Yin Yoga - Be your own island

Be your own island - how Yin Yoga works

Do you sometimes feel like an octopus, swimming with eight arms between all your daily tasks? Our talent for improvisation is particularly in demand, especially in these difficult times. The good news: With Yin Yoga you can create your own island, an island of security. Find out more about this calm yoga style.

Yin Yoga leads you back to yourself, into silence and basic trust. How it works? With slow movements, almost as if in slow motion, a lot of feeling and staying in the positions for longer. These are certainly reminiscent of the classic asanas (yoga exercises) - and yet follow their own concept.

The practice is primarily carried out while sitting or lying down, supported by a number of aids such as pillows, blankets and blocks. For example, while sitting in butterfly position, place two blocks under your knees and lie forward or backward on a thick pillow for about five minutes. The support from outside helps us sink more into the mat and ultimately let go inside.

(Yin Yoga Butterfly/ Butterfly. Photo: Sanja Wieland)

Yin Yoga - another dimension

And that's what Yin Yoga is all about: no longer holding on to anything - neither with your muscles nor with your mind. Anyone who gets involved will experience a different dimension of yoga.

Fascia, deeper muscles, tendons and ligaments are stimulated. Through gentle stretching, the fascia fills with fluid and renews itself - which makes us more supple. Maybe you know this from osteopaths, who also use gentle movement to loosen adhesions or misalignments.

At first, many areas of the body are still tense because we are used to being constantly under electricity. For some people, quiet music or a beautiful poem helps to ensnare their spirit. Our breath in particular can act as an anchor to help us become calmer and find ourselves. So that your thoughts don't fly away, you can say to yourself silently: “I breathe in and feel free; I breathe out and let go.”

Much more than lying and breathing

At first it may be unusual to stay in an asana for five minutes. This is particularly difficult for our lively carousel of thoughts. We are too conditioned to flow from one position to the next. We can no longer be alone with ourselves. As soon as we have to wait somewhere, we pull out our smartphone and distract ourselves.

That's why it's brave to try Yin Yoga. It strengthens the connection to yourself and gives you a deep understanding of what concerns you. Admittedly, it's sometimes uncomfortable, but looking away doesn't help. Internal tension can lead to problems that become increasingly painful.

To avoid this, our body constantly communicates with us - but we hardly listen to it. In Yin Yoga we open this ear, create an island of security and accept ourselves. Just the way we are.

Two Yin Yoga exercise variations

It is best to practice with experienced teachers, currently primarily at home via online courses. Especially in Yin Yoga, it's not important what a position looks like - what's more important is how it feels.

Resting Pose: Lie on your back and place your feet wide across the mat. You can stabilize the outer edges with a block or cushion. Two thick books are also useful here. Let your knees sink inwards towards each other. Your shoulders are relaxed and your arms are relaxed next to you. Feel free to close your eyes and breathe in and out calmly. You may feel your lower back melting more towards the floor with every exhale. Feel supported and enjoy this arrival all to yourself.

Spinal Twist: Lying on your back, stretch your arms loosely to the side and put your feet up. You can move your pelvis slightly to the left and then your knees slowly fall to the right. Here, for example, you could place a pillow under, between or on your knees. Your body tells you how intense the rotation can be. A bolster supports the back; you might want to nestle against it. If you like, turn your head mindfully to the left. Enjoy the gentle rotation, continue breathing easily and freely.

Have fun trying it out!

katkoyo – Katrin from Düsseldorf came to yoga from Pilates. The journalist has found her home in Hatha and Yin Yoga and loves to carefully build a bridge between body and mind together with her students. More about Katrin on Find Your Yoga and her website .