Yin, where have you been all my life?
That’s what I felt when I first practiced Yin.
I was returning to the mat after my three year old settled at his new daycare and I was able to take some precious moments to rest for my self.
At the time, that sentence “rest, for my self” felt like some kind of rebellion. I find motherhood to be so physical. The birth recovery and carrying Bub, the 24/7 timetable, the emotional awakening is so big. Amazing and big. There is a lot of flow in the act of motherhood for me, where I lay my plans aside to take up the opportunity of going with the flow on every level.
So, when I received the stillness of my first few Yin Yoga practices, I was shocked at the cellular rebuild and recovery of my energy and vitality.
After class, I felt gently healed and held. I returned more joyful and it came from acknowledging just how much rest I truly needed. But I don’t have two weeks to lay under a palm tree, I have only a few minutes, perhaps an hour and realising that a small yin yoga practice unlocks the equivalent of hours of doona time was absolutely a revolution in my life.
Join us on Tuesday mornings at 9.15am for a purely Yin Yoga Practice at Lotus Bay Yoga 1403 Anzac Pde Little Bay, at Driftwood Living Homewares store, on the roundabout in the heart of Little Bay. Jump over to the website to check our timetable or to pre-book class, dropins on the day are welcome www.lotusbayyoga.com
For those of you wanting a beautiful first yin pose you can do at home - allow me to introduce Butterfly.
Butterfly
Sitting on the floor, take the soles of the feet together and move them outwards in front of you, with the pinky sides of the feet resting on the floor. It makes a diamond shape with the legs.
Then allow your upper body to fold forward. It doesn’t matter how far forward you go.
Now, totally relax all of your muscles.
From here we just be and find a stillness in the pose. Remembering to explore it at around 60% to 70% effort, as we're going to aim to hold Butterfly for longer then normal yoga poses. You might like to set a timer for 5 mins, or just hold it for as long as it feels good.
This is a beautiful pose for the reproductive systems, it gets into the Liver and Kidney/ Urinary Bladder meridians. The subtle energy of the heart can be felt along the back body as the thoracic fascia releases. The front body feeling of the heart centre is towards the earth in an inward gesture of self care and healing.
Butterfly Bub - Max loves to curl up like a cat when I do this pose in the lounge room. I like it because at first, it's the natural sitting on the floor playing with toys pose but then when they get immersed in what they are doing, you can fold forward and let the neck relax to find it's natural curve with the crown of the head effortlessly extending energetically (not actually) beyond the feet. It's like everyone wants a piece of this peace when you get here, so with Max it's always lovely to share when he climbs into my lap unexpectedly.
In a yin style Butterfly, soles of the feet are towards each other, but we're not worried about them being too connected. The important part is allowing the knees to 'butterfly' open and feel the stretch along the abductors in the legs and the thoraco lumbar fascia softening along the back.
Take it easy or possibly avoid this pose if you are suffering sciatica, definitely avoid forward folds if you have herniated discs.
In Butterfly, feet are towards each other, but we are wishing to be muscularly soft in yin, so don't use the muscles of the legs to keep the feet together, put your body in this butterfly/diamond shape then relax, allow even the soles of the feet to fall open and allow the fascia of the body to access the stretch.
In Butterfly, feet are towards each other, but we are wishing to be muscularly soft in yin, so don't use the muscles of the legs to keep the feet together, put your body in this butterfly/diamond shape then relax, allow even the soles of the feet to fall open and let the fascia of the body access the stretch. Trusting that you are doing more than enough by bringing a sense of presence into the pose itself. Feel free to experiment with how far forward the feet are from the body, while still making the diamond shape and feeling into the sitting bones on the earth. A blanket under the seat can be nice, and so can a block or bolster to support the head and third eye when you come forward assist the feeling of letting go and bringing a sense of grounded quiet to the mind.
Then gently come out of the pose and walk your hands back allowing the torso to return upright, before laying back out into savasana and feel the rebound of the pose, the energy moving through the body. This Savasana rebound moment is just as important as the Butterfly.
On Tuesday mornings at 9.15am we offer a 1 hour purely Yin Yoga practice at Lotus Bay Yoga, 1403 Anzac Pde Little Bay, at Driftwood Living homewares store - on the roundabout in the heart of Little Bay village. Jump over to the website to check our timetable or to pre-book class, drop ins (drop in to go deep) are welcome too www.lotusbayyoga.com
Namaste, Amy Weidlich
Founder Lotus Bay Yoga
I am grateful to my yin teacher Karen Milton for her extraordinary way of holding the space and reigniting my love of yoga.