If I have a longer time period, I will incorporate some side bending, because I do believe a healthy spine needs to move in all directions (forward, back, side, twist). I arrange the other poses around these so that my body feels properly introduced and supported et voila! a sequence is born. When I design shorter sequences, I look for poses that give the most bang for my buck, so to speak: frog, saddle, swan. I find that if I rest between poses, I don't need as long in savasana and I can drop into meditation "stillness" much faster. Swan 5min -OR- Swan 3min, Square 2min (bring back leg forward) Sphinx/Seal/Saddle (depending on how you feel that day) 4-5min Here's an idea for you:įrog 4min, narrow-knees child's pose as rest 1min the trick is to limit the number of asymmetrical poses. This pose will help open the lower back, hips, and knees.I teach a weekly 60-minute yin class for a corporate client, so I've gotten pretty good at managing the time. Her 200 hour training was done with Super Yoga Palace in Dallas which she completed right at the onset of quarantine. She has always loved yin but has recently been drawn more to teaching it and has completed a few yin training sessions. If this is comfortable on your hips, then fold forward. She has practiced yoga since she was 17 and currently enjoys ashtanga, Katonah style hatha and yin. Then, stack your right leg on top of the left so that the knees are in alignment. For the first side, slide your left foot under your right leg so that your left foot rests on your outer right leg. From Dandasana, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Shoelace is the yin counterpart of “cowface pose” or Gomukhasana. Shoelace (3 minutes each side 6 minutes total) Pigeon (5 minutes each side 10 minutes total)ġ1. As an alternative, you can try half-saddle.ġ0. Pause when you reach your first edge and come out if you feel too much pressure in your knees. Starting from hero pose, sit between your heels and start to walk your hands back. Saddle is the yin version of “fixed firm” pose or Supta Vajrasana. Walk your hands back until you feel the stretch in your quadriceps. Slide the right foot back to rest on the outside of your right glute in half hero’s pose (Ardha Vajrasana). Half Saddle (2 minutes each side 4 minutes total)įrom Dandasana, keep your left leg extended in front of you as you bend the right leg so that your foot rests on the ground. You can clasp opposite elbows, or walk your hands forward for different sensations.ĭangling will help release the lower back and hips and serves as an excellent counterpose to Squat.Ĩ. From squat, place yours hands on the floor in front of you and lift your hips until your hamstrings reach your appropriate edge. If you feel dull pain in your knees, come out of the pose.ĭangling is the yin counterpart to Uttanasana, standing forward fold. The diamond shape of this posture places more stress on the knees than the “classic” butterfly pose. Option for easy cross-legged pose (right ankle in front of left-3 minutes, left ankle in front of right 3 minutes opposite 6 minutes total) Square (3 minutes each side 6 minutes total) The great thing about Yin is that what matters is how the pose feels, and not necessarily what it looks like.Ģ. On that note, when you practice these postures, be mindful of where you experience tension and compression and always ask yourself, “what is stopping me from going deeper in this pose?” Every body is unique, and some hip sockets and femurs do not allow for such an extreme degree of external rotation, so don’t be discouraged if after weeks, months or years of practice you still struggle to find the classic “full” expression of the pose. Since this pose requires a high level of external rotation of the hips, the poses below emphasize these actions in the legs. If you are not interested in practicing Padmasana, your hips and knees can certainly still benefit from this sequence. The inspiration behind this practice came from talking to my yoga students about ways to improve flexibility in the asana. The sequence below is one that I use to increase flexibility in my hips and knees in order to maintain Padmasana (lotus pose). As always, come out of the pose if you feel pain or sharp/tingling sensations. For those who are new to Yin, I encourage you to read more about the practice or take a few classes before trying this sequence. This practice can help increase flexibility and mobility if done in a controlled setting.Īs an avid practitioner of Ashtanga and Power Vinyasa, I have noticed that my practice benefits greatly from a regular Yin practice. Students are asked to find their first edge in a pose, become still, and hold it for a “long” period of time (around 2-8 minutes). In contrast to mainstream “yang” yoga styles such as Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Bikram and Power, Yin yoga is grounded in a functional approach that targets the connective tissues in the body.
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