. Remember, this is meant to be
a relaxing form of breathing with long and slow breaths. A small
amount of effort is needed to produce a calming and soothing sound,
but if you use too much effort it will only result in a grating sound that
resembles gasping. When practicing your inhalations, try to focus on
breaths that are unforced or hurried while creating a soothing sound. It
is best to do this practice while sitting in a cross-legged position, and
then you can begin to use it during your Yin yoga practice as you get
the hang of it. Once you get the hang of Ujjayi you can begin to
practice it in some other easy pose. Then, after you can do it well in
the easier poses you can work on doing it in a more difficult pose.
Chapter 4 Yoga and Joint Health.
Be still! Be quiet! Find acquaintance with silence. Go inside, delve into
your heart. Take a day off from the clamor. Rumi The joints are a
location, a joining, they are the place in which two bones connect.
These joints can be immovable, such as where the bones of your skull
connect or like where the six bones that make up your pelvis meet
together. However, more frequently we categorize joints as slightly or
fully movable. This includes joints such as many joints within the
spine, the three in the wrist, or even the larger single joints like your
hips, knees, elbows, and shoulders. We will mainly be discussing
movable joints in this chapter, although we will discuss bone health in
general near the end of the chapter. First, we need to look at the
anatomy of a joint. Just because a joint is two bones connecting
doesn’t mean there isn’t anything else making up your joints. Your
joints are not merely two bones poking and prodding each other.
Instead, they have components to help connect them, so that your
body can work as a fully mobile unit. Along with the bones, your joints
are also made up of tendons connecting the muscle to bone,
ligaments to connect the bones together, cartilage to help cushion the
bones and prevent them from grinding up on each other, and synovial
fluid. The purpose of this fluid is to act as lubrication so that your joints
don’t create friction, get stuck, or cause damage to any of the
components. When a joint is healthy all of its components work in
harmony with a full range of movement. This results in a perfect slide
between the adjoining bones in which the pressure is evenly
distributed to prevent injury. Usually, there won’t be pain, as there isn’t
excess cartilage fragments and it has the proper amount of synovial
fluid. On the other hand, if a joint is unhealthy is really frequently result
in pain. What causes a joint to be unhealthy? If any single component
of the joint is not properly working it is a problem. This means if there
is too little synovial fluid, if there are excessive cartilage fragments, if a
ligament or tendon
develops a tear, or if the bones themselves are damaged. One of the
most common causes of joint damage is osteoarthritis. This is a
degenerative disease of the joint where the cartilage in the joints
begins to wear and break down, causing the bones to grind together
with friction. The result is pain, inflammation, and a loss of motion.
Contracture.
Even people without osteoarthritis experience damage and pain in
their joints. One common example of this is when people experience
contracture, which is when the joint loses mobility, it is a shrink
wrapping of the joints. There are many potential causes of this
condition, such as illness, cartilage or ligament damage, muscle
atrophy, and nerve damage. One of the most common causes of
contracture is a problem in the ligaments of your joints. As we go
about life we can develop tiny microscopic tears in your ligaments.
These tears are so small that they aren’t even visible on the strongest
of magnetic imaging scans. All the while, these microscopic tears still
cause small wounds that must be healed by adding in new ligament
tissue where it is missing, in much the same way that you might add in
a missing piece on a puzzle. It has long been known that your
ligaments function by healing in this way. But, it for a long time it was a
mystery why your ligaments don’t end up too long if they form tears, fill
with more ligament tissue, and repeat. After all, if you stretched a
piece of saltwater taffy and every time it tore added in more taffy you
would have an ever-growing taffy piece. The taffy would simply get
longer and longer as it would never stop stretching, tearing, and
patching. In search of an answer to this ever puzzling question,
Professor Laurence Dahners of the University of North Carolina found
the answer. What he found resulted in a groundbreaking discovery. In
turns out that the body has a function which works as shrink-wrap,
which coats your joints and works on removing any extra ligament
material so that they don’t become too long. There is one part that
maintains and creates the material for your ligaments and another part
that actively removes excessive material. We see this pattern all over
the body, there is a similar aspect that works in your bones in which
osteoblasts work to create bone tissue while osteoclasts dissolve
bone tissue. It is a give and take, once again Yin and Yang.
You can actively witness the examples of this shrink-wrapping
ligaments in your own life. Think back on a time when you were
injured, maybe you sprained your arm or broke your foot. You were
likely put in either a cast or a sling for a number of weeks or months.
When it comes to time to take the sling or cast off you find that your
arm or leg don’t move as easily as it once did. Now, your joint is
moving more slowly and it feels stiff; it might even “freeze” in place
stuck for a moment. This is because as you were not stretching and
using your ligaments the body naturally took away what it saw as
excess material that you weren’t using. When it was time to once
again resume normal use of your limb you felt the lacking ligament.
Thankfully, this is never a problem. Sure, your limb may be stiff for a
day or two, but, as you go about usual use of your limb the ligament
will stretch and any microscopic tears that form in the process will be
filled in until your ligament is back to its usual length. Of course, some
people experience contracture without first developing an injury and
having their joints immobilized for a period of weeks. This can happen
when you naturally limit your own mobility. For instance, if a person
who has practiced yoga daily for years and someone who has never
attempted yoga both attempted the same yoga pose or asana, then
obviously the person who had never practiced yoga will be much
stiffer and less flexible. That person simply will not have the same
range as the experienced yoga student. The good news is that you
can easily and naturally treat contracture all by practicing Yin style
yoga. While the popular Yang yoga can cause injury if a person
pushes themselves too far, when Yin yoga is done with the
appropriate edge (as we discussed in chapter 1) it will not only prevent
injury, it is also more fit for stretching and lengthening the ligaments.
While the muscles get their best workout from rapid movements, such
as cardio, ligaments get their best workout from still stretching, by
applying a traction, which as you know is one of the basic definitions
of Yin yoga. In fact, if a person stretches too quickly, as can happen in
Yang yoga, it can cause the ligaments to tear too much, resulting in
injury, inflammation, and pain. However, as we mentioned in the first
chapter, always exit your Yin yoga poses carefully. Because you
stretch your ligaments too much, if you quickly move it will disrupt
them while they are in a vulnerable state, causing injury. This is why
we always stress the importance of slow movements not only entering
the pose but exiting the pose, as well.
Fixation.
We all hear a snap, crackle, and pop come from your bodies
occasionally when we move. While most people know that these can
be caused by friction and the release of gas, many people are
unaware of the third cause: fixation. Each of your moving joints can
also be referred to as synovial joints, meaning they are a joint that
contains synovial fluid, as we previously discussed. Sometimes, there
will be a bubble of nitrogen that forms in this synovial fluid. When
these bubbles release you hear a pop, this is the release of gas that
causes popping. Whenever this happens, it will be a while until you
can pop the joint again, as there are no more bubbles in it. Friction
happens when two surfaces of the joint rub against each other, and it
can happen repeatedly in a row without a break in-between. Just as
you may press your finger and thumb together to snap, therefore
making a sound with friction, a similar reaction can happen within your
joint. This happens when tendons, ligaments, or cartilage temporarily
becomes stuck, causing it to press together until it can no longer hold
and then firmly releasing with friction, causing the same snapping
sound within the joint. A good example of this is when a person
crackers their own knuckles or a doctor cracks someone’s neck. The
final cause, and greatly unknown by many people, is fixation. But,
what is fixation? Put simply, it is when two surfaces temporarily
become fixed together, it is the temporary joining together of two
surfaces. When the two surfaces become unstuck and release, the
resulting sound or popping is the creaks and pops we all hear in your
own joints from time to time. Often times, the pops you experience
when you go into a yoga pose is a result of this fixation. Usually, the
resulting pop causes a feel-good pressure release. There are three
conditions that must be met in order for fixation to take place: First,
both surfaces must be smooth. This means that your bones are the
perfect material to become fixed to each other, as they are smooth. It
wouldn’t work if they were textured like sand paper. Second, there
must be a fluid acting as a lubricant between the two surfaces, just as
it happens in our joints. Thirdly, the two surfaces must be under
enough pressure to push them together.
Many of us experience fixation in a variety of ways in your everyday
lives, and not just within your bodies. For instance, if you are washing
dishes you might find that two pieces of silicone become fixed
together. This happens because the silicone is a smooth surface,
there is water to act as a lubricant, and as you are handling the
material you apply the pressure. The two pieces of silicone then
become temporarily fixed and must be separated. The same principle
carries out in your joints. There are very good reasons for caring to
break this fixation. Firstly, it feels good as it releases the pressure
between the two bones. But, more importantly, it is not healthy for the
bones to maintain fixation for long-term periods. If bones become fixed
within the joint and we do not remove the fixation, then the two bones
can become fused together. The result would be an immovable joint,
that would require surgery to gain use of again. Thankfully, we can
prevent this from ever happening by releasing the fixations naturally
and easily. When you practice Yin yoga you are moving the joints just
further than you usually would, which applies just a bit of pressure to
the joint, allowing the fixation to dissipate and the pressure to release.
Chapter 5 What is Limiting Your Range of
Motion?
The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of
consciousness into our awareness. Lao Tzu When we are doing yoga
poses it is important to know what specifically is limiting your range of
motion if we want to avoid injury. There are two main causes of limited
flexibility when practicing poses, which are tension and compression.
Tension is when your tissues, such as muscles and ligaments, are
stimulated. Think of tension as being the resistance you feel just past
where you can comfortably move. For instance, if you try to bend over
and touch your toes might find that you start feeling a comfortable
resistance while only reaching your shins. It’s possible you could push
past this and make yourself touch your toes, but it doesn’t mean you
need to, as you could end up injuring yourself if you don’t listen to your
body’s signals. In time and with regular practice you will find that you
can get closer and closer to touching your toes while still respecting
the tension. Compression is when the body’s tissues are pushed or
pressed together. When this happens, it can be because the bone is
pressing against bone, pinching whichever tissue is unlucky enough to
get between the two. When we feel compression, it is important to
listen and respect it, as it will not change over time. While flexibility will
change your limits with tension, the same is not true with
compression. Your bones will stay in the same places, meaning that
you aren’t meant to move past that point. A person may experience
compression in either Yin or Yang style yoga, and either way should
respect the messages it is sending them. Whenever you feel a limit to
your range of motion, give yourself a moment to stop and examine
what you are feeling. Are you feeling tension or compression? While
you can slightly indulge tension, you should avoid the hard pain of
compression. However, you can play around with a pose if any
compression sensations are mild. For instance, if you want to push
yourself a little with the Caterpillar Pose you can widen your legs a
little, resulting in a
slight compression of the sacroiliac crest and your legs. But, always
avoid hard or painful compression, as it will only cause damage.
The Vipassana Approach.
In the next chapter, we will go through nineteen asana (poses) of Yin
yoga, with their variations - a total of 51 asanas with photos - and how
you can benefit from them. But first, I want to share with you how to
get the most out of your yoga practice with what I call the Vipassana
approach to the pose. When some people practice yoga, they simply
do the stretches with little to no thought. They simply shift from one
pose to the next as they follow instructions. But, this was never the
way yoga was meant to be intended. Instead, it should be practiced
with Vipassana, meaning with the intention to gain insight into its true
reality. This is where yoga has its roots going back thousands of
years, and there is much to be gained by using Vipassana in your
yoga practice still today. By being still and focusing on the pose with
intention, you can gain insight into what your body is feeling, what it
needs, and react in turn. As the poet T.S. Elliot said, “we become the
still point of the turning world”, a point where the dance is but neither
arrest nor movement from nor towards, a point where past and future
are gathered. In my first book, the Key to Happiness, I discuss how we
can also gain this when we practice meditation. But, you can apply
Vipassana to not only to meditation, but also yoga and breathing
exercises. When you combine all three of these practices with
Vipassana you will truly gain all the benefits you are seeking. By the
time we are thirty-five, then ninety-five percent of your actions,
thoughts, and feelings are all based on a subconscious pattern of your
past actions, according to the famed educator and lecturer Joe
Dispenza. As a result, only five percent of everything we think, say,
and do are affected by intentional choices. What this means is that
your past actions end up becoming patterns of your tomorrow, even if
they are actions that don’t promote a healthy body, mind, or
spirituality. By acting on your patterns we are only repeating past
mistakes. Thankfully, we can override this forcefully by making
conscious and
intentional choices and effort, because the brain can be altered thanks
to neuroplasticity that is the mind's ability to change the brain. The
practice of Yin yoga is perfect for teaching us, body and mind, to
override this ninety-five percent. After all, with Yin yoga you are
focused on slowing down, yielding, and letting go. While the human
mind is usually engaged in Yang, where it is always going and always
acting, when we adopt practices of Yin we learn to slow down and
wait. This allows us to focus less on stress and survival and more on
your subconscious mind. Once we finally access this subconscious
mind then we have every opportunity in the world, the world become
your oyster. With your mind finally working at its full ability and with the
capability of altering your subconscious, you can now purposefully
rewrite the programming and coding of your brain to newer and
healthier habits. You will literally be writing the script of your own life
as your own author. If you want to learn more details about the tools
we have to rewire our mind, the discovering of neuroscience about the
power of meditation and how mind works, read The Key to Happiness,
the book I wrote that can bring to you some life-altering implements to
gain joy and peace in your life.
Chapter 6 19 Powerful Yin Yoga Poses,
Variations, and their Benefits.
Yoga takes you into the present moment, the only place where life
exists. Patanjali Yin yoga is new to most people, as even those who
have practiced yoga in the past have frequently been taught a Yang
style. Because of this, you might find yourself having some difficulty
when you first begin. This difficulty is not because of how flexible you
might not yet be, because you simply have to work with your body
without pushing it too far, as we discussed in the previous chapter.
The difficulty comes in when you try to take on yin characteristics. Due
to our fast-paced lives, we are always on the go. Most likely, if you are
not sleeping you are always doing something whether it is work,
exercise, or just looking at your phone. We live a very yang-prominent
lifestyle. But, if you want to live a healthy and happy life you need to
learn how to practice Yin. With Yin yoga, you will need to learn to not
only slow down and stop moving but also to let go and listen to your
body. Give yourself permission to simply be without doing. Don’t fight
with the poses, work with them as you witness how your body reacts,
yielding to what your body does. When you are holding your asana
and you are still in the pose it is likely that drama and trauma from
your life will fill your mind. Don’t let this stop you. Instead, continue to
hold the pose. If there is anything you have been running away from it,
in that stillness it has the chance to catch up with you. Here is where
you don’t have to run away from that but instead developing that
warrior courage that it takes to actually be with all that emotions,
feelings and sensations that are showing up. It is called the unfinished
business of the heart. With that warrior courage you will likely find that
all of the unresolved feelings that were stuck in your body and joints
melt out of your body, you will take the issue out of the tissue. This is
another achievement you obtain by practicing Yin yoga with my
Vipassana approach.
When you do something challenging or a little bit difficult and you do
not run away from it but you actually breath through it and you move in
that growing edge gracefully, the nature rewards you, as seen above
in this book, by secreting what it is called the ‘I-accomplish something’
hormone, the dopamine, and you will begin to feel blissful. It takes a
tremendous courage to really look at your issues instead of running
away, but it is well worth it. On the other hand, don’t push yourself too
far into a pose because you are dealing with your thoughts and
emotions. Honor and respect your body in each pose, and never allow
your ego to write a check your body cannot cash. A few last reminders
before you get started: 1. Find an Edge. When finding the appropriate
amount of sensation for a Yin yoga pose, look for your Goldilocks
place. This means that you want neither too much or too little
sensation, it should be just right so that you feel the sensation without
pain. Remember that if you feel it you are doing it. 2. Be Still. Lao
Tzu, as I mentioned before, explained the importance of simply letting
go of yourself and experiencing the world without complex thought.
We need to apply this principle to your Yin yoga practice, allowing not
only your bodies to still, but your minds, as well. 3. Hold for a While.
Yin yoga is a practice of yielding and letting go into the sensations of
the pose, observing those sensations arise, lingering for a while, and
disappearing. This is what exactly happens to all the transience
phenomena in your life. So training to yield and let go on the mat can
turn out to be a way to learn to yield and letting go in your life. 4.
Release Gently. As you come out of your asana move slowly and use
your arms to support. This means you use your arms to support your
torso, to push yourself up to a sitting position, and gently move your
legs. When you come out of your asana you may at first feel unsteady,
shaky, or
uncomfortable. Don’t let this worry you, as these awkward sensations
will fade. 5. Tension or Compression. When you do your poses quiet
your mind and pay attention to whether the sensations you are feeling
are tension or compression. No matter which of these two you are
feeling, don’t allow yourself to push yourself so much that it hurts. But,
know that you can push tension a little more than compression. 6.
Consult a Doctor. You should always consult a doctor before making
changes that will affect your health. Be sure to ask your doctor if you
can manage yoga.
1. The Butterfly Pose.
Figure A Butterfly Pose.
The Butterfly Pose in figure A (Baddha Konasana in Hatha yoga), is a
simple yoga Pose done in a seated position. The Butterfly Pose is
believed to have developed its origins from the average seated
position of Indian Cobblers who sit on the floor to repair shoes by
holding them between their feet, hence
the posture. While this pose can be used by anyone, it is frequently
used by those seeking to help release abdominal pain by
strengthening and opening both the hips and groin. By regularly
practicing this pose a person can reduce feelings of pain and
heaviness, lessen urinary discomfort, and ease childbirth pain. When
practicing this pose be sure that you focus on your breathing.
Benefits:
Stretch the lower back without demanding loose hamstrings, if the feet
are in closer to the groin Reduce menstrual pain and cramps Increase
blood flow to the abdominal organs, bladder, ovaries, and prostate
gland Boost digestive health and circulation Increase heart health and
improve blood circulation Ease childbirth pains Stretch the inner thighs
and groins
Side effects: This is a simple and mild pose that promotes better
posture health. However, if you have a groin, knee, neck or lower back
injury or a herniated disc you should ask your doctor before
attempting. Getting In and out of the Pose:
Begin by sitting with your legs straight out in front of you as you sit on
your yoga mat. If you find your groin and hips are tight you can raise
your pelvis up onto a blanket. As you exhale bend your knees and
then pull your heels inward to your pelvis. Lower your knees out to
your sides and gently press together the soles of your feet. Pull your
heels toward your pelvis, just as far as you comfortably are able and
fold forward, allowing your back to round, lightly holding both of your
hands around your ankles or shins. When doing the butterfly pose
never force your knees down against the floor, as this will only cause
injury. Instead, gently
release the bones of your thighs toward the floor. When you do this,
the knees will gently follow. Continue to remain in this pose for one to
five minutes. Once done with the pose inhale while you gently lift your
knees away from the floor. Extend your legs and resume your regular
position.
Options: You may also find the Diamond Pose helpful – figure B. With
this seated pose you have your legs in front of you with the bottoms of
your feet touching each other, directly in front of the groin. However,
while the Butterfly Pose has you pull your legs close to the body, with
the Diamond pose you have your legs slightly away from your torso.
When you look down at your legs you should notice that they form a
diamond shape, with the knees being the two pain points of the
diamond. Once your legs are in this position you can lean forward with
your torso so that it rests on the floor, and allow your arms to drape
alongside your torso and head with your arms facing upward. Figure B
Diamond Pose

Alternative:Easy Cross Leg

Half Butterfly

Counter Poses:Knees into Chest Pose: lay down on your back and

hug your
knees while you rock on your mat; Windshield Wipers Pose: lay down
on your back with knees bent, feet flat on floor and arms stretched out
to the sides; gently lower your knees to the left side of your body,
slowly pull your knees back to the start position and gently lower your
knees to the right side of your body. Repeat this action as desired or
needed. Reversed Table Pose, to open the hip in the opposite
direction: bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor and
your hands behind your hips, shoulder-width apart, and turn your
fingertips inward so they point toward your toes; press firmly into your
hands and feet and lift your hips up toward the ceiling; draw your
shoulder blades firmly into your back and lift your chest. Repeat this
action as desired or needed.
Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected:
Liver and kidney meridian channels if the stretch is felt in the inner
thighs, especially if the feet are close to the groin. Gallbladder
meridian channel, running outside the legs and urinary bladder
running along the spine in the lumbar area. Hips and lower spine.
Digestive tract, ovaries, and prostate gland.

Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes. 2. The

Caterpillar Pose.
The Caterpillar Pose (front view)
The Caterpillar Pose (side view)
With the caterpillar pose you not only experience strengthening and
flexibility to the abdomen and spine, you also are able to massage the
deep tissues in these areas. When you hold this pose for a longer
duration, these tissues and tendons experience increased blood
circulation. In my experience, in this seated pose, nearly anyone can
appreciate and be aware about the way the deep tissues and tendons
surrounding the entire abdomen and spine are stretched and
compressed.
Benefits:
Increases flexibility in tight hamstrings and back muscles Massage the
stomach, bladder, uterus, kidneys, and gallbladder to relieve pain and
discomfort Improves sleep, lowers anxiety and stress, and treats low
self- esteem Leads to sex control
Side effects: If you have a herniated disc or sciatica be careful with
this pose, always use a prop underneath your hips and ask your
doctor before attempting. Getting In and out of the Pose:
To begin the Caterpillar Pose practice stillness and flow with a steady
breath. Start out by sitting on your yoga mat comfortably before
stretching out your legs. While you are seated with your spine
stretched and extended straight, take a moment and focus on your
breathing, allowing your breath to fill your whole body. Inhale and lean
your torso forward so that it, eventually, presses against your thighs.
Sit still, connecting deeply with your breaths as you allow yourself to
feel the stretch of your shoulders, neck, knees, hamstrings and lower
back for a few minutes. The longer you stay in this pose the deeper
you will massage and stretch the ligaments along your spine,
stomach, kidneys, and liver. Remain focused on your stretch, allowing
your body to stay relaxed without applying too much pressure on your
neck, abdomen, or lower back. When you are done with the Caterpillar
Pose gently stretch out your legs and sit down in a neutral position
with the palms of your hands placed on the yoga mat behind you.
Lean your neck back and allow the spine to relax.
Options:
If you have a tight or injured back or hamstring you might try using the
wall as a prop to reduce stress on your back during this pose. To do
this, lay on the floor with your hips against the wall, allowing the wall to
support your legs. You might also try rolling up a small blanket to
place under your knees or siting on a small pillow. Adjust the height of
the pillow or blanket until you discover the position that allows you to
create a slope. This slope will adjust the tilt of the pelvis, thereby

reducing the stress placed on your legs. Alternative:Half Shoelace

Pose. Half Butterfly Pose. Half Frog Pose.

Counter Poses:
Reversed Tabletop Pose. Reclined Twist Pose. Windshield Wipers
Pose.
Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected:
Spine, hamstrings, knees, neck, and shoulders. Urinary bladder
channel, digestive tract, uterus, and gallbladder.
Recommended Hold Times: Three to ten minutes.
3. The Dangling Pose.
Figure A Dandling Pose with Legs stretched
Figure B Dandling Pose with legs slightly bent.
The Dangling Pose utilizes a standing position where the body is
folded over at the hips, keeping the spine straight and long. While you
keep your neck relaxed and extended your head is pointed downward
towards the ground. Meanwhile, your feet are tightly planted on the
yoga mat. Legs full stretched as in figure A or, in presence of sciatica
or stiff hamstrings, slightly bent as in figure B. By doing this pose you
can stimulate the liver and kidneys, stretch the hamstrings, and
strengthen your thighs and knees. You can also relieve stress and
moderate depression, reduce symptoms of menopause, treat
headaches, and improve digestion. Benefits:
Reduce menstrual pain and cramps, and treat the symptoms of
menopause. Massage and compress abdominal organs. Gently
stretch the lower spine while loosening your hamstring. Build
diaphragm strength. Strengthen thighs, calves, and knees. Improve
digestion. Treat the symptoms insomnia, anxiety, and depression.

Side effects:Avoid this pose if you have glaucoma or high blood

pressure.
If you have lower back injuries then bend your knees more deeply
while resting your forearms against your thighs with a straight spine. If
you have low blood pressure be sure to lower down into your squat
rather than rolling up when coming out of this pose. Pregnant woman
should avoid this pose.
Getting In and out of the Pose:
1. Stand on your yoga mat with your feet firmly planted directly
beneath your hips. 2. Deeply inhale and then as you release the
breath bend forward at your hips. Allow your upper body to go
downward as you bend, bringing your abdomen close to your legs,
complete your exhalation. Your head should be floppy and your
forehead should be near your knees. Your palms on the floor near
your feet or you can clasp the elbows with the opposite hands. 3.
Allowing yourself to deeply feel the stretch of the muscles and
tendons in your hamstrings, shoulders and neck. 4. Deeply inhale and
lift your head, raising your arms and bringing
your body back up to an upright standing position. 5. Take a few deep
breaths and then repeat the pose, feeling the
stretch even more deeply this time and holding it a little longer.
Options: If struggling to do this pose you can place your feet a short
distance from the wall and then allow your hips to rest against the
wall. If you want to do this pose for longer than two minutes, then do
multiple sessions of the pose rather than lengthening the pose

duration. Alternative:Snail Pose.

Caterpillar Pose.
Counter Poses:
Squat Pose. Gentle backbend.
Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected:
Urinary bladder meridian channel because of the stretch along the
back of the legs and spine Hamstrings. Spine, neck, and shoulders.
Abdominal organs including the bladder, stomach, and uterus.
Recommended Hold Times: One to two minutes.
4. The Dragon Pose.
In figure A you can see the Dragon Pose, in which you lead forward
on your front leg, which is in a kneeling position. Meanwhile, your back
leg is stretched out behind you, allowing you to stretch and strengthen
your hip flexors and lumbar region. The remaining photos illustrate
other variations of the pose you can try.
Figure A Dragon Pose.
This pose is a great way to stretch your hip flexors, ease sciatica pain,
strengthen your lumbar region. If you find yourself frequently
experiencing lumbar pain from sitting at a desk, then this pose is just
for you. There are many variations of this pose, allowing you to try
them all and find your favorites. When doing this pose don’t force your
body downward. Instead, simply drop your hips and allow your body’s
weight to naturally pull your body down towards the yoga mat,
allowing the gravity force to take over. Benefits:
Ease sciatica pain. Increase mobility in the hip flexors and stretches
quadriceps.
Side effects: Can be uncomfortable for the kneecap and ankle. In
presence of injury ask your doctor before attempting this pose. Getting
In and out of the Pose:
1. From a position on all-fours (known as Tabletop), step forward with
your left foot placed firmly between your hands. Your left knee should
be leveled directly above your heel.
2. Lower your right knee onto the floor, allowing your leg to slide back
until you feel a deep stretch in your thigh and right hip. Be sure that
you are not placing your weight directly on your kneecap, but instead
slightly towards the lower part of your thigh. Press your front foot
gently to the floor. 3. Keep your hands on either side of your front foot,
on top of blocks, if helpful. If it is possible, you can place the palms of
your hands on your top thigh and then lift your chest. This process
adds more weight onto your hips while stretching your back. More
advanced pose requires having the torso lifted, right hand moves
close to the lower back grabbing the left elbow, while left hand is
resting on your left thigh as showed in figure A. 4. Once done holding
this pose move your back knee forward, tucking your toes and placing
the weight on both your hands as you step back into the original
tabletop position. 5. Repeat this position with the opposite leg.
Options:
This pose can get intense, so in the beginning only hold the pose for
one to three minutes. If you experience discomfort then try placing a
blanket beneath the back of your knees. You may be able to relax
more deeply if you frame your front foot with your hands on two
blocks.
Alterations:
Figure B shows the Dragon Flying Low: Place the palms of your hands
inside your front foot and slowly walk your hands forward. You might
consider placing your elbows on the mat or blocks.
Figure B Dragon Fly Low
Figure C shows the Winged Dragon Pose: Rotate your front foot
firmly, using it to open your knee to the side as your front foot rolls
over to its outside edge. Rest your elbows on the yoga mat or blocks,
or walk your hands forward. Figure C Winged Dragon Pose
Figure D shows the Twisted Dragon Pose: Firmly rotate the front foot
while carefully pressing the knee out with your homolateral hand.
Rotate your chest upward, in the direction of the front bent knee.
Figure D Twisted Dragon Pose

Alternative:Sleeping Swan pose.

Saddle pose.

Counter Poses:Child’s Pose.

Downward Facing Dog Pose.
Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected:
Stomach, spleen, liver, kidney, and gallbladder meridian channels. Hip
flexors, ankles and lumbar spine.
Recommended Hold Times: Two to five minutes.
5. The Dragonfly/Straddle Pose.
The Dragonfly Pose is a great way to decompress your spine and
stretch your
hamstrings and adductors. It is a simple pose, but if you have trouble
completing it or if you have sciatica you can always place a pillow or a
folded blanket under you as you sit, making it a little easier for
beginners and even more comfortable. If your adductors and back are
very tight, bending the knees and putting a folded blanket as a support
behind the knees will allow those muscles to relax and it will also help
you in bending forward. Figure A
Figure B
Benefits:
Increase hip flexibility. Stretch the inner thigh, hamstrings, and spine
Side effects: This pose may aggravate sciatica. If you have any pain in
your knees or below the knees then hold off on this pose. Getting In
and out of the Pose:
1. While seated (cushion optional) with your legs stretched outward
gently spread them apart. 2. Once your legs are spread, fold forward
directly from the hips, allowing your spine to stretch, neck to relax.
Place your hands in front of you, even stretched over head if you can
as showed in figure A or you can grab your feet as in figure B. 3. You
should feel mild sensations along your spine and inner
thighs. 4. After a couple minutes in this pose use your hands to push
away from the floor and slowly sit upward. Place your hands slightly
behind your back and lean on them in order to release your hips as
you pull your legs back together. 5. Sit and feel the effects of this pose
for a few minutes before
going onto the next pose.
Options:
Many people find that it is helpful to sit on a cushion or folded blanket
during the Dragonfly Pose. You can place bolsters in front of yourself
as you do this pose, allowing your upper body and chest to rest
against them. If you have a sensitive neck you can place your elbows
in front of you on blocks and then place your chin on your hands. In
order to ground your hips you can place cushions or bolsters on your
thighs. Never place them on your knees, as this can injure the joints. If
your feet naturally fall outward or inward while completing this pose,
then you can use blocks or folded blanket to keep them facing towards
the ceiling. This is not necessary, but will allow you to experience a
new sensation. To explore an alternative twisting position you can fold
one of your legs, lean towards the extended leg and rotate your chest
upward toward the ceiling. Use one hand to support your head and
find a comfortable spot to rest your shoulder. Once you complete the
pose on one side, repeat it on the other side. If there is pressure in
your groin, then you might be helped with the Half Dragonfly Pose.
Simply complete the Dragonfly pose and then bring one foot inward in
the direction of your groin. If you want, you can bend forward or to the
side.

Alternative:Butterfly Pose.
Frog Pose.
Counter Poses:
Windshield Wipers Pose. Reversed Tabletop Pose.
Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected:
Urinary bladder meridian, liver and kidney channels through the groin,
and spleen channel through the inner knees. Gallbladder channel
along the torso in the twisting version explained in the options section
above. Hips and spine. Hamstrings.
Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.
6. The Frog Pose.
The Frog Pose is great as it opens the hips while strengthening the
lower spine and stretching both the thighs and groin. Not only that, but
it also creates a heart space in the shoulders and chest. By opening
the hips this pose takes the pressure off of your knees. The Frog Pose
Benefits:
Stretch the inner thighs. Lessen menstrual pain and cramps. Improve
digestion. Improve circulation to the lower back.

Side effects:Be careful of this pose if you have a lower back injury.
Avoid your arms going to sleep during this pose. If your arms begin to
tingle then spread them out wider. Allow your hands to pillow your
forehead if the neck is stiff. Knees can be uncomfortable, so padd
them if needed.
Getting In and out of the Pose:
1. While on all-fours (tabletop pose) walk both of your knees as far
apart from each other as they will comfortably go without pressure.
The inside edge of your feet should both be on the ground with your
knees bent at a ninety-degree-angle or a little more if you can.
2. Inhale as you stretch your spine by stretching your tailbone and the
crown of your head in opposite directions. Feel the sensation of your
spine elongating. 3. Deeply exhale and while using your core muscles
lower yourself down onto your forearms, ensuring that your elbows are
directly beneath your shoulders. 4. Release the tension in your
stomach and torso, allowing your
hips to draw back and downward. 5. Hold the pose for a few minutes
as you practice your breathing. 6. When you are done with the pose,
gently bring your feet back together while you use your hands to press
away from the floor. Bring your knees back in, one after the other. 7.
Rest for a few minutes in Child’s pose before you move onto
your next pose.
Options:
In order to support your upper body you can place a bolster under
your chest lengthwise. If your knees are sensitive you can place a
folded blanket underneath them. If you extend both of your arms
during the pose you can place your cheek down on the mat, switching
sides halfway through the pose. There is an easy variation of this pose
called the Half Frog Pose: lay on your stomach while you keep one leg
straight and the contralateral cheek on the mat. Arms open in a
T-shape or cactus shape. Bring the knee of your other leg forward until
it is aligned with your hips and you have ninety-degree-angle between
leg and thigh and the inside edge of the foot on the ground. Hold this
for one to three minutes before repeating it on the other leg.

Alternative:Butterfly Pose.
Dragonfly Pose.
Child’s Pose.

Counter Poses:Windshield Wipers Pose.

Lying on the back, grab your knees and move them in circles.
Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected:
Liver, kidney, and spleen meridian channels, thanks to the inner legs
pressure. Lumbar spine, hips and shoulder.
Recommended Hold Times: One to five minutes.
7. The Snail Pose.
In figure A for the Snail Pose you can see the ideal form, which has a
person balanced on their shoulders, with their torso in the air allowing
their legs to gracefully bend over their head. The feet are rested on
the floor a few feet behind where the head is resting. The arms are
braced along the torso to give added support to the spine. Figure A
In figure B you notice the person is doing a similar pose, but with a
slight alteration: instead of having their arms bracing their spine, the
arms are stretched out upward and to the sides, allowing them to rest.
Figure B
In figure C the pose is the same as in figure B, but instead of having
the legs bending in a relaxed position over the head, the person has
the legs arched
upward for a deeper stretch and increased intensity. Figure C
Lastly, figure D is the same as figure C, except instead of having the
arms stretched out gently upward and to the sides, the arms are
stretched out behind the torso and the hands are grasping onto each
other. Figure D
The Snail pose allows you to get one of the deepest stretches of the
spine. It requires great relaxation and concentration, making it one of
the more