Clarity

When I completed teacher training all those years ago, one of my colleagues invited me to go with her to a 2-hour Yin practice at another studio in Portland. At the time, I was a Vinyasa junkie practitioner who had just discovered the lusciousness of Restorative. I had never practiced Yin Yoga before, knew very little about it, but was game to try something new.  

The first 15-20 minutes of this extended practice for me was possibly one of Dante's 9 Circles of Hell.  Unlike Restorative, where you are passively holding a pose supported by many, many wonderful props allowing you to check out to take a much needed nap, I was holding a pose that was pushing me to my edge but asking me to be still and explore the sensation.  For a gal that loves flowing movement, I was irritated to say the least to the point where the instructor noticed and came over to try to help.  At the same time, she was trying to hold the space for the 40+ students who were, in my opinion effortlessly in the pose of the moment enjoying the soothing sounds of crystal bowls as an accompaniment.

The good news is while I shooed the instructor away (remember, I was irritable), at the 20-minute mark, something wonderful happened and I got out of my head, got into my body and fell in love with Yin.

Yin is a wonderful balancer. It slows you down, allows you to work more deeply on breathwork and mental clarity. Because the holds are long, the practice gives you time to connect the mind and body. Often, you will feel your body change over the length of the hold. It gets easier, or harder, and the sensations may move. You learn how to follow those sensations to continue them, or you can let them go.

Yin Yoga provides us with an opportunity to practice Vairagya. Vairagya, simply put, is the state of dispassion or detachment from worldly desires and attachments. It emphasizes letting go of cravings for material possessions, sensory pleasures, and ego-driven desires. This practice fosters inner peace and clarity of mind.

In the practice of yoga, Vairagya is often paired with Abhyasa (practice). While Abhyasa refers to consistent effort and discipline in practice, Vairagya complements it by encouraging practitioners to let go of ego-driven desires and to remain equanimous in success or failure.

Vairagya is seen as a means to attain inner peace, clarity of mind, and ultimately liberation. 

Join me Thursday, July 25 from 6:00-7:00pm for Yoga 101: Intro to Yin Yoga at Sellwood Yoga.

Why am I offering this mini workshop on Yin Yoga?  Well, honestly, so you don't have to experience what I did for your first Yin class.  We can talk about the whys and whats of Yin, explore the sensations you are feeling, and learn about common poses that have different names in Yin (yes, let's make it even more confusing!). I absolutely love Yin and the benefits it produces not only in my body but in my chattering mind and want you to have that experience as well as you move towards a Yin practice

 For those who already practice Yin, this will be a great opportunity to ask questions outside of a still and quiet Yin Extended Practice space.