Welcome to your yin yoga practice.
Before we begin just take a moment to make sure that you have everything you need for your practice today.
You'll need a yoga mat.
And if you're in a cooler climate make sure you have a blanket to cover yourself with during the relaxation at the end.
You may also need to support your body with props in some of the postures.
If you have yoga blocks those are great but you can also use cushions or pillows or a folded blanket to support yourself.
So make sure that you have some of those with you in case you need them.
Yin yoga is a passive practice where postures are held for several minutes to stretch into the connective tissues.
These tissues are delicate and can be injured if they're stretched too forcefully or intensely.
It's good to be able to feel that something is happening but you should never be forcing a stretch or pushing yourself into a position.
And you never want to be feeling any physical pain as you practice.
Pain is a signal from your body that the position that you're in is not safe or beneficial for you.
So if you do feel pain at any time come out of the pose.
You can come into a resting position until the next posture or you can move back into another posture that you didn't experience any pain in.
If you have any injuries or health conditions make sure to consult with your doctor before starting a new practice.
Yin yoga can have many benefits for health and recovery but it is important that your body is suitably recovered that the stretches will benefit the tissues and won't potentially make the injury worse.
So do please check with your doctor first for your safety.
As this is an audio session I will talk you in and out of the postures verbally but if at any time you're unsure of a posture and don't know if you're in the right position you can always pause the recording and do a quick internet search to bring up a picture.
I've included names for all of the postures so that you can easily do this if you need to.
We're going to begin the practice sitting so bring yourself into a comfortable seated position.
If you can comfortably sit with your legs crossed you can cross your legs or otherwise bring your legs into any position that feels good for you.
You can support yourself by sitting onto a block or a folded blanket if that feels best.
Bring your spine to straight and now gently close your eyes and bring your awareness into your body.
Take a moment now to tune into your body.
To notice how your body's feeling today.
Slowly scan your awareness through your body and observe what you feel.
Notice any sensations.
Perhaps there are some places that feel a little tighter or more uncomfortable that are asking for some release today.
And perhaps there are some other places that feel more comfortable,
More at ease.
Just observe whatever's there.
There's no need to think about why anything in your body feels the way that it does.
Just for this practice allow your analytical mind to take some time off and just feel into whatever is happening and simply observe.
Now bring the awareness to your breath.
Watch the breath flowing in and out of your body.
Notice where the breath flows to when it comes in.
Does it flow into your chest?
Into your belly?
Or perhaps it goes somewhere else?
Again there's no need to think about why the breath is doing what it's doing.
Just watch.
We're going to come into Child's Pose.
So make your way onto your hands and knees now.
Moving any props to the side.
Bring your big toes together and open the knees out towards the sides of the mat.
Sit back onto your heels and bring your chest forwards between the legs.
Resting your forehead onto the mat and take your arms out in front of you.
Bringing the hands towards the front corners of the mat.
If you want to take some support here you can place a block under your forehead or stack your forearms and rest your forehead onto your forearms.
And if it's challenging to sit all the way back to the heels,
Place a block or a cushion onto the heels to sit back onto.
Once you've made your way into the position,
Allow your body to completely relax.
Scan your awareness over your body and notice if there are any places where the muscles are clinging.
Perhaps around the thighs or around the shoulders.
And relax those muscles.
In yin yoga we're working into the fascia,
Which is best accessed when the muscles are relaxed.
So as much as possible you want to keep your muscles relaxed in these postures.
Feel into your body and notice the sensations that arise as you rest here.
We're going to be holding each of the postures for around three minutes today,
Which allows for us to open up and stretch into the connective tissues.
So we're going to hold here for a little bit longer.
Now slowly walk the hands in to bring yourself back up and make your way to sitting.
Next we're going to come into butterfly.
Bring the soles of your feet together so that the knees open out to the sides.
You can support your legs by putting blocks under the thighs if that feels most comfortable for you.
And if you're already feeling enough intensity here,
You're welcome to stay sitting upright.
Otherwise we'll come forward.
So take a breath in to straighten your spine and exhale to fold over your legs,
Allowing your head to drop towards your feet.
As you fold forwards,
A point will come when it suddenly starts to feel more intense,
Like your body is starting to resist.
When you reach that point,
Stop there and relax into the posture.
This point is your edge and it's exactly where you want to be to get the most out of the position.
Scan over your body again to see if there are any muscles that you can relax.
Perhaps around the thighs,
Around the shoulders.
If there are any places that are feeling a little more tight or uncomfortable,
Breathe into those places.
With each inhalation send the breath into the tension and allow each exhalation to encourage the release.
We're going to stay here for one more minute.
Slowly walk the hands up the legs to bring the spine back up to straight.
Take the hands to the outsides of the knees,
Push the knees together and bring the feet flat to the mat.
Rock the knees from side to side here and take a moment to notice any feelings in your body.
To notice any after effects from that posture.
The next posture is dragonfly.
So from here straighten your legs and open the legs out wide.
Come to a comfortable open-legged position where you're not forcing the legs too far and where you'll be able to stay for the next few minutes.
If it feels uncomfortable to sit like this with your back straight,
Sit onto a block or a folded blanket.
And if the backs of your legs feel very tight,
Place some blocks under your knees so that your legs can relax.
Take a breath in to lift the spine up and exhale to fold forwards between the legs.
Letting the head drop towards the mat in between your legs.
When you feel your edge,
When more intensity arrives,
Stop folding and relax into the position.
You can rest on your hands or on your forearms depending on where your body takes you.
Scan through your body to see if there is anywhere else that you can relax.
Keep breathing into the discomfort.
Yin yoga is more than just a physical practice.
Our bodies can store emotions in the fascia.
So when we start to open up the fascia,
We can also open up and release emotionally.
It's not uncommon to feel feelings like anger or sadness come up during the practice or to experience old memories arising.
This is just a sign of your body letting go emotionally and energetically.
So if you do experience some feelings coming up,
Just watch them in the same way that you watch the physical tension releasing.
Knowing that you're just releasing stored feelings from the past that you no longer need to carry with you.
And sometimes a release can be so subtle that we don't feel anything at all as we practice.
But we just start to feel clearer and lighter later on.
Slowly walk the hands in to bring your spine back to straight.
Bend your knees to bring the feet to the mat and rock the knees from side to side again.
Observing any after effects from the posture.
And now make your way down to lying on your back for a reclining twist.
Take your feet to the mat at hip distance apart with your knees pointing up towards the ceiling.
And bring your arms out in line with your shoulders with the palms of the hands facing upwards.
From here just let the legs drop towards the left.
You can place some blocks or a bolster under your left thigh so that the legs can completely relax down if that feels best for you.
And if it feels comfortable in your neck,
Turn your head to look over the right shoulder.
Otherwise keep looking straight up.
Relax into the posture here.
Feel into the new sensations that come up in your body in this different position.
If you're not feeling so much intensity here and you want to deepen the stretch,
You have the option to take your left foot to rest on your right thigh.
Keep breathing into any tension.
We'll stay here for one more minute.
Bring the knees back up to the centre.
Bring the head back to the centre.
And keeping the feet apart,
Drop the knees together.
And take some resting breaths here to observe.
And let's go to the other side.
Allow the legs to drop towards the right,
Taking some support under the right thigh if that feels best for you.
You can turn the head to look over the left shoulder or keep looking straight up.
And if you want to deepen the stretch,
Take your right foot to rest on your left thigh.
Rest on the left thigh.
Keep breathing into any tension.
And slowly come back out.
Bring the knees back to the centre and the head back to the centre.
Keeping the feet apart,
Drop the knees together.
And take a few breaths to notice any after effects from the posture.
And it's time for your relaxation.
So make sure that you're going to be warm enough.
Take any extra layers if you need to.
You're welcome to keep the legs as they are or to straighten your legs into Shavasana.
Taking the feet out towards the corners of the mat.
Bring the arms to your sides with the palms of the hands facing upwards.
And if you want to take some support,
You could take a block or a pillow under your head.
Or perhaps a rolled up blanket under your knees or your ankles.
Once you've made yourself comfortable,
Close your eyes.
And give your body permission to completely let go.
This is the most important part of the practice.
When you integrate all of the work that you've done.
And nothing is required of you except for just to be here.
And to take these few minutes to rest.
Bring your awareness to your breath.
And notice how with every exhalation your body becomes more relaxed.
Every exhalation carries your body into relaxation.
These next few minutes are yours to enjoy the effects of your practice.
Slowly start to reawaken the body.
Make some small movements with your fingers and your toes.
With your hands and your feet.
And take your arms up over your head to give yourself a long stretch through the sides.
Bend the knees,
Bring the knees into the chest.
And gently rock from side to side.
Massaging out the lower back.
And when you feel ready,
Roll to one side.
And come up to sitting.
And we'll finish sitting with the eyes closed.
Bring the awareness back into your body.
And just take a moment to observe how your body's feeling right now.
To notice any sensations.
To observe any effects from your practice.
And when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
This brings us to the end of your practice.
Thank you for joining me today.
