Surrendering to the Yin ...

Sunday - Rest

• Yoga - 90 minutes (Yin Yoga Class)

Before I went on vacation, I signed up for a yoga workshop that took place this afternoon at my yoga studio for a style that I had never heard of before I signed up for it. The style of yoga is called Yin Yoga. When I first heard about this workshop, I did some research online to see what it was all about but even that didn't prepare me for the class. The Bikram classes that I take are always about energizing you body, developing lean strong muscles that are very flexible and heating the body both internally and externally in order to aid the detoxing process. During a Bikram class, the asanas (poses) are so strenuous that they are not held for more than a minute at a time. The Bikram series also focuses a lot on balancing poses. After listening to the teacher during the introduction portion of the workshop, I quickly realized that Yin Yoga is the complete opposite of Bikram Yoga. I was fascinated with the theory of yin versus yang as it applies to the practice of yoga. The idea that you can completely realign your skeletal system by stretching the deep or hidden muscle tissues intrigued me. I wasn't quite sure how much realignment would take place during one class but I was open to the possibility. One huge difference that I noticed right from the start besides the cold room and really dim lighting was the duration of the asanas. In Yin Yoga, each posture is held for 5 minutes, which means that props are essential. The focus of each posture is to stretch the tendons and ligaments that hold the muscles in place around the bones. This stretching allows the bones and muscles to realign and return to place where they belong. The teacher said that some people actually feel taller when they leave the class. After 90 minutes of this slow moving and very static form of yoga, I was amazed at my transformation my body went through. I am not saying that I was a foot taller or anything but I finally understood the meaning of yogic bliss. I felt truly peaceful and like I had truly surrendered to the moment. I was also able to sit cross-legged and touch my forehead to the floor in front of me, which I couldn't do at the beginning of the class.