Yin yoga is about surrender.
Surrender
v. sur·ren·dered, sur·ren·der·ing, sur·ren·ders
v.tr.
1. To relinquish possession or control of to another because of demand or compulsion.
2. To give up in favor of another.
3. To give up or give back (something that has been granted)
4. To give up or abandon
5. To give over or resign (oneself) to something, as to an emotion
v.intr.
To give oneself up, as to an enemy.
Within a yin class, postures are typically released into- as opposed to held onto- anywhere from three to five minutes in length or longer. The student lets go of as much muscular effort as possible in order to release fascia and maintain the health of connective tissue. The result is greater range of motion and increased joint stability. On a mental, emotional and energetic level, yin yoga has the capacity to change your life by changing your lens on life; increasing the flow of prana (qi) in the body. The opportunity for insight, wellness and growth is truly exponential. It also helps to encourage, nourish or deepen a mindful meditation practice. But, it's one thing to be aware and something completely different when put into practice. You cannot understand the capacity that (yin) yoga has to better your world, life and perspective until you combine action with theory.
Surrender the body.
Surrender the mind.
Give over to the spirit-
and get back in control.
The Prana is Subtle. The awareness of Prana in every part of the body is only through practice !!! And that is the very essence of Ashtanga Yog! I prefer to call it Yog rather than the oft used term Yoga because of its Sanskrit (Traditional Indian Language of early India) origin and the concept of joining the two forces of Shakti(The Material) and Shiva (The Indescribable)!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you mention the subtlety of the Prana D; it is indeed a skill that needs much time (i.e. practice, practice, practice!) to develop. Within my own understanding and identification I choose 'Yog' (further to my own readings and our always elucidating conversations), but, in order to both reach and sustain a larger (and mainly North American) audience I've made a conscious decision to refer to the practice (which we both know never ends :) as Yoga. I'm so glad you've added to the forum D!
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