Yin Yoga Going Beyond Flexibility and Extending the Yielding Approach of Yin Yoga to Master Your Min

Table of contents :
Introduction
Chapter 1: Yin Yoga, The Process Of Yielding And Letting Go.
The Creation Of Yin Yoga.
Yin Principles.
The Chinese Five Elements.
Chapter 2: The Science And Benefits Of Yin Yoga.
The Sympathetic/Parasympathetic System.
Chapter 3: The Power Of Breathing.
Ujjayi, Ocean Breath.
Chapter 4: Yoga And Joint Health.
Contracture.
Fixation.
Chapter 5: What Is Limiting Your Range Of Motion?
The Vipassana Approach.
Chapter 6: 19 Powerful Yin Yoga Poses, Variations, And Their Benefits.
1. The Butterfly Pose.
2. The Caterpillar Pose.
3. The Dangling Pose.
4. The Dragon Pose.
5. The Dragonfly/Straddle Pose.
6. The Frog Pose.
7. The Snail Pose.
8. The Saddle Pose.
9. The Sphinx Pose.
10. The Fire Log/Square Pose.
11. The Happy Baby/Stirrup Pose.
12. The Sleeping Swan Pose.
13. The Shoelace Pose.
14. The Recline Twisting Pose.
15. The Melting Heart/Puppy Pose.
16. The Bananasana.
17. The Shavasana/Corpse Pose.
18. Stressing The Arms.
19. Pec Stretch/Shoulders Roll.
Conclusion.

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YIN YOGA Going Beyond Flexibility and Extending the Yielding Approach of Yin Yoga to Master Your Mind. Yin Yoga Poses with photos and description.

Sasy Cacace

© Copyright 2019 - All rights reserved. The content contained within this book may not be reproduced, duplicated or transmitted without direct written permission from the author or the publisher. Under no circumstances will any blame or legal responsibility be held against the publisher, or author, for any damages, reparation, or monetary loss due to the information contained within this book. Either directly or indirectly. Legal Notice: This book is copyright protected. This book is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute, sell, use, quote or paraphrase any part, or the content within this book, without the consent of the author or publisher. Disclaimer Notice: Please note the information contained within this document is for educational and entertainment purposes only. All effort has been executed to present accurate, up to date, and reliable, complete information. No warranties of any kind are declared or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaging in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. The content within this book has been derived from various sources. Please consult a licensed professional before attempting any techniques outlined in this book. By reading this document, the reader agrees that under no circumstances is the author responsible for any losses, direct or indirect, which are incurred as a result of the use of information contained within this document, including, but not limited to, — errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.

Table Of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: Yin Yoga, The Process Of Yielding And Letting Go. The Creation Of Yin Yoga. Yin Principles. The Chinese Five Elements. Chapter 2: The Science And Benefits Of Yin Yoga. The Sympathetic/Parasympathetic System. Chapter 3: The Power Of Breathing. Ujjayi, Ocean Breath. Chapter 4: Yoga And Joint Health. Contracture. Fixation. Chapter 5: What Is Limiting Your Range Of Motion? The Vipassana Approach. Chapter 6: 19 Powerful Yin Yoga Poses, Variations, And Their Benefits. 1. The Butterfly Pose. 2. The Caterpillar Pose. 3. The Dangling Pose. 4. The Dragon Pose. 5. The Dragonfly/Straddle Pose. 6. The Frog Pose. 7. The Snail Pose. 8. The Saddle Pose. 9. The Sphinx Pose. 10. The Fire Log/Square Pose. 11. The Happy Baby/Stirrup Pose. 12. The Sleeping Swan Pose.

13. The Shoelace Pose. 14. The Recline Twisting Pose. 15. The Melting Heart/Puppy Pose. 16. The Bananasana. 17. The Shavasana/Corpse Pose. 18. Stressing The Arms. 19. Pec Stretch/Shoulders Roll. Conclusion.

Introduction Thank you for reading “Yin Yoga: Going Beyond Flexibility and Extending the Yielding Approach of Yin Yoga to Master Your Mind. Yin Yoga Poses with photos and descriptions”, which is my sequel to The Key to Happiness. If you read my previous book, then you learned about how everyone can improve their life with the yogi lifestyle. By beginning your spiritual journey with meditation and Yin yoga you can reduce stress, increase wisdom, and even slow down the process of aging. Of course, this isn’t some miracle cure, I do not claim to eradicate all aging or stress. But, you can greatly lessen these negative aspects of life, as has been proved through many scientific studies. We will go over the science and studies in this book, and more so that you can plainly see the amazing benefits the yogi path has to offer. You can trust in knowing that the tools and methods taught in this book are reliable and helpful. I am an Experienced Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500) and a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP). I use these certifications not only to master the yogi path, but also to teach and help others discover the yogi path, understand its benefits, and learn how to faithfully follow the lifestyle themselves that is not designed to tone or stretch your body but it is designed to free us from obstacles and liberate us from any fear. Before adopting the yogi path I have been a detective on the police force for twenty years. While I can certainly help many people while working in this field, it is not an easy position. It would be difficult for anyone to witness the crime and pain in the world daily for their job, especially a soft-hearted man like myself. I am someone who has always dreamed of a world free from pain. While having a world free from pain is a dream and not reality, I still believe that it is possible to lessen the pain in the world. We all have the opportunity to transform our pain, and the pain around us, thereby increasing joy, peace, and growth. We can use these experiences as a way to improve ourselves and our lives, constantly growing and becoming better people. This is doing Yoga.

After fifteen years of walking the yogi path on my spiritual quest, this is what I have discovered, and I would like to share this knowledge and the tools needed to accomplish the goal of a better life with you. While you may be familiar with standard yoga classes, Yin yoga is much more powerful and meditative. This process focuses on promoting deep physical, spiritual, and mental awareness. Rather than just working the surface of your joints and muscles, you can work your deeper tissues. Your connective tissues and fascia are included in the poses, as well! People often lose vital flexibility as they age, with stiffness in the fascia causing pain resulting in the muscles becoming overwork. Yin yoga helps to increase flexibility and overall health as you age, reducing the risk of injury. With fast-paced yang yoga, people can often miss out on many of the benefits it has to offer, such as the deep connection it requires with a person’s own soul, body, emotions, and sensations. On the other hand, Yin yoga excels at slowing down and allowing a person to truly connect deeply, offering benefits on all levels. It is necessary to understand that it is not the movement that frees you, but the quality of the relationship you have with it. With Yin yoga, you are no longer distracted by movements as people are with flowy Yang yoga practice. By removing the distractions while maintaining a still pose you have the ability to focus inward and meditate. As you will discover later in this book, the pairing of Yin meditation and yoga has many benefits to the soul and mental health, benefiting you in everyday life. Most people are not adjusted to living a life with stillness and meditation. Instead of keeping the body and mind still, most people are always looking at their phones or running around doing task after task, in a constant flow of doing, doing and doing that they forget what it is simply be. But, there are many important benefits to sitting still and meditating. Simple be instead of doing. It will take time to adjust to the process of Yin yoga and meditation, but with work, you will find that your time of meditating and practicing poses is rejuvenating and cleanses your body and mind for the day to come. To truly gain all of these benefits, you should read my other book, The Key to Happiness, in which we discuss methods of meditation, life-altering tools to

increase peace and to let go of pain, the keys to gaining joy and happiness and more. In this book, you will learn all about Yin yoga, its benefits, nineteen poses with their variations, for a total of 51 asanas with photos and an extra section for shoulders and neck health using Yin yoga principles, and more. Let’s take this journey for better health and a better life. All you have to do is begin.

Chapter 1 Yin Yoga, the Process of Yielding and Letting Go. Allow every aspect of your life be your growing edge. Your efforts won’t be wasted and what you gain won’t be overturned. If that is your way of life, you are doing Yoga. Sasy Cacace Yin yoga is both an ancient method and a new practice. This is because the practice of both Yin meditation and traditional (Yang) yoga were combined to increase the benefits of both Yin and yoga. By combining the two, the effects become even more profound. Who was it that combined these two methods? While the teachings of many people were used, the person who combined all of the knowledge into a single method is Paul Grilley. Some of his influences in the combination of all this knowledge were Paulie Zink who was the heaviest influencer and laid the groundwork, Dr. Gary Parker who taught the importance of anatomy, and Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama reminded Grilley of the greater purpose of yoga in Daoism. Now, let’s look into the creation of the original yoga and Yin yoga. After all, if you want to reap all of the benefits that this practice has to offer, you need to understand the theory behind it.

The Creation of Yin Yoga. Documentation on the history of yoga has been found that dates back hundreds and thousands of years. This includes ancient texts such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yoga Sutra, Gheranda Samhita, and more. Yet, you simply can’t only read these works in order to gain all of the understanding from them. You require the help of a master or guru to fully understand and utilize the knowledge these ancient texts share. The texts themselves only share a part of the knowledge, a condensed version which requires the proper teaching through the guidance of a teacher. Why is this? The premise was that only a master could know when their student was ready to gain the knowledge. Therefore, much of the knowledge was kept in secret at the master's discretion, until they felt their student was advanced enough for the

understanding. The ancient texts themselves do not fully explain how yoga was physically practiced. However, it is plain to see that the deeper purpose of yoga was more than just physical. Yoga was meant to help prepare a person for the deeper implementation of meditation. The earliest spiritual books of India, the Vedas, had many meanings for yoga. One of these was the word “discipline”. On the other hand, “asana” which is a series of poses commonly practice used in yoga today, is not named. Instead, the closest word to asana is described as a block on which people sit to meditate. When the Yoga Sutra was written, the practice of yoga had advanced further since the Vedas. By this time, asana was a part of the practice, but only a small part of it. In fact, the Sutra only mentions asana twice. At this time yoga was defined as a psychological-spiritual method meant to attain the pinnacle of enlightenment and liberation. It is important to mention that when the Yoga Sutra mentions asana it defines what the movements should be like. It uses the words “sthira” and “sukham”, meaning that the movements should be both steady and calm (Sutra 2.46). This is important information, as these are key qualities of Yin yoga, rather than the Yang yoga often used throughout the West. Yoga was created as a tool to facilitate meditation, deeper understanding, and liberation. While there are many types of yoga with their own principles, the ultimate original goal of all yoga is to achieve this end. Some of the yoga methods place a higher emphasis on the movements of the body, whereas others left almost no mention of poses and movements. Some methods of yoga were so extreme, and unhealthy, that they believed that the body only got in the way of enlightenment and liberation. Therefore, they sought a way to attain out-of-body experiences as rapidly and quickly as possible. This resulted in unhealthy practices that only damaged the body. Thankfully, there were also yoga methods that outright rejected the idea of the previous extreme. For instance, the Hatha yoga method placed emphasis on maintaining a strong and healthy body. Their principle stated that since people can only attain knowledge and liberation while in their body, the body should be cared for, kept healthy, and strengthened. By doing this, the yogis of the Hatha principle were able to maintain meditation for hours on end, as their bodies were so well trained that they could stay still much longer than a

person of average health. With Hatha, the goal was still to sit in a still and meditative pose, but asana began to have more importance in the overall practice than with previous forms of yoga. No history of yoga would be complete without mentioning the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which was written by Swami Swatmarama in the fourteenth century C.E. It is one of the oldest surviving documents detailing the principles and methods of Hatha yoga. This document discussed the importance of asana much more than anything of its kind had in the past. However, still, much less emphasis is placed on asana than many people place on it in today’s day in age. Instead, the document largely focuses on mudras (hand gestures) and pranayama (breathing techniques). When the document does mention asana, it only details fifteen positions. Most of these positions are done while still and seated, much like Yin yoga. Although, there are a few yang yoga poses. While there are fifteen poses in the document, there is one that is written about as being the ultimate pose. It was written that if a person masters this one Hatha yoga pose, then all other poses were meaningless. This pose is known as the Siddhasana, translated as the Perfect pose or the Accomplished pose and it is a seated pose. To perform Siddhasana sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, bend your left knee, and bring your left heel into your groin near the perineum, the area between the genitals and anus. Then bend your right knee and slide your right heel toward the front of your left ankle. By lifting your right foot, position your right ankle just above your left ankle, and bring your right heel into the genital area. The little-toe side and the outer edge of the top foot are pushed down into the space between the calf and thigh muscles of the bottom leg and the spine is held erect. As time continued, the asana from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika was expanded on and further explained. For instance, a few hundred years after the original writing of the document, Gheranda Samhita documented his own thirty-two types of asana. Some of these asana fit closely with Yin yoga practice, whereas others fit more into the Yang yoga principles. At this point in time, much of yoga asana began to ease more toward Yang rather than Yin. A few decades after this, eighty-four asana were documented in the Shiva Samhita. And, when England began to colonize India and alter the school systems, asana were further ingrained in the everyday culture of India. No

longer was yoga only for the select yogis who dedicated their lives to its practice. Now, yoga was a part of physical activities in school right alongside martial arts, gymnastics, and other forms of exercise. This naturally leads to further changes in the practice of yoga, having it blend with other forms of exercise and becoming known largely for its physical benefits rather than purely psychological-spiritual. While there had previously only been a few asana, by the end of the nineteenth century there were thousands. Yang yoga was predominantly practiced, with the traits that would later define Yin yoga being largely abandoned. The sudden evolution of asana yoga practices, made the methodology largely move from Yin style practice to Yang style. Of course, Yin yoga never disappeared, but it was left very much less appreciated and taught than it once was. While yoga was once seen as a means to gain insight, wisdom, enlightenment, and liberation through meditation, it is now largely seen as only a way to gain health and strength. Of course, the physical benefits of yoga are wonderful and numerous, but that doesn’t mean that the psychological-spiritual benefits should be left behind. While Yin yoga practices have obviously existed for thousands of years, as you now know, Yin yoga as a defined and coined term with specific principles has a more recent history. Let’s look into this history now... Cho Chat Ling, master of Chi kung and Chinese martial arts trained Paulie Zink as his lone protégé. They spent their time devoted to physical conditioning, flexibility training, and energy cultivation all as part of Taoist Chi Kung; a form of Kung-fu known as Tai Shing Pek Kwar (monkey style) that requires harsh physical exercise, tremendous mental concentration, and enigmatic spiritual practices. Paulie Zink trained under his master for ten years free of charge. Along with his training under Cho Chat Ling, Master Zink also studied other matters under his own initiative. This includes the observation of animals, Taoist alchemy theory, and a system of yoga using Taoist principles. Master Zink began to combine together the different methods he was learning into one cohesive principle. He even included the Hatha style yoga he had

learned as a child along with meditations, philosophy, and perceptions all gleaned through his years of research, practice, and study. He referred to his combination of principles as “Taoist yoga.” Master Zink began to share his knowledge in the West as he became a threetime winning international martial arts grand-champion. He was well-known not only for his martial arts championship winnings, but also for his thirtyfive years of experience that made him famed for his artistry, fluidity, and flexibility. Yin yoga, as it is now known, takes knowledge from Master Zink’s Taoist yoga that places a priority on philosophy, health, and spirituality. At its core, it teaches the importance of living in rhythmic harmony with nature. The Taoism emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao (a word for ‘way’ or ‘route’) and Lao Tzu, the father of the “Tao te Ching”, named it ‘wú wéi’, meaning an action that flows effortlessly. The ‘wú wéi’ concept is the alignment with the rhythms of the elements both within and outside our bodies. It is the concept of ‘without effort’, ‘without forcing’, ‘without resistance’, a state of unconflicted personal harmony, a kind of ebb and flow, an effortless surrender to the natural rhythm and pulse of the nature. The principles of Chinese medicine and acupuncture are used in Yin yoga, together with the teachings of the five elements of earth, water, fire, metal, and wood. The word “Yin” in Yin yoga also comes from Chinese spirituality and the premise of Yin and Yang. “Yin” encompasses dark, whereas “Yang” encompasses light. Only together are Yin and Yang a whole. They are both dark and light, male and female, hot and cold. Yin and yang make up the entire universe, and neither can exist without the other. The ancient spirituality and medicine are brought in as different yoga poses embody various creatures to activate the revolutionized five elements. By doing this, a person can better harmonize with the energies within their own bodies, allowing their inner primal spirit to thrive. By empowering and transforming yourself through the use of these elemental energies you can balance both your mental and physical health. Yin yoga poses are meant to clear energy blockages, promote growth through stillness, and enhance circulation. Although, the flow of energy is more than just what poses you do. Just as important as the poses you practice is your pose transition. This is of equal importance as the poses themselves as you

want to promote energy movement that is fluid and circular to incorporate a continuous, relaxed, and graceful all-day energy. Yin yoga got its name after Paul Grilley studied under Master Paulie Zink to learn Taoist yoga. After studying under Master Zink for a year, Grilley began to share his knowledge with others. In this process, he developed his own principles combining Zink’s Taoist yoga, Dr. Motoyama’s knowledge of chakras and acupuncture, and his own knowledge to combine what he named “Yin yoga.” After the above description, the story of the birth and development of Yin yoga should be clearer. Yin and Yang yoga do not need to be ranked. You do not need to claim one is better than the other. Remember, Yin can not exist without Yang, and vice versa. They both have their place and should be appreciated. There are many forms of Yang yoga currently available, such as Power Yoga, Ashtanga, Hot Yoga, Flow Yoga, and more. You can still practice any of Yang yoga methodology you would like, and along with it, you can also practice Yin yoga. By doing this, you can gain all of the benefits of Yin yoga and more.

Yin Principles. There are four main principles of Yin yoga. By now, you should have a slight understanding of some of the principles from learning about the history of Yin yoga. The four principles are as follows: 1. Find an Edge When you enter your pose you should move gently and slowly with grace into the suggested position, without a defined picture of how far you should push the movement. With Yin yoga there is no one ideal or end result you are looking for, you simply need to keep a quiet mind and listen to your body to do what feels right. This means that sometimes you need to stop and simply notice what your body is feeling and how it is reacting. Before you move more deeply into a position in an attempt to strengthen the sensations, listen and wait for feedback from your body. This step is important for everyone, but especially those who are highly physical. The reason for this is because athletes and dancers are used to pushing past the limits off their body to achieve their end-goals. While this may be beneficial in sports, dancing, and

exercise, it is not the goal in Yin yoga. When practicing Yin yoga you want to balance between giving your body space and allowing it to feel an appropriate amount of sensation and intensity. Don’t try to push your body out of its comfort zone or as far as it can go. Relax into the position and your body, exploring what your amazing body is capable of. In time, you will find that your body becomes naturally more flexible and capable of going more deeply into the pose without pushing it too far. Simply take the time your body needs to discover the pose and you will find that it appreciates the gentle and graceful positions. When finding the appropriate amount of sensation for a Yin yoga pose, look for your Goldilocks place. This means that you want neither too much or too little sensation, it should be just right so that you feel the sensation without pain. 2. Be Still. We are used to living a life on the go, always moving and doing something. Whether you are exercising or relaxing, you are often listening to music, doing your phones, or talking to someone. We are always moving. However, Yin yoga prioritizes being still and quiet. This means that no matter how hard it is at first, you need to try to resolve yourself with not moving. Don’t fidget. Don’t try to change your pose, even if you want to change it, “fix” it, or increase the intensity. Simply focus on being still with the pose, and try to relax. Even if you cannot make yourself relax at first if you imagine yourself relaxing you will find that with practice you learn how to ease into the pose. With dedication, before long you will find yourself relaxing like a pro. By moving too much you can cause too much strain on your joints and connective tissue, possibly leading to injury. But, if you stay still at the edge of your range of motion, then you will find that your muscles and connective tissue increase in flexibility and range over time. Even if you are unable to mentally relax into a pose, if you try to envision your muscles relaxing into the pose, you will find it becomes easier. This process will help your muscles relax, even if your mind requires more time. The stillness you maintain should be effortless. This stillness should follow the already described principle named by Lao Tzu as ‘wú wéi’, meaning an

action that flows effortlessly. Lao Tzu explained the importance of simply letting go of yourself and experiencing the world without complex thought. You need to apply this principle to your Yin yoga practice, allowing not only your body to remain still, but your mind, as well. Applying this principle in your Yin yoga practice is training for your mind, allowing you to reach this same stillness in your daily life. You will be able to learn not to react to the happenings of life. This is a great benefit because, as Lao Tzu emphasized, “To the mind that is still the whole universe surrenders”. To be still doesn’t mean you cannot move at all; as there are two exceptions for this: You can move to find your edge, allowing you to go further into a pose as time passes. That’s why when I am teaching and I describe the first Yin Yoga law I invite the students to find and play with their edge. You have to move when you need to back off if you feel sharp pain or numbness. Pay attention to these sensations, they can be dangerous, because if you feel them it means you are pinching some nerves. If you do not listen to these signals, then over time you could develop some chronic injuries and pain. 3. Hold for a While. In Yin yoga the long static holding approach is more important than intensity. Yin yoga is a practice of yielding and letting go into the sensations of the pose, observing those sensations arise, lingering for a while, and disappearing. This is what exactly happens to all the transience phenomena in your life. So training to yield and let go on the mat can turn out to be a way to learn to yield and letting go in your life. It is important to learn to overcome and let go of the idea that tells us to move and come out of a pose at the very first challenge we meet; we need to understand that what we resist persists while what we embrace looses its grip on us, it doesn’t scare us anymore, it doesn’t bother us anymore. This is as true in Yin practice as in your life, so this practice can become training for us.

We train on our mat to be ready for our life. In Yang yoga, people often move between yoga poses in quick succession. However, with Yin yoga beginners hold poses between one and three minutes, with those more advanced can hold poses for five or more minutes. During this time, you don’t want to watch a clock, as it will prevent you from focusing on relaxation and meditation. Instead, use a timer which will allow you to focus on relaxation while still knowing how long to maintain the asana. You will find that longer or more difficult holds allow the mind to learn to relax and meditate skillfully, even under difficult circumstances. This allows a person to learn to meditate, even when circumstances are not ideal. Even if you are struggling with your emotions, environment, or anything else, you will be able to meditate through it. While you can hold a pose for only one minute if you are new to Yin yoga and out of shape. However, you only receive the benefits when practicing the poses longer and we are diving into this later in the book. Therefore, try to at least hold the pose for two minutes, and you can gradually increase it up to five minutes overtime. 4. Release Gently. When you practice Yin yoga you do long holds of asana that have your joints in unguarded positions. There are many benefits to these positions. But, if you move out of these poses quickly or violently it can cause damage to your joints. Instead, as you come out of your asana move slowly and use your arms to support. This means you use your arms to support your torso, to push yourself up to a sitting position, and gently move your legs. Remember, Yin yoga exercises your deep muscular and connective tissues. Usually, your body prevents these tissues from stretching too much, as if they stretch too rapidly it can cause damage. But, since Yin yoga practices slow and gentle poses it gives these tissues a chance to stretch and increase in strength and flexibility. You need to respect your bodies and the amazing work they are doing, and thank the body by moving gently and carefully out of these poses so that the tissues can harmlessly go back to their original position.

When you come out of your asana you may at first feel unsteady, shaky, or uncomfortable. Don’t let this worry you, as these awkward sensations will fade. Now that the Yin yoga principles are described, you can better understand why the Yin yoga practice can be a challenge: it is because the approach is so far away from the way we live our life, always on the go, always with a to do list to follow. That’s why we feel more comfortable with Yang practice, because that style is closer to the way we live, always fast, competitive, and on-the-go. But, what we really need is often what we dislike; it is often the opposite of what we do on a daily-bases; it is often what can push us into a challenge that can be for us a way to grow up, a way to go beyond the surface of the feelings and body sensations. The Yin Yoga approach is indulging and giving yourself the permissions to simply be; yielding all the sensations and thoughts you experience into the pose without fighting them, but observing them, witnessing the way your mind reacts to them and again yielding to that process without following it. Traditional Chinese Medicine. Yin yoga implements Chinese medicine, as Master Paulie Zink studied its benefits extensively in his years as a protégé. But, most people have not spent the same amount of time, if any, studying this ancient medical practice. Thankfully, I have compiled the information you need to understand and utilize this longstanding practice. The fundamental understanding of Chinese medicine is that humans are made up of a holistic body, mind, and soul. This means that as humans, we are deeply connected to a powerful healing force within ourselves. Not only that, but we are also linked to our environment, society, and the Universe. By understanding this, we can see that illness and disease is a result of an imbalance within ourself or in our relationship with the universe. We have all heard the phrase “a picture speaks a thousand words”, well, this is not a new line of thought. People have long known the importance of visual depictions in communication and understanding. The above-mentioned Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, once wrote “Writings do not express words clearly, words do not express thoughts clearly; thus the sages created images to express thoughts clearly”.

In order to better communicate insights and knowledge, the ancient sages created images. This includes the image of Yin and Yang that we are all familiar with, along with the image for Dao (also known as Tao). While many unfamiliar with Chinese medicine have never heard of Dao, it is an essential part of the practice to understand, it is used to embrace the eternal primordial source also called the Void, as well as the potential from which all things arise. Dao has two sides, similar to Yin and Yang. One side of Dao represents an empty and passive state, whereas the other side is active, creative, and pushes reality forward. The purpose of Dao is to learn how to welcome and embrace that ancient and eternal Void from which all things come. Yin-Yang builds upon the understanding of Dao. The purpose of Yin and Yang are to explain the nature of duality that exists inherently in everything. There are four principles of Yin-Yang used to explain its nature, including: 1. All of nature contains two inherent opposing sides. 2. Yin and Yang only exist as a pair, one can not exist without the other. 3. Yin and Yang support and nourish each other. 4. There is an inherent transformational ability between Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang both express different aspects of nature. Yin expresses water, cold, dark, stillness, and yielding. On the other hand, Yang is the properties of fire, heat, light, movement, and force. You can see how these aspects of Yin and Yang classify yoga practices. The Yin yoga presented in this book is one that focuses on stillness and healing. Whereas Yang yoga, which is popular in the west, is one that prioritizes movement and force. We can only understand Yin when we compare it to Yang, and vice versa. These are not absolute terms that can stand up independently, they rely on, support, and nourish each other. Not only are there Yin and Yang versions of yoga, but Yin-Yang can also explain the way we approach living. Do you live with a quiet mind or a mind rushing from thought to thought? Are you more likely to yield or use force? Everyone approaches their life with their own Yin-Yang balance, and if either

is out of balance you develop unhealthy coping mechanisms. But, if you learn about Yin-Yang you can learn to create a more balanced lifestyle. Along with Yin-Yang and Dao, it is imperative to understand the meridian channels. These are an aspect that play a part in every Yin yoga pose, and greatly affects your daily life. The meridians are channels that carry energy throughout the entire body, forming an intricate network. However, just as plumbing can get clogged up and malfunction, so too can your meridian network. When this network becomes blocked, then your Chi, Shen, and Ching - the vital energy, the spirit and the nutritive essence, the "Three Treasures" in Chinese medicinal theory, also known as Qi, Shen, and Jing - are unable to flow properly. When this happens, then imbalances occur and your organs are no longer able to function fully. But, if you clear your meridian network then the energy is able to flow freely, allowing you to experience your best physical, mental, and spiritual health. This energy network throughout your body is not only described in Chinese medicine, as there is a similar yogi belief. In India, yogis long have taught about ancient energy networks known as nadis. While the exact number of nadis within the human body is unknown, some documents suggest that there were three-hundred thousand whereas others claim there are seventy-two thousand. The exact number of nadis doesn’t matter, all that does matter is that there are too many to count. This is important to understand, as it helps us to understand that these energy systems run throughout the entire body, affecting every aspect of your lives. Just as the yogis in ancient India understood the importance of the nadis, those practicing ancient Chinese medicine saw the importance of the meridians. Chinese physicians named seventy-one different meridians, although only twelve of these were most important for physical wellbeing. Each of the body’s ten major organs has its own meridian, which can be either Yin or Yang (lung meridian, heart meridian, small intestine meridian, large intestine meridian, spleen meridian, kidney meridian, liver meridian, gallbladder meridian, urinary bladder meridian, stomach meridian). Along with the pericardium (the membrane surrounding the

heart) and the San Jiao meridian, this makes up a group of twelve main meridian channels, known collectively as Jing Mai. This chapter of the book doesn’t have the vanity to cover the whole topic related to Traditional Chinese Medicine and the meridian system, but I would like to spend some more words about San Jiao meridian. This meridian, also called ‘Triple-burner’, is not an independent organ, but rather a functional energy system involved in regulating the activities of other organs. It is made up of three parts, known as 'burners', each associated to chest, abdomen, and pelvis. The top burner is above our diaphragm and it controls the intake of air, food, and fluids; the middle burner affects our digestive system and it controls our stomach, spleen, and pancreas; lastly, the lower burner affects our urinary and reproductive systems and it controls liver, kidney, bladder, and intestines and it is responsible for absorbing nutrients, and eliminating wastes. When a person’s San Jiao is functioning well, then all of these organs work in harmony together and fluids within the body are optimally transported. How do the meridian channels become blocked? According to Chinese medicine and Yin principles, this occurs when you have unbalance in your life. These imbalances can arise from many areas, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. Many of us have these blocks without realizing due to unhealthy habits in diets and exercise, injuries, daily stress, or trauma. If we can open your meridian channels, then we allow our life force to flow freely inside our bodies, creating positive energy and balance. There are fourteen major meridians, with two single and twelve paired channels. The paired meridians go hand-in-hand, they run parallel to one another, with each pair making up both Yin and Yang. The Yin channels flow upward in the body, whereas the Yang channels flow downward. There is also a specific order in which these channels are paired, which is important to understand if you want to clear your channels. It is to know this, as you need to complete Yin yoga poses that activate your meridians in a certain order to promote clear channels, otherwise, you won’t fix the problem. The meridian order includes: Paired Meridians.

Lung (Yin) and Large Intestine (Yang) Stomach (Yang) and Spleen (Yin) Heart (Yin) and Small Intestine (Yang) Bladder (Yang) and Kidney (Yin) Pericardium (Yin) and Triple Heater (Yang) Gallbladder (Yang) and Liver (Yin) Single Meridians . Conception Vessel (Yin). It starts from the tailbone and runs upwards through the front of the body, from the pubic area to the mouth. It plays a role in monitoring and directing all of the Yin channels. Governing Vessel (Yang). It starts from the uterus, runs down to the central region of the pelvis around the genitals and moves upward from inside the coccyx and sacrum, enters the brain and ends at the gum. It governs all the Yang channel. The energy within your bodies is constantly moving and flowing. However, there are specific times of the day in which each meridian has its own peak flow. This is known as the meridian clock. When you experience blockages in your meridian system, you will experience physical systems that signal where the blockage is located. In order to fix these blockages, you need to enhance the energy flow in the given meridian channel. For instance, you as your lungs are responsible for your intake of air, you will know you have a blockage in your lung meridian if you experience coughing, congestion, changes in your sense of smell, or infections such as the common cold and flu. In this case, you will want to increase the flow of energy to your lung meridian. In the same way, since your stomach works to digest food, digestion-related symptoms such as prolonged or rapid digestion, cramping, constipation, diarrhea, and gas are all symptoms of a blocked stomach meridian and in this case you need to increase the flow of energy to your stomach meridian. Yin yoga focuses on increasing the flow of energy to your meridian channels and stimulating the body’s connective tissue or fascia. The connective tissue

makes up most of the human body, with it being used throughout your organs and tissues to hold everything together. Yin yoga exercises these connective tissues to not only strengthen and increase flexibility but also to active your meridian channels and increase energy flow. By holding Yin yoga poses for a long time, you can focus on lengthening and increasing the flexibility of your connective tissues. This process naturally increases the balance to the meridians, strengthens the body, lessens the risk of injury, and even makes you less prone to meridian channel blockages in the future. The meridian channels have five main functions, which include: Keeps the organs running; Energizes the body; Warms the body; Transforms substances; Protects the body from outside influences; Yin yoga acts as acupressure to the meridians and connective tissues. The slow and long pose holds apply pressure to the organs, meridian channels, and connective tissues over an extended period of time to increase both energy flow and blood flow to flush away the toxins and blockages. When you hold Yin poses, you compress the body’s tissues where the meridian channels are located. This pressure causes blood to push into the area with more force than usual, allowing it to push out older blood and toxins, filling the organs with fresh clean blood in its place. The same principle happens with energy in the meridian system. The meridians affected the most by Yin yoga practice are the ones that begin or end in the lower body: The Liver meridian. It begins at the inside of the nail of the big toe, runs along the top of the foot, passes the front of the inside ankle and moves up through the inner leg. It runs upwards, passes the knee, and reaches the groin and pubic region, where it circulates the external genitals. It connects with the conception vessel in the lower abdomen where it enters both the liver and gallbladder. Then it

branches with one line connecting to the lung meridian while another one runs up through the throat and connects with the eye and ends at the crown of the head where it links with the governing vessel. Another branch reaches down and circle the mouth. Lower back pain and abdominal pain, may be a sign of disharmony of the liver. Irritation, frequent or irrational anger, together with some mind disorder may also be a sign of liver dysfunction. The Gallbladder meridian. It begins at the outer corner of the eye, moves down towards the ear and then up to the forehead. It descends behind the ear to the corner of the skull to return to the forehead and then moves down to the bottom of the skull to reach the neck and shoulder. It zigzags along the ribs down to the waist and pelvic. Then it continues down the outside of the leg, to the ankle, ending on the outside of the 4th toe. Ears pain, throat pain and pain along the side of the body may be indications of gallbladder meridian problem. Some other physical imbalances related to gallbladder meridian disfunction are insomnia, glaucoma, stiff neck, dizziness. The Kidney meridian. It begins at the outside of the little toe, runs under the sole of the foot and makes a circle around the medial malleolus. Then it runs along the inner side of the leg, reaching the kidney through the tailbone. One branch moves to the urinary bladder and ends, through the abdomen and chest, at the collar bone. Another branch moves through liver, diaphragm, lung and throat, ending at the base of the tongue. Gynecological and genital disorders such as irregular menstruation and impotence, problems in the kidneys, lungs, and throat, can be related to a disharmony of the Kidney meridian. Emotional imbalances, such as depression, fear, hysteria, paranoia, loneliness and insecurity may also be a sign of Kidney meridian disfunction. The Urinary Bladder Meridian. It starts from at the inner portion of the eyelid and moves up to crown and then down to the back of the head. Here it forms two branches: one enters the brain and then runs down the spine to the buttocks, where it moves to the

urinary bladder and the kidney; the other one runs from the crow down to the neck, shoulder, buttocks and leg, circles the outer ankle, moves along the outer edge of the foot and ends in the little toe. Headaches, back problem, urinary problems, pain in the eye, and some emotional imbalances such as resisting change, negative attitude, and lack of energy, are expression of bladder meridian imbalance. The Spleen Meridian. It starts at the tip of the great toe, runs along the inside of the foot and continues up the inner leg. It enters the abdomen above the pubic bones and connects to the spleen and the stomach. Then it branches, one line runs up to the throat till the root of the tongue, while the other line connects to the heart meridian. Indications of spleen disharmony encompass digestive and stomach problems together with some emotional imbalances such as poor concentration, forgetful-ness, cloudy thought process, addiction, attachment, obsession. The Stomach meridian. It starts between the lower eyelid and the eye socket and runs down the face. Here it branches in three: one line loops up to the forehead, another branch moves down to the diaphragm, running to the stomach and spleen and the third line crosses the chest and belly and it ends at the groin. The branch running through the stomach, after reconnecting to the third line, moves down through the front of the leg and foot, where it splits again with one line reaching the inner side of the big toe and the other reaching the outside tip of the second toe. Physical and emotional imbalances related to the stomach meridian disharmony are digestive and stomach problems, abdominal pain, soreness in any of the areas the meridian passes through together with anxiety, worry, skepticism, poor confidence, or mistrust.

The Chinese Five Elements. Along with the meridian system, the five natural elements are deeply woven into the fabric of the Chinese Medicine. These are metal, water, wood, fire, and earth

We see these elements not only throughout nature, but they are also reflected within your bodies. Everyone has these five elements, though they can be arranged slightly differently depending on the person. Not only that, but these elements are also each associated with your organ/meridian systems, emotions, and even the seasons. They are used in the Chinese Medicine to diagnose disease and the resulting treatment plan will either emphasize a weak element or sedate an excessive element to restore harmony and balance in the body. Metal Known for its balance and justice, the metal element corresponds to autumn, the lungs, and the large intestine. As metal is heavy and condensed it is known for its stillness and slowness. During the autumn plants begin to draw their nutrients inward so that they can survive the coming months. During this process, the leaves fade away with a brilliant color. In the same way, metal is tied with coming and going and the end of cycles. Metal is also tied to rhythmic breathing from the lungs and the excretory function tied to the large intestine. Your lungs transform the air you breathe into oxygen to fuel the entire body. In traditional Chinese medicine, they are also related to the emotion of grief and are connected with the nose, skin, body hair, sweat glands, and immune system. Meanwhile, the large intestine eliminates waste and toxins from your bodies, allowing us to function at your best. As metal is tied to autumn, it isn’t surprising that this is the time of year when people experience the flu, colds, allergies, depression, skin conditions, bowel upsets, and anxiety. The metal element, autumn, the lungs, and the large intestines are all about transformation. This understanding is important for Yin yoga, as life is always changing, and you must learn to let go and go with the flow. Just as precious minerals and metal can be refined and transformed into something amazing, so too can you. If you dedicate the time to your full well-being with Yin yoga you can become something more amazing and precious than ever before. Water

The water element is tied to the ice-cold and darkness of winter when life is resting and waiting so that it can be better nourished in the future. The kidneys and the bladder are both associated with the water element, with the kidneys being an especially important organ as they represent both Yin and Yang. These two bean-shaped organs hold your essence, known as Jing as I already described, which was given to you by your parents at the moment of conception. They also hold your vitality and bless us with the desire to grow gracefully. The kidneys are associated with the emotion of fear and virtue of wisdom. The water element contains both courage and will. Just as water can be soft enough to swim through or applied with enough pressure to cut diamonds, with the water element we are able to push past adversity to truly flourish in all circumstances of life. Just as water can be transformed into any shape, you too can recreate yourselves by shifting and yielding with the fluidity of water. This can be seen as you read this very book, as you are attempting to recreate yourself by gaining new knowledge, understanding, and enlightenment for better wellbeing. When you push yourselves and overwork yourselves causing burnout and exhaustion it affects your water element and the kidneys, draining these organs of your essence and vitality. Since the water element is what keeps your joints healthy, this can result in joint injuries, stiffness, and pain. Other symptoms of this burnout of your water element can include forgetfulness, fear, depression, sleep difficulties, addiction, sexual disturbances, and a loss of the zest for life. Wood The wood element is fittingly tied to the season of spring when all the plants are growing and flourishing. But, it is also connected with the liver, gallbladder, imagination, vision, and dreams. Just like the seasons come and go out in nature, they do within your bodies, as well. I am sure you can look back on your life and notice times when you were full of vibrancy and energy and other times when you moved slower and needed more rest. This is the body’s natural seasonal cycle, which you see plainly mirrored throughout nature.

The liver not only helps us to filter toxins from the body, it also promotes a balanced flow of energy, helps us turn our visions and ideas into actions, and it is tied to the virtue of forgiveness and the emotion of anger. But, when you allow your energies to become blocked you experience negative side effects as a result. A blockage in the liver can lead to symptoms of PMS, headaches, depression, and an inability to handle change. You can better express your qualities of the wood element by focusing on forgiveness and adaption to change. Just as trees send their roots deep into the ground so that they can withstand future winds and chills, you too can prepare yourselves with Yin yoga to withstand the difficulties of your own futures. Fire Fire is hot and vibrant, and it is paired with the season of summer, the heart, and the small intestine. It is fitting that something as passionate as fire is paired with the heart, which is much more than an organ to pump blood. Science is still to this day discovering much about the human heart, but it is beginning to understand that highly complex with its own brain-like processing center. This organ commonly experiences energy blocks, resulting in heart disease being the number one killer. The season of summer is one of vibrancy and abundance when all of nature is maturing and at the height of its life. Appropriately, the emotion tied to this element is joy. You must learn to embrace your joy and live with a vibrancy of life that rivals that of summer and fire. Yes, Yin yoga practices yielding and gentleness, but Yin can not exist without Yang. We can’t mistakenly try to live a completely Yin life, just as life made up of too much Yang isn’t healthy neither is one with too much Yin. While you can practice Yin yoga and Yin actions throughout your lives, we must not forget to balance it with the Yang, which includes joy. Earth The earth element represents late summer or the transitional phase between seasons. It also relates to the spleen/pancreas and the stomach. These organs work hard to digest your food and distribute the nutrients throughout the body for fuel. They give us the ability to manage our day to day lives

accomplishing our goals. Psychologically, these organs help us to digest all of our emotions and experiences so that we can utilize them to create. Just as the time between the seasons is a time of transformation, so too are these organs transformational. They take raw materials, turn them into nutrients, and then use these nutrients to make your cells the best that they can be. Earth is a mother to us all, and just like a mother she nurtures and nourishes us, as the transformational season of earth allows you to draw in and recenter within yourselves, allowing your life energy to nourish you in the same way that food fuels your cells. This is also the reason as the emotion-related with it is sympathy, as it promotes you to have the same sympathy as a mother would for her children. With your earth balance you can notice your life force depletes, affecting you on every level. You may experience eating disorders, digestive disturbances, obsessive thoughts, and caring too much about others and not enough about yourself. These are all a result of losing your center. Losing your center can affect every aspect of life. Thankfully, Yin yoga and meditation both put an emphasis on enlightenment and finding yourself. By bringing your mind back to your body you will be able to heal and nourish yourself once again.

Chapter 2 The Science and Benefits of Yin Yoga. A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms. Zen Shin It’s normal to seek logic and scientific understanding when you are taking up a practice to better your health. While yoga can help physically, mentally, and spiritually, where is the proof? In this chapter, we will focus on a scientific basis related to the Yin yoga practice. Yin yoga doesn’t focus on building muscular strength. Instead, it works on stretching the connective tissues to make them stronger and more flexible. But, many people know very little about their connective tissues and how they work. First, while we have many types of connective tissue, we have three main types, including: Loose Connective Tissue This form of tissue holds the organs in their proper place while also connecting with the underlying epithelial tissue that covers the body, lines all cavities, and composes the glands. Dense Connective Tissue Ligaments and tendons are made of dense connective tissue that connects the bones together at the joints and attaches muscles. Specialized Connective Tissue This includes a number of specialized tissues and components, such as bone, cartilage, adipose, blood, and lymph. Your connective tissues work to bind together and connect your other tissues. While epithelial tissues have densely packed cells, the connective tissue is different. Instead, it is made up of fibrous proteins and glycoproteins that are attached to the membrane. The three main components of connective tissue

include cells, the ground substance and the fibers. Let’s have a look at the last two components. The ground substance is a gel-like substance in the extracellular space primarily composed of water, hyaluronic acid and some other components that works as a fluid material that keeps the fibers and cells suspended within their own set tissue type. Both connective tissue fibers and ground substance are created by cells known as fibroblasts, that secret three main types of fibers: Collagenous Fibers: These are made up of coils of collagen molecules forming fibril bundles. They strengthen connective tissue. Elastic Fibers: These are stretchable fibers made with the protein elastin. They make your connective tissues flexible and elastic. Reticular Fibers: These join connective tissue to other tissues. Connective tissue gives us the flexibility, strength, and support needed to hold our internal organs, lymph vessels, blood vessels, and nerves. It is also important to mention the dense connective tissue, which makes up your ligaments and tendons that help to attach your muscles and bones together and form a part of your joints. Unlike loose connective tissue, that is made with a weave-like composition with constituent fibers that are loosely organized, leaving large spaces in between, the dense connective tissue is made with closely-packed collagenous fibers. However, like loose connective tissue, the dense variety is used to protect some of your organs as well, namely the liver and kidneys. As you can see, we have these connective tissues all throughout your body. They are not only beneath your skin, but they also surrounding your organs, bones, joints, and move. They are constantly holding us up and holding us together. The specific connective tissues that work together to do this job are known as fascia.

Your fascia and fibroblasts (the cells that produce connective tissue) are just as alive and active as we are. But, as we age, become inactive, and become sick with disease these tissues and cells also age, resorting in fewer fibroblasts to do their job. When this happens, your fascia becomes matted, clotted, and tangled together. Your fibroblasts can no longer replicate the same amount of young connective tissue they once did, leading to the fibers that make up your fascia becoming old and worn out. In fact, the wrinkles that form, joints that stiffen, and limbs that weaken from old age are all a side effect of not enough fibroblasts leading to worn out connective tissues. Thankfully, while we can’t stop aging, we can greatly reduce aging by increasing your fibroblast production and creating younger and healthier connective tissues. Yin yoga seeks to give back to the fascia by exercising them and allowing them to get the strength and balance they need to increase flexibility and decrease injury. You may go to the gym every day of the week, but you still won’t be giving your fascia the care or exercises it needs. This most exercise makes use of movement to strengthen your muscles. But, while the muscles may benefit from rhythmic movement, your fascia only gets to stretch and exercise by having traction applied – a stress that is applied to the tissue and is left. Thankfully, when you practice Yin yoga your fascia is naturally receiving this traction and lengthens as it stretches. As you stay still in the pose the traction applies beneficial stress to the tissue, causing it to strengthen and increase in flexibility over time. You can not get this same benefit from other exercises, even other forms of yoga. This is because the fascia slowly lengthens, meaning it will only occur when you are practicing a long-held pose for a few minutes, as you do with Yin yoga. Not only do the stretches of Yin yoga helps to exercise your fascia, but it is also good for your fibroblasts! This is because studies have found that the Yin yoga poses, which stretch and hold the connective tissues, increase the production of fibroblasts. The increase of fibroblasts then causes an increase in collagen, elastin and other components of your connective tissue, leading to both younger fascia and skin along with whole-body healing.

The same way that long-held pose increases fibroblast production, it also increases the production of hyaluronic acid and synovial fluid. This is important, as hyaluronic acid is found in the skin and is used to increase hydration, and synovial fluid is found in the cavities of your joints to reduce friction, injury, and pain. When you stretch, compress, and squeeze the fascia tissue as occurs in Yin yoga it causes the metabolism to stimulate the supply of fluid in your tissues. First, when you squeeze the tissues it pushes out the old fluid (including hyaluronic acid) in your tissues, and then when you release the pose it causes fresh clean fluid to rush back into the cells, hydrating them better than they were before. This process also causes disease and inflammation-causing free radicals to be pushed out of your tissues.

The Sympathetic/Parasympathetic System. As we have mentioned, there are examples of Yin and Yang throughout all of nature, including in your own bodies. One of the best examples of how YinYang work within the human body is the sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous systems. These are two branches of your nervous systems that control automatic operations of bodily components, such as breathing, blinking, and more. Yin/Parasympathetic Nervous System Includes: Pupils constrict Bronchial tubes constrict Stimulates salivation Stimulate digestion Slows heart rate Stimulates bile release Constricts bladder Yang/Sympathetic Nervous System Includes: Pupils dilate Bronchial tubes dilate Inhibits salivation Inhibits digestion

Accelerates heart rate Stimulates glucose release Relaxes bladder As you can see, the parasympathetic goes along with Yin to slow everything down, whereas the Yang of the sympathetic system speeds everything up. With the two working in harmony, your body can maintain an ideal balance. The sympathetic nervous system, or SNS, is in control of the body’s natural fight-flight-freeze response This response is activated whenever a person is stressed, anxious, or in fear. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) both release hormones to control this fight-flight-freeze response. For instance, the SNS releases the hormones norepinephrine, epinephrine, and catecholamines to increase the body’s heart rate. On the other hand, the PNS, which is essentially a rest and digest system, releases the hormone acetylcholine, which is used to reduce the heart’s rate. When the SNS activates the fight-flight-freeze response it provides the human body with all we need to actively respond to any threat that might face us, whether that means we fight, run away, or freeze in place. Then, once we have achieved the safety made possible by the SNS, the PNS allows us to once again gain peace by producing calming hormones that allow the body to rest, renew, and repair itself. In my first book, The Key to Happiness , I discuss in-depth how the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are both impacted by meditation. You can learn all about the scientifically-proven benefits of meditation there. Continue reading the next chapter, as well, to learn all about how deep breathing and breathing exercises as a part of Yin yoga can affect and improve the functioning of your sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Working alongside your sympathetic and parasympathetic systems is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, known more simply as the HPA axis. This axis is responsible for the central stress response, as it connects the central nervous system and the endocrine system.

The HPA axis works in a straightforward way of managing the neurological and endocrine systems to activate the fight-flight-freeze response we have been discussing, also known as the stress response. When the fight-flight-freeze response is activated there is a release of corticotropin-releasing hormone, known as CRH. When the CRH hormone binds to receptors in the pituitary gland, it releases the ACTH (adrenocorticotropic) hormone. This hormone then binds to the adrenal cortex, stimulating the release of cortisol from the adrenals. After a stressful event, in which the fight-flight-freeze response is activated, cortisol is continuously released throughout the body for several hours. The HPA axis also prompts the release of noradrenaline and epinephrine, as needed. These hormones are activated through the fight-flight-freeze response, but they play a role in many of the body’s natural systems beyond what we directly need in times of danger. For instance, the blood supply is reduced to the digestive tract, stopping the digestion process. Simultaneously, blood flow is increased to your muscles so that they can move more quickly and effectively. We begin to breathe harder and the heart begins to pump harder to help increase oxygen supply. Through the hormones affecting the body in this way, we are able to safely get away from any life-threatening danger. This means that because digesting food isn’t vital on the to-do list when your life is at risk, these hormones put that action on hold so that it can put all of its effort in the places that are most likely to get it to safety. This is important, without this system we could never react to dangerous situations at a moment’s notice. Yet, no system is completely perfect. Yes, the fight-flight-freeze response is essential for survival, but it also activates when we aren’t in life-threatening danger. Have you ever been cut off in traffic? Spilled coffee on yourself early in the morning? Maybe you’ve been startled by a barking dog? I’m sure you’ve at the very least been stressed before an important test for school or work. All of these and more can falsely set off your stress response, causing hormones to release in your body along with the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. The result? Simply due to a little unmanaged stress your body stops digesting and burning calories, you experience difficulty thinking as the blood flow redirects itself to your muscles, your heart begins to race, and more!

When you frequently experience stress or anxiety, your body is sent through a constant roller coaster of the fight-flight-freeze response. This takes a big toll on the health, as it causes cortisol and epinephrine of being chronically high, and can even cause health problems. For instance, a person may begin to suffer from heart disease or obesity, directly as a result of an overactive stress response. Therefore, it is imperative that we break this cycle of stress to prevent the fight-flight-freeze response from taking over when it shouldn’t. After all, while it is an important aspect of human health in certain situations (such as in life-or-death situations) it is not healthy in excess. Yoga is able to directly activate your parasympathetic system, helping to keep us healthy. As you now know, we want to activate the PNS, but how do we do that with yoga? Yin yoga focuses on sitting and being still as we consciously breathe and allow the connective tissues to lengthen. This process of simply being still and breathing naturally activates the parasympathetic system, as the very purpose of the system is to promote rest. This is scientifically proven. But, if you don’t believe me, try it out yourself. Wherever you are at the moment try sitting completely still. As you do this focus on breathing deeply and slowly. While you breathe try to focus on feeling the breath deeper and deeper in your body as you breathe in before you exhale. Pause slightly between your inhale and exhale. Feel any different? Most likely you felt any tension in your forehead melt away and your brain is feeling slightly more relaxed. This is because after sitting still for the span of only some breaths you have already activated your parasympathetic system. While any form of yoga can activate the PNS, the effect is much more pronounced in Yin yoga when you are not moving your muscles and are just sitting in stillness. All About GABA, Serotonin and Dopamine. GABA, also known as gamma-aminobutyric acid, is a form of amino acid that is naturally produced in the human brain. There are many important uses for this amino acid, as it functions as a neurotransmitter, therefore allowing the brain’s neurons to communicate with one another.

If you were to categorize neurotransmitters as Yin and Yang, then GABA would be under the Yin category. This is because GABA’s main goal is to reduce the amount of activity and stimulus communicated between the brain cells and the central nervous system. Some of the effects of this are reduced mental and physical stress, increased peace, reduced pain, balanced mood, and better sleep. It even impacts your muscle tone. While other transmitters work as Yang making the brain wake up and get going, the Yin GABA makes it calm down and rest. GABA also plays a role in other systems of the body, such as the endocrine, immune, and digestive systems. For instance, for the digestive system, GABA affects both hunger and the metabolism of calories. There is still much to be learned about GABA and new research is always being released. Recently, it was discovered that GABA affects gastrointestinal motility, inflammation, and hormone regulation. Not only is GABA found in the brain, but it is also found naturally within your food. For instance, it can be found in tea and fermented foods. Other foods, such as grains and beans, help increase GABA production within the body. This helps to show that many aspects of your lifestyle can affect the GABA balance within your bodies. You don’t have to simply accept that you have a certain amount of this neurotransmitter and let it be. Instead, you can work on actively increasing your GABA production. There are many symptoms of low GABA, but a few of note include: Anxiety Chronic stress Depression Insomnia Muscle pain Headaches Difficulty concentrating Memory problems Substance abuse When it comes to sleep, GABA is incredibly important. It is this

neurotransmitter that allows the body to not only relax but also to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. When a person has low GABA it has been proven that they frequently struggle with both insomnia and frequent waking throughout the night. In one scientific study, it was found that people with insomnia also presented with GABA levels thirty percent lower than the control group. The study also found that GABA levels corresponded to sleep quality. This means that the lower a person’s GABA the worse their insomnia will get. The reason many prescription sleep aids help is because they target the GABA system in the brain to artificially activate it. But, as these medications are attempting to alter GABA activity rather than simply increasing GABA production, they come with a long list of side effects. These sleep aids can become addictive, cause headaches, and can even cause hallucinations! While GABA has many roles, one of its largest is to calm the brain from stress and anxiety. But, in your fast-paced Yang society in which people are always on the go, people are also frequently anxious. It is not uncommon for people to live with stress and anxiety every day of their lives. But, if you increase your GABA production naturally you can lessen this anxiety and stress, allowing yourself to feel at ease, calm, and peaceful. This is good news, as even though there are GABA supplements on the market, there is not yet evidence to support that the supplements can pass the bloodbrain barrier to help with your mental well-being. On the other hand, there are plenty of studies proving that by naturally increasing your body’s own GABA production we can experience the benefits. In a study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, it was found that yoga can significantly and greatly increase GABA production. The study tested participants for twelve weeks, and it found that not only did GABA greatly increase, but anxiety decreased and mood improved in the participants, as well. The researchers believe that this improvement was due to the combination of yoga, deep breathing, and meditation. Another study, this one conducted at Boston University School of Medicine, sought to answer whether or not GABA would increase after a single yoga session. They had participants complete a sixty-minute yoga session, and the results are exciting! After only an hour of doing yoga, the participants

experienced a twenty-seven percent increase in GABA levels. This means that if you are having trouble dealing with life, you can always increase the amount of Yin yoga you are doing to help manage stress. You may usually only practice yoga for thirty minutes a day. But, if you are having a hard week you can make time for an extra thirty minutes to increase your GABA further. Along with GABA, yoga can promote other feel-good hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine. These hormones have long been shown to be vital for not only for relaxation, but also contentedness, happiness, and enjoyment. Deficiency in serotonin is one of the most prominent causes of major longterm depression. Like GABA, serotonin is a neurotransmitter, and in the same way, it can be increased naturally through lifestyle factors. Studies have shown that regular practice of yoga and meditation increase serotonin, leading to increased happiness. In one study, it found that those who practice meditation experience a higher day-to-day baseline of serotonin than the control group, and this serotonin level only increased further after practicing a session of meditation. Other studies have found similar results of yoga increasing serotonin. This means that when Yin yoga and meditation are combined, a person can expect great things. Of course, if you have depression, please do not go off of any medication without talking to your doctor, as this can be dangerous. Some people may still need to take medication even if they practice Yin yoga and meditation. However, the good news is that even if you do need medication, by including Yin yoga and meditation into your daily life you can reduce the likelihood of your depression worsening or breakthrough symptoms that are not controlled by medication. Lastly, the neurotransmitter dopamine focuses on the pleasure-reward system of your brains. When we have balanced dopamine we can feel satisfied, fulfilled, joyful, blissful, and even euphoric. On the other hand, if a person has too little dopamine (common in depression) they can be unmotivated, unfocused, lethargic, and yes, depressed. Thankfully, a study published in Cognitive Brain Research found that by practicing yoga and meditation a person can increase the dopamine production in the brain naturally.

This dopamine will also help give you a reward for doing yoga. Since dopamine focuses on the reward part of the brain, when you do something it

rewards you by making you feel good, happy, and satisfied. This is why dopamine is also called the “I-accomplish something” hormone. It is a chemical reward for not running away from a challenge, you can face a challenge head-on on the mat as well as in your daily life. All in all, if you practice yoga you can increase your GABA, serotonin, and dopamine, all of which are found to help make people happier, healthier, and more satisfied.

Chapter 3 The Power of Breathing. When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath. Hatha Yoga Pradipika Most people are not using their lungs to their full effect. In fact, most people are only using only thirty-three percent of their lungs, a mere third of their full capacity. This is plain to see if you watch a newborn baby breathe, as you can see them breathing with their full might making their backs, chests, and stomachs move in the process. While most of us don’t use your lungs to their full effect, they have a big job! After all, it is your lungs that are responsible for delivering oxygen to the bloodstream, where it is then delivered to each and every cell in the body. Close your eyes and inhale and you can feel your diaphragm as your lungs take in their oxygen. However, if you are continuously not using your lungs to their effect, like most people, you will develop air buildup in them. This air reduces the room the diaphragm has to contract. The end result is that you are now breathing in too swallowing, as the lungs can no longer take in the amount of oxygen they truly need to and leading to less oxygen being delivered to your cells. A person may even develop muscle fatigue and pain as a result. On the other hand, deep breathing pushes out excess hair from the lungs, increases functionality, and even boosts the lung’s capacity. When a person has practiced and learned how to breathe deeply well, they can learn to make full use of their diaphragm, allowing them to breathe so deeply that they clear out toxins from the lungs and increase oxygen to the blood supply. This oxygen increase is ideal for exercise, sports, or anyone who hopes to use their body at its highest ability. In this chapter, we will discuss the many benefits that you have to gain if you fully utilize your power of breathing. Your lungs are full of blood vessels, but did you know that these vessels collect the most in the very bottom of your lungs? But, when you have air pockets in your lungs or breathe shallowly you can’t make use of the densest

vessels. When you take a slow deep breathe it allows your lungs to fully expand, pushing out any air pockets and fully inflating the lungs. When this happens, the hemoglobin, which is the red cells within your blood, attracts the oxygen molecules. A single red blood cell can attract up to four molecules of oxygen. Yet, if you breathe quick short breaths, rather than long deep breaths, you are not giving the red blood cells the time they need to attract their full carrying capacity of oxygen, the hemoglobin cells don’t attract their full compliment of oxygen. When you do this, your heart is having to work much harder in order to supply your cells with enough oxygen, therefore putting more long-term strain on your heart. With heart disease being the number one killer of both men and women, we all should seek to improve our heart health and put less of a burden on it. Thankfully, the longer you keep the air in your lungs, and therefore the slower you breathe, the more time the red blood cells have to collect oxygen. This means not only your heart doesn’t have to work as hard, but your whole respiratory system experiences the same benefit. Remember the HPA axis that you learned about in the previous chapter? When we breathe slowly and deeply this axis turns off, also signaling the Yin of the parasympathetic system so that the fight-flight-freeze response to shuts down. When you are able to stop this stress response, it has many benefits. Not only because long-term stress is damaging to the body, but also because during the stress response your blood flow is pushed largely to your muscles. But, when you stop this response the blood flows back to your organs and brain so that they can function at their best, allowing you to better digest food, burn calories, think more clearly, store memories more effectively, and more. The serotonin, which we mentioned in the previous chapter, is also impeded by cortisol (the stress hormone). When this happens, people are unable to sleep at night. If you ever spend time laying in bed and your brain just won’t stop thinking, then you know what this feels like. But, if you can decrease cortisol not only the stress will melt away, but your happiness will also increase as serotonin increases. As you can see, the simple act of slowing down your breaths can make your respiratory system run more effectively, your heart runs more efficiently, your digestion will run more smoothly, you will burn more calories, think

more clearly, sleep better, and more. It is as simple as breathing with more awareness and intention. Before we get into my favorite breathing technique, let’s first look at a list of deep breathing benefits. These will encourage you as you try out the following breathing method. 1. Increase Energy. Oxygen is the resource your cells most require. After all, we can survive weeks without food and days without water, but only a handful of minutes without oxygen. By increasing your oxygen supply through breathing deeply you can also increase the fuel your cells have, thereby increasing your energy. 2. Strengthen the Lymphatic System. The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs as thymus, spleen and lymph nodes, that help rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials. It relies on muscle movement, gravity, and breathing to maintain function and cleanse the body. In this way, deep breathing can help protect the body from toxins, bacteria, viruses, and other threats. In 1979 a prominent lymphologist, Dr. Jack Shields, conducted a study on deep diaphragmatic breathing and the lymphatic system. This study revealed that deep abdominal breathing causes the lungs to push into the portion of the thoracic duct that has already been purified by the lymph nodes. This causes the duct to press fluid back where it belongs to the bloodstream. It may seem insignificant, but by doing this it takes the pressure off of millions of valves throughout the entire lymphatic system, resulting in a greater elimination of toxins. 3. Release Muscle Tension. When you are stressed, angry, or in pain, your breaths become more shallow and your muscles contract. This is a classic picture of the sympathetic system at work. But, when we activate the parasympathetic system through deep breathing your muscles are able to release their tension, and in the process release any pain they were holding onto. You will find this especially beneficial for the muscles around the neck and shoulders, which are some that take the brunt of the constriction when stressed. 4. Improved Cardiovascular Health.

Not only does deep breathing take extra work off of the heart, but it also helps to massage this vital organ. When your breathing is full and deep, the diaphragm moves through its entire range, massaging the liver, stomach, and other organs and tissues when it moves downward, and massaging the heart when it moves upward. To better understand the benefit the heart gets from a deep and slow breathing, it is necessary to have a sneak peak at the vagus nerve and the cardiac-vagal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in your body that connects your brain to other organs throughout the body, as intestines, stomach, lungs and heart that is the organ we are focusing more on. Increasing your vagal tone activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and having higher vagal tone means that your body can easily and faster relax after a stress. BRS is a measure of the heart's capacity to efficiently alter and regulate blood pressure in accordance with the requirements of a given situation. So a high degree of BRS is thus a good marker of cardiac health. Now a study published on US National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health showed that a reduced breathing rate, hovering around 6 breaths over the course of a minute, can increase vagal activation leading to reduction in sympathetic activation, increases cardiac-vagal baroreflex sensitivity, and increases parasympathetic activation. All those positive effects are tied to stress and anxiety reduction, mental and physical wellbeing as an improved cardiovascular health. If you want to take care of your heart, you need to start breathing more deeply. 5. Prolonged Aging. Everyone will be happy to hear that deep breathing can literally prolong aging. How it this possible? It is simply your body doing what it is designed to do. While your cells naturally decay over time and there is nothing you can do to stop the process, you can slow it down. A Harvard Medical School study found that people who meditate and practice deep breathing daily for four years have younger cells. Specifically, your cells have protective caps on them known as telomeres. Telomeres are a caps of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that protect your cells from aging. Long telomere lengths are related to greater

longevity, while shorter lengths are linked to a weakened immune system and to aging diseases such as cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Now as a person ages, the telomeres become shorter and, as I mentioned above, short telomere length, as well as low telomeres activity, has been associated with psychological, chronic and life stress in a number of studies. The study found that the people who practiced meditation and deep breathing had longer telomeres than the control group. Long telomeres length, now you know that, is related to longevity. Now that you are looking forward to utilizing the power of your breath, let’s look at my favorite deep breathing exercise!

Ujjayi, Ocean Breath. A powerful tool to help engage your full breathing capabilities is Ujjayi Pranayama, or Ujjayi for short. It translates as “ocean breath”. You can make use of this breathing technique as you practice your Yin yoga, or any other time of the day as well, as it makes it impossible to breathe quickly. When you use the Ujjayi method your breathing naturally slows its pace down, and have you now know, that will allow the breath to fill your lungs completely, slowing your heart rate, and increasing the oxygen supply to the bloodstream. With the Ujjayi method, you use your diaphragm to its full effect. As you breathe in the diaphragm, that large dome-shaped muscle directly under the lungs, contracts. By contracting a vacuum is created, letting air rush into the lungs. And then, when you breathe out the diaphragm relaxes, pushing on the lungs and allowing the air to release. When you breathe in air you are letting in both oxygen and carbon dioxide. The blood vessels attract the molecules of oxygen and once they are done you exhale to release the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Ideally, you want to collect as much oxygen as you can before releasing your breath. With Ujjayi you not only collect a large amount of oxygen, but you also get what is known as a full exchange. This means that your lungs carry all of the oxygen into the blood vessels and lets out all of the carbon dioxide, without excess

oxygen left over. Unsurprisingly, this breathing method can help to slow down the heart rate and stabilize blood pressure. This is good news for anyone, but especially those with heart disease and high blood pressure. The muscles love a good massage, and not only because it feels good, but also because it has health benefits. Whenever your muscles get a massage it causes all the old blood to flow out, allowing fresh clean blood to flow in. The same is true of your organs. They love a massage, but is that possible? Well, as you learned earlier, you can massage your organs with Yin yoga. But, this is not the only way. You can also massage your organs by simply practicing deep abdominal breathing. This is because your diaphragm is such a large muscle that it pushes on your stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, and other organs as you breathe. The deeper you breathe the better you massage and care for your organs. When you are in a deep meditative state your breaths naturally begin to slow and deepen. This means that you are simultaneously benefiting from the enhanced parasympathetic system, a stop to the fight-flight-freeze response, increased energy levels, reduced inflammation, and pain, detoxification of carbon dioxide through the lymphatic system, improved digestion, increased blood flow, improved brain processing and memory retention, and more. Before long you will be experiencing a long list of physical, mental, and emotional benefits just by taking up Ujjayi. While there are many breathing techniques to be used during meditation, Ujjayi isn’t one of them. This method is specifically for using during sessions of yoga or Pranayama. When Ujjayi is done properly, then your breathing should be both energized and relaxed. It is the perfect combination of Yin and Yang. There are a few easy steps to start practicing Ujjayi: First, seal your lips and then begin to breathe in and out through your nose. Now, take in a breath through your nose that is slightly deeper than usual. Lastly, exhale through your nose slowly as you constrict the muscles in the back of your throat.

There should be a distinct sound made when Ujjayi is done correctly. This sound is caused by gently constricting the muscles at the opening of your throat in order to create a certain level of resistance as the air passes through. By gently pulling the air in and then gently pushing it out you create a soothing and well-modulated sound that can be compared to the sound of ocean waves on the beach. If you have trouble getting your breathing just right, then it may be as simple as the effort you apply to your breaths. Remember, this is meant to be a relaxing form of breathing with long and slow breaths. A small amount of effort is needed to produce a calming and soothing sound, but if you use too much effort it will only result in a grating sound that resembles gasping. When practicing your inhalations, try to focus on breaths that are unforced or hurried while creating a soothing sound. It is best to do this practice while sitting in a cross-legged position, and then you can begin to use it during your Yin yoga practice as you get the hang of it. Once you get the hang of Ujjayi you can begin to practice it in some other easy pose. Then, after you can do it well in the easier poses you can work on doing it in a more difficult pose.

Chapter 4 Yoga and Joint Health. Be still! Be quiet! Find acquaintance with silence. Go inside, delve into your heart. Take a day off from the clamor. Rumi The joints are a location, a joining, they are the place in which two bones connect. These joints can be immovable, such as where the bones of your skull connect or like where the six bones that make up your pelvis meet together. However, more frequently we categorize joints as slightly or fully movable. This includes joints such as many joints within the spine, the three in the wrist, or even the larger single joints like your hips, knees, elbows, and shoulders. We will mainly be discussing movable joints in this chapter, although we will discuss bone health in general near the end of the chapter. First, we need to look at the anatomy of a joint. Just because a joint is two bones connecting doesn’t mean there isn’t anything else making up your joints. Your joints are not merely two bones poking and prodding each other. Instead, they have components to help connect them, so that your body can work as a fully mobile unit. Along with the bones, your joints are also made up of tendons connecting the muscle to bone, ligaments to connect the bones together, cartilage to help cushion the bones and prevent them from grinding up on each other, and synovial fluid. The purpose of this fluid is to act as lubrication so that your joints don’t create friction, get stuck, or cause damage to any of the components. When a joint is healthy all of its components work in harmony with a full range of movement. This results in a perfect slide between the adjoining bones in which the pressure is evenly distributed to prevent injury. Usually, there won’t be pain, as there isn’t excess cartilage fragments and it has the proper amount of synovial fluid. On the other hand, if a joint is unhealthy is really frequently result in pain. What causes a joint to be unhealthy? If any single component of the joint is not properly working it is a problem. This means if there is too little synovial fluid, if there are excessive cartilage fragments, if a ligament or tendon

develops a tear, or if the bones themselves are damaged. One of the most common causes of joint damage is osteoarthritis. This is a degenerative disease of the joint where the cartilage in the joints begins to wear and break down, causing the bones to grind together with friction. The result is pain, inflammation, and a loss of motion.

Contracture. Even people without osteoarthritis experience damage and pain in their joints. One common example of this is when people experience contracture, which is when the joint loses mobility, it is a shrink wrapping of the joints. There are many potential causes of this condition, such as illness, cartilage or ligament damage, muscle atrophy, and nerve damage. One of the most common causes of contracture is a problem in the ligaments of your joints. As we go about life we can develop tiny microscopic tears in your ligaments. These tears are so small that they aren’t even visible on the strongest of magnetic imaging scans. All the while, these microscopic tears still cause small wounds that must be healed by adding in new ligament tissue where it is missing, in much the same way that you might add in a missing piece on a puzzle. It has long been known that your ligaments function by healing in this way. But, it for a long time it was a mystery why your ligaments don’t end up too long if they form tears, fill with more ligament tissue, and repeat. After all, if you stretched a piece of saltwater taffy and every time it tore added in more taffy you would have an ever-growing taffy piece. The taffy would simply get longer and longer as it would never stop stretching, tearing, and patching. In search of an answer to this ever puzzling question, Professor Laurence Dahners of the University of North Carolina found the answer. What he found resulted in a groundbreaking discovery. In turns out that the body has a function which works as shrink-wrap, which coats your joints and works on removing any extra ligament material so that they don’t become too long. There is one part that maintains and creates the material for your ligaments and another part that actively removes excessive material. We see this pattern all over the body, there is a similar aspect that works in your bones in which osteoblasts work to create bone tissue while osteoclasts dissolve bone tissue. It is a give and take, once again Yin and Yang.

You can actively witness the examples of this shrink-wrapping ligaments in your own life. Think back on a time when you were injured, maybe you sprained your arm or broke your foot. You were likely put in either a cast or a sling for a number of weeks or months. When it comes to time to take the sling or cast off you find that your arm or leg don’t move as easily as it once did. Now, your joint is moving more slowly and it feels stiff; it might even “freeze” in place stuck for a moment. This is because as you were not stretching and using your ligaments the body naturally took away what it saw as excess material that you weren’t using. When it was time to once again resume normal use of your limb you felt the lacking ligament. Thankfully, this is never a problem. Sure, your limb may be stiff for a day or two, but, as you go about usual use of your limb the ligament will stretch and any microscopic tears that form in the process will be filled in until your ligament is back to its usual length. Of course, some people experience contracture without first developing an injury and having their joints immobilized for a period of weeks. This can happen when you naturally limit your own mobility. For instance, if a person who has practiced yoga daily for years and someone who has never attempted yoga both attempted the same yoga pose or asana, then obviously the person who had never practiced yoga will be much stiffer and less flexible. That person simply will not have the same range as the experienced yoga student. The good news is that you can easily and naturally treat contracture all by practicing Yin style yoga. While the popular Yang yoga can cause injury if a person pushes themselves too far, when Yin yoga is done with the appropriate edge (as we discussed in chapter 1) it will not only prevent injury, it is also more fit for stretching and lengthening the ligaments. While the muscles get their best workout from rapid movements, such as cardio, ligaments get their best workout from still stretching, by applying a traction, which as you know is one of the basic definitions of Yin yoga. In fact, if a person stretches too quickly, as can happen in Yang yoga, it can cause the ligaments to tear too much, resulting in injury, inflammation, and pain. However, as we mentioned in the first chapter, always exit your Yin yoga poses carefully. Because you stretch your ligaments too much, if you quickly move it will disrupt them while they are in a vulnerable state, causing injury. This is why we always stress the importance of slow movements not only entering the pose but exiting the pose, as well.

Fixation. We all hear a snap, crackle, and pop come from your bodies occasionally when we move. While most people know that these can be caused by friction and the release of gas, many people are unaware of the third cause: fixation. Each of your moving joints can also be referred to as synovial joints, meaning they are a joint that contains synovial fluid, as we previously discussed. Sometimes, there will be a bubble of nitrogen that forms in this synovial fluid. When these bubbles release you hear a pop, this is the release of gas that causes popping. Whenever this happens, it will be a while until you can pop the joint again, as there are no more bubbles in it. Friction happens when two surfaces of the joint rub against each other, and it can happen repeatedly in a row without a break in-between. Just as you may press your finger and thumb together to snap, therefore making a sound with friction, a similar reaction can happen within your joint. This happens when tendons, ligaments, or cartilage temporarily becomes stuck, causing it to press together until it can no longer hold and then firmly releasing with friction, causing the same snapping sound within the joint. A good example of this is when a person crackers their own knuckles or a doctor cracks someone’s neck. The final cause, and greatly unknown by many people, is fixation. But, what is fixation? Put simply, it is when two surfaces temporarily become fixed together, it is the temporary joining together of two surfaces. When the two surfaces become unstuck and release, the resulting sound or popping is the creaks and pops we all hear in your own joints from time to time. Often times, the pops you experience when you go into a yoga pose is a result of this fixation. Usually, the resulting pop causes a feel-good pressure release. There are three conditions that must be met in order for fixation to take place: First, both surfaces must be smooth. This means that your bones are the perfect material to become fixed to each other, as they are smooth. It wouldn’t work if they were textured like sand paper. Second, there must be a fluid acting as a lubricant between the two surfaces, just as it happens in our joints. Thirdly, the two surfaces must be under enough pressure to push them together.

Many of us experience fixation in a variety of ways in your everyday lives, and not just within your bodies. For instance, if you are washing dishes you might find that two pieces of silicone become fixed together. This happens because the silicone is a smooth surface, there is water to act as a lubricant, and as you are handling the material you apply the pressure. The two pieces of silicone then become temporarily fixed and must be separated. The same principle carries out in your joints. There are very good reasons for caring to break this fixation. Firstly, it feels good as it releases the pressure between the two bones. But, more importantly, it is not healthy for the bones to maintain fixation for long-term periods. If bones become fixed within the joint and we do not remove the fixation, then the two bones can become fused together. The result would be an immovable joint, that would require surgery to gain use of again. Thankfully, we can prevent this from ever happening by releasing the fixations naturally and easily. When you practice Yin yoga you are moving the joints just further than you usually would, which applies just a bit of pressure to the joint, allowing the fixation to dissipate and the pressure to release.

Chapter 5 What is Limiting Your Range of Motion? The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness. Lao Tzu When we are doing yoga poses it is important to know what specifically is limiting your range of motion if we want to avoid injury. There are two main causes of limited flexibility when practicing poses, which are tension and compression. Tension is when your tissues, such as muscles and ligaments, are stimulated. Think of tension as being the resistance you feel just past where you can comfortably move. For instance, if you try to bend over and touch your toes might find that you start feeling a comfortable resistance while only reaching your shins. It’s possible you could push past this and make yourself touch your toes, but it doesn’t mean you need to, as you could end up injuring yourself if you don’t listen to your body’s signals. In time and with regular practice you will find that you can get closer and closer to touching your toes while still respecting the tension. Compression is when the body’s tissues are pushed or pressed together. When this happens, it can be because the bone is pressing against bone, pinching whichever tissue is unlucky enough to get between the two. When we feel compression, it is important to listen and respect it, as it will not change over time. While flexibility will change your limits with tension, the same is not true with compression. Your bones will stay in the same places, meaning that you aren’t meant to move past that point. A person may experience compression in either Yin or Yang style yoga, and either way should respect the messages it is sending them. Whenever you feel a limit to your range of motion, give yourself a moment to stop and examine what you are feeling. Are you feeling tension or compression? While you can slightly indulge tension, you should avoid the hard pain of compression. However, you can play around with a pose if any compression sensations are mild. For instance, if you want to push yourself a little with the Caterpillar Pose you can widen your legs a little, resulting in a

slight compression of the sacroiliac crest and your legs. But, always avoid hard or painful compression, as it will only cause damage.

The Vipassana Approach. In the next chapter, we will go through nineteen asana (poses) of Yin yoga, with their variations - a total of 51 asanas with photos - and how you can benefit from them. But first, I want to share with you how to get the most out of your yoga practice with what I call the Vipassana approach to the pose. When some people practice yoga, they simply do the stretches with little to no thought. They simply shift from one pose to the next as they follow instructions. But, this was never the way yoga was meant to be intended. Instead, it should be practiced with Vipassana, meaning with the intention to gain insight into its true reality. This is where yoga has its roots going back thousands of years, and there is much to be gained by using Vipassana in your yoga practice still today. By being still and focusing on the pose with intention, you can gain insight into what your body is feeling, what it needs, and react in turn. As the poet T.S. Elliot said, “we become the still point of the turning world”, a point where the dance is but neither arrest nor movement from nor towards, a point where past and future are gathered. In my first book, the Key to Happiness, I discuss how we can also gain this when we practice meditation. But, you can apply Vipassana to not only to meditation, but also yoga and breathing exercises. When you combine all three of these practices with Vipassana you will truly gain all the benefits you are seeking. By the time we are thirty-five, then ninety-five percent of your actions, thoughts, and feelings are all based on a subconscious pattern of your past actions, according to the famed educator and lecturer Joe Dispenza. As a result, only five percent of everything we think, say, and do are affected by intentional choices. What this means is that your past actions end up becoming patterns of your tomorrow, even if they are actions that don’t promote a healthy body, mind, or spirituality. By acting on your patterns we are only repeating past mistakes. Thankfully, we can override this forcefully by making conscious and

intentional choices and effort, because the brain can be altered thanks to neuroplasticity that is the mind's ability to change the brain. The practice of Yin yoga is perfect for teaching us, body and mind, to override this ninety-five percent. After all, with Yin yoga you are focused on slowing down, yielding, and letting go. While the human mind is usually engaged in Yang, where it is always going and always acting, when we adopt practices of Yin we learn to slow down and wait. This allows us to focus less on stress and survival and more on your subconscious mind. Once we finally access this subconscious mind then we have every opportunity in the world, the world become your oyster. With your mind finally working at its full ability and with the capability of altering your subconscious, you can now purposefully rewrite the programming and coding of your brain to newer and healthier habits. You will literally be writing the script of your own life as your own author. If you want to learn more details about the tools we have to rewire our mind, the discovering of neuroscience about the power of meditation and how mind works, read The Key to Happiness, the book I wrote that can bring to you some life-altering implements to gain joy and peace in your life.

Chapter 6 19 Powerful Yin Yoga Poses, Variations, and their Benefits. Yoga takes you into the present moment, the only place where life exists. Patanjali Yin yoga is new to most people, as even those who have practiced yoga in the past have frequently been taught a Yang style. Because of this, you might find yourself having some difficulty when you first begin. This difficulty is not because of how flexible you might not yet be, because you simply have to work with your body without pushing it too far, as we discussed in the previous chapter. The difficulty comes in when you try to take on yin characteristics. Due to our fast-paced lives, we are always on the go. Most likely, if you are not sleeping you are always doing something whether it is work, exercise, or just looking at your phone. We live a very yang-prominent lifestyle. But, if you want to live a healthy and happy life you need to learn how to practice Yin. With Yin yoga, you will need to learn to not only slow down and stop moving but also to let go and listen to your body. Give yourself permission to simply be without doing. Don’t fight with the poses, work with them as you witness how your body reacts, yielding to what your body does. When you are holding your asana and you are still in the pose it is likely that drama and trauma from your life will fill your mind. Don’t let this stop you. Instead, continue to hold the pose. If there is anything you have been running away from it, in that stillness it has the chance to catch up with you. Here is where you don’t have to run away from that but instead developing that warrior courage that it takes to actually be with all that emotions, feelings and sensations that are showing up. It is called the unfinished business of the heart. With that warrior courage you will likely find that all of the unresolved feelings that were stuck in your body and joints melt out of your body, you will take the issue out of the tissue. This is another achievement you obtain by practicing Yin yoga with my Vipassana approach.

When you do something challenging or a little bit difficult and you do not run away from it but you actually breath through it and you move in that growing edge gracefully, the nature rewards you, as seen above in this book, by secreting what it is called the ‘I-accomplish something’ hormone, the dopamine, and you will begin to feel blissful. It takes a tremendous courage to really look at your issues instead of running away, but it is well worth it. On the other hand, don’t push yourself too far into a pose because you are dealing with your thoughts and emotions. Honor and respect your body in each pose, and never allow your ego to write a check your body cannot cash. A few last reminders before you get started: 1. Find an Edge. When finding the appropriate amount of sensation for a Yin yoga pose, look for your Goldilocks place. This means that you want neither too much or too little sensation, it should be just right so that you feel the sensation without pain. Remember that if you feel it you are doing it. 2. Be Still. Lao Tzu, as I mentioned before, explained the importance of simply letting go of yourself and experiencing the world without complex thought. We need to apply this principle to your Yin yoga practice, allowing not only your bodies to still, but your minds, as well. 3. Hold for a While. Yin yoga is a practice of yielding and letting go into the sensations of the pose, observing those sensations arise, lingering for a while, and disappearing. This is what exactly happens to all the transience phenomena in your life. So training to yield and let go on the mat can turn out to be a way to learn to yield and letting go in your life. 4. Release Gently. As you come out of your asana move slowly and use your arms to support. This means you use your arms to support your torso, to push yourself up to a sitting position, and gently move your legs. When you come out of your asana you may at first feel unsteady, shaky, or

uncomfortable. Don’t let this worry you, as these awkward sensations will fade. 5. Tension or Compression. When you do your poses quiet your mind and pay attention to whether the sensations you are feeling are tension or compression. No matter which of these two you are feeling, don’t allow yourself to push yourself so much that it hurts. But, know that you can push tension a little more than compression. 6. Consult a Doctor. You should always consult a doctor before making changes that will affect your health. Be sure to ask your doctor if you can manage yoga.

1. The Butterfly Pose. Figure A Butterfly Pose.

The Butterfly Pose in figure A (Baddha Konasana in Hatha yoga), is a simple yoga Pose done in a seated position. The Butterfly Pose is believed to have developed its origins from the average seated position of Indian Cobblers who sit on the floor to repair shoes by holding them between their feet, hence

the posture. While this pose can be used by anyone, it is frequently used by those seeking to help release abdominal pain by strengthening and opening both the hips and groin. By regularly practicing this pose a person can reduce feelings of pain and heaviness, lessen urinary discomfort, and ease childbirth pain. When practicing this pose be sure that you focus on your breathing. Benefits: Stretch the lower back without demanding loose hamstrings, if the feet are in closer to the groin Reduce menstrual pain and cramps Increase blood flow to the abdominal organs, bladder, ovaries, and prostate gland Boost digestive health and circulation Increase heart health and improve blood circulation Ease childbirth pains Stretch the inner thighs and groins Side effects: This is a simple and mild pose that promotes better posture health. However, if you have a groin, knee, neck or lower back injury or a herniated disc you should ask your doctor before attempting. Getting In and out of the Pose: Begin by sitting with your legs straight out in front of you as you sit on your yoga mat. If you find your groin and hips are tight you can raise your pelvis up onto a blanket. As you exhale bend your knees and then pull your heels inward to your pelvis. Lower your knees out to your sides and gently press together the soles of your feet. Pull your heels toward your pelvis, just as far as you comfortably are able and fold forward, allowing your back to round, lightly holding both of your hands around your ankles or shins. When doing the butterfly pose never force your knees down against the floor, as this will only cause injury. Instead, gently

release the bones of your thighs toward the floor. When you do this, the knees will gently follow. Continue to remain in this pose for one to five minutes. Once done with the pose inhale while you gently lift your knees away from the floor. Extend your legs and resume your regular position. Options: You may also find the Diamond Pose helpful – figure B. With this seated pose you have your legs in front of you with the bottoms of your feet touching each other, directly in front of the groin. However, while the Butterfly Pose has you pull your legs close to the body, with the Diamond pose you have your legs slightly away from your torso. When you look down at your legs you should notice that they form a diamond shape, with the knees being the two pain points of the diamond. Once your legs are in this position you can lean forward with your torso so that it rests on the floor, and allow your arms to drape alongside your torso and head with your arms facing upward. Figure B Diamond Pose

Alternative: Easy Cross Leg Half Butterfly Counter Poses: Knees into Chest Pose: lay down on your back and hug your knees while you rock on your mat; Windshield Wipers Pose: lay down on your back with knees bent, feet flat on floor and arms stretched out to the sides; gently lower your knees to the left side of your body, slowly pull your knees back to the start position and gently lower your knees to the right side of your body. Repeat this action as desired or needed. Reversed Table Pose, to open the hip in the opposite direction: bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor and your hands behind your hips, shoulder-width apart, and turn your fingertips inward so they point toward your toes; press firmly into your hands and feet and lift your hips up toward the ceiling; draw your shoulder blades firmly into your back and lift your chest. Repeat this action as desired or needed. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Liver and kidney meridian channels if the stretch is felt in the inner thighs, especially if the feet are close to the groin. Gallbladder meridian channel, running outside the legs and urinary bladder running along the spine in the lumbar area. Hips and lower spine. Digestive tract, ovaries, and prostate gland. Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.

2. The Caterpillar Pose.

The Caterpillar Pose (front view)

The Caterpillar Pose (side view)

With the caterpillar pose you not only experience strengthening and flexibility to the abdomen and spine, you also are able to massage the deep tissues in these areas. When you hold this pose for a longer duration, these tissues and tendons experience increased blood circulation. In my experience, in this seated pose, nearly anyone can appreciate and be aware about the way the deep tissues and tendons surrounding the entire abdomen and spine are stretched and compressed.

Benefits: Increases flexibility in tight hamstrings and back muscles Massage the stomach, bladder, uterus, kidneys, and gallbladder to relieve pain and discomfort Improves sleep, lowers anxiety and stress, and treats low selfesteem Leads to sex control Side effects: If you have a herniated disc or sciatica be careful with this pose, always use a prop underneath your hips and ask your doctor before attempting. Getting In and out of the Pose: To begin the Caterpillar Pose practice stillness and flow with a steady breath. Start out by sitting on your yoga mat comfortably before stretching out your legs. While you are seated with your spine stretched and extended straight, take a moment and focus on your breathing, allowing your breath to fill your whole body. Inhale and lean your torso forward so that it, eventually, presses against your thighs. Sit still, connecting deeply with your breaths as you allow yourself to feel the stretch of your shoulders, neck, knees, hamstrings and lower back for a few minutes. The longer you stay in this pose the deeper you will massage and stretch the ligaments along your spine, stomach, kidneys, and liver. Remain focused on your stretch, allowing your body to stay relaxed without applying too much pressure on your neck, abdomen, or lower back. When you are done with the Caterpillar Pose gently stretch out your legs and sit down in a neutral position with the palms of your hands placed on the yoga mat behind you. Lean your neck back and allow the spine to relax. Options:

If you have a tight or injured back or hamstring you might try using the wall as a prop to reduce stress on your back during this pose. To do this, lay on the floor with your hips against the wall, allowing the wall to support your legs. You might also try rolling up a small blanket to place under your knees or siting on a small pillow. Adjust the height of the pillow or blanket until you discover the position that allows you to create a slope. This slope will adjust the tilt of the pelvis, thereby reducing the stress placed on your legs. Alternative: Half Shoelace Pose. Half Butterfly Pose. Half Frog Pose. Counter Poses: Reversed Tabletop Pose. Reclined Twist Pose. Windshield Wipers Pose. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Spine, hamstrings, knees, neck, and shoulders. Urinary bladder channel, digestive tract, uterus, and gallbladder. Recommended Hold Times: Three to ten minutes.

3. The Dangling Pose. Figure A Dandling Pose with Legs stretched

Figure B Dandling Pose with legs slightly bent.

The Dangling Pose utilizes a standing position where the body is folded over at the hips, keeping the spine straight and long. While you keep your neck relaxed and extended your head is pointed downward towards the ground. Meanwhile, your feet are tightly planted on the yoga mat. Legs full stretched as in figure A or, in presence of sciatica or stiff hamstrings, slightly bent as in figure B. By doing this pose you can stimulate the liver and kidneys, stretch the hamstrings, and strengthen your thighs and knees. You can also relieve stress and moderate depression, reduce symptoms of menopause, treat

headaches, and improve digestion. Benefits: Reduce menstrual pain and cramps, and treat the symptoms of menopause. Massage and compress abdominal organs. Gently stretch the lower spine while loosening your hamstring. Build diaphragm strength. Strengthen thighs, calves, and knees. Improve digestion. Treat the symptoms insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Side effects: Avoid this pose if you have glaucoma or high blood pressure. If you have lower back injuries then bend your knees more deeply while resting your forearms against your thighs with a straight spine. If you have low blood pressure be sure to lower down into your squat rather than rolling up when coming out of this pose. Pregnant woman should avoid this pose. Getting In and out of the Pose: 1. Stand on your yoga mat with your feet firmly planted directly beneath your hips. 2. Deeply inhale and then as you release the breath bend forward at your hips. Allow your upper body to go downward as you bend, bringing your abdomen close to your legs, complete your exhalation. Your head should be floppy and your forehead should be near your knees. Your palms on the floor near your feet or you can clasp the elbows with the opposite hands. 3. Allowing yourself to deeply feel the stretch of the muscles and tendons in your hamstrings, shoulders and neck. 4. Deeply inhale and lift your head, raising your arms and bringing

your body back up to an upright standing position. 5. Take a few deep breaths and then repeat the pose, feeling the stretch even more deeply this time and holding it a little longer. Options: If struggling to do this pose you can place your feet a short distance from the wall and then allow your hips to rest against the wall. If you want to do this pose for longer than two minutes, then do multiple sessions of the pose rather than lengthening the pose duration. Alternative: Snail Pose. Caterpillar Pose. Counter Poses: Squat Pose. Gentle backbend. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Urinary bladder meridian channel because of the stretch along the back of the legs and spine Hamstrings. Spine, neck, and shoulders. Abdominal organs including the bladder, stomach, and uterus. Recommended Hold Times: One to two minutes.

4. The Dragon Pose. In figure A you can see the Dragon Pose, in which you lead forward on your front leg, which is in a kneeling position. Meanwhile, your back leg is stretched out behind you, allowing you to stretch and strengthen your hip flexors and lumbar region. The remaining photos illustrate other variations of the pose you can try.

Figure A Dragon Pose.

This pose is a great way to stretch your hip flexors, ease sciatica pain, strengthen your lumbar region. If you find yourself frequently experiencing lumbar pain from sitting at a desk, then this pose is just for you. There are many variations of this pose, allowing you to try them all and find your favorites. When doing this pose don’t force your body downward. Instead, simply drop your hips and allow your body’s weight to naturally pull your body down towards the yoga mat, allowing the gravity force to take over. Benefits: Ease sciatica pain. Increase mobility in the hip flexors and stretches quadriceps. Side effects: Can be uncomfortable for the kneecap and ankle. In presence of injury ask your doctor before attempting this pose. Getting In and out of the Pose: 1. From a position on all-fours (known as Tabletop), step forward with your left foot placed firmly between your hands. Your left knee should be leveled directly above your heel.

2. Lower your right knee onto the floor, allowing your leg to slide back until you feel a deep stretch in your thigh and right hip. Be sure that you are not placing your weight directly on your kneecap, but instead slightly towards the lower part of your thigh. Press your front foot gently to the floor. 3. Keep your hands on either side of your front foot, on top of blocks, if helpful. If it is possible, you can place the palms of your hands on your top thigh and then lift your chest. This process adds more weight onto your hips while stretching your back. More advanced pose requires having the torso lifted, right hand moves close to the lower back grabbing the left elbow, while left hand is resting on your left thigh as showed in figure A. 4. Once done holding this pose move your back knee forward, tucking your toes and placing the weight on both your hands as you step back into the original tabletop position. 5. Repeat this position with the opposite leg. Options: This pose can get intense, so in the beginning only hold the pose for one to three minutes. If you experience discomfort then try placing a blanket beneath the back of your knees. You may be able to relax more deeply if you frame your front foot with your hands on two blocks. Alterations: Figure B shows the Dragon Flying Low: Place the palms of your hands inside your front foot and slowly walk your hands forward. You might consider placing your elbows on the mat or blocks. Figure B Dragon Fly Low

Figure C shows the Winged Dragon Pose: Rotate your front foot firmly, using it to open your knee to the side as your front foot rolls over to its outside edge. Rest your elbows on the yoga mat or blocks, or walk your hands forward. Figure C Winged Dragon Pose

Figure D shows the Twisted Dragon Pose: Firmly rotate the front foot while carefully pressing the knee out with your homolateral hand. Rotate your chest upward, in the direction of the front bent knee.

Figure D Twisted Dragon Pose

Alternative: Sleeping Swan pose. Saddle pose. Counter Poses: Child’s Pose. Downward Facing Dog Pose. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Stomach, spleen, liver, kidney, and gallbladder meridian channels. Hip flexors, ankles and lumbar spine. Recommended Hold Times: Two to five minutes.

5. The Dragonfly/Straddle Pose. The Dragonfly Pose is a great way to decompress your spine and stretch your

hamstrings and adductors. It is a simple pose, but if you have trouble completing it or if you have sciatica you can always place a pillow or a folded blanket under you as you sit, making it a little easier for beginners and even more comfortable. If your adductors and back are very tight, bending the knees and putting a folded blanket as a support behind the knees will allow those muscles to relax and it will also help you in bending forward. Figure A

Figure B

Benefits: Increase hip flexibility. Stretch the inner thigh, hamstrings, and spine Side effects: This pose may aggravate sciatica. If you have any pain in your knees or below the knees then hold off on this pose. Getting In and out of the Pose: 1. While seated (cushion optional) with your legs stretched outward gently spread them apart. 2. Once your legs are spread, fold forward directly from the hips, allowing your spine to stretch, neck to relax. Place your hands in front of you, even stretched over head if you can as showed in figure A or you can grab your feet as in figure B. 3. You should feel mild sensations along your spine and inner thighs. 4. After a couple minutes in this pose use your hands to push away from the floor and slowly sit upward. Place your hands slightly

behind your back and lean on them in order to release your hips as you pull your legs back together. 5. Sit and feel the effects of this pose for a few minutes before going onto the next pose. Options: Many people find that it is helpful to sit on a cushion or folded blanket during the Dragonfly Pose. You can place bolsters in front of yourself as you do this pose, allowing your upper body and chest to rest against them. If you have a sensitive neck you can place your elbows in front of you on blocks and then place your chin on your hands. In order to ground your hips you can place cushions or bolsters on your thighs. Never place them on your knees, as this can injure the joints. If your feet naturally fall outward or inward while completing this pose, then you can use blocks or folded blanket to keep them facing towards the ceiling. This is not necessary, but will allow you to experience a new sensation. To explore an alternative twisting position you can fold one of your legs, lean towards the extended leg and rotate your chest upward toward the ceiling. Use one hand to support your head and find a comfortable spot to rest your shoulder. Once you complete the pose on one side, repeat it on the other side. If there is pressure in your groin, then you might be helped with the Half Dragonfly Pose. Simply complete the Dragonfly pose and then bring one foot inward in the direction of your groin. If you want, you can bend forward or to the side. Alternative: Butterfly Pose. Frog Pose. Counter Poses:

Windshield Wipers Pose. Reversed Tabletop Pose. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Urinary bladder meridian, liver and kidney channels through the groin, and spleen channel through the inner knees. Gallbladder channel along the torso in the twisting version explained in the options section above. Hips and spine. Hamstrings. Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.

6. The Frog Pose. The Frog Pose is great as it opens the hips while strengthening the lower spine and stretching both the thighs and groin. Not only that, but it also creates a heart space in the shoulders and chest. By opening the hips this pose takes the pressure off of your knees. The Frog Pose

Benefits: Stretch the inner thighs. Lessen menstrual pain and cramps. Improve digestion. Improve circulation to the lower back. Side effects: Be careful of this pose if you have a lower back injury. Avoid your arms going to sleep during this pose. If your arms begin to tingle then spread them out wider. Allow your hands to pillow your forehead if the neck is stiff. Knees can be uncomfortable, so padd them if needed. Getting In and out of the Pose: 1. While on all-fours (tabletop pose) walk both of your knees as far apart from each other as they will comfortably go without pressure. The inside edge of your feet should both be on the ground with your knees bent at a ninety-degree-angle or a little more if you can.

2. Inhale as you stretch your spine by stretching your tailbone and the crown of your head in opposite directions. Feel the sensation of your spine elongating. 3. Deeply exhale and while using your core muscles lower yourself down onto your forearms, ensuring that your elbows are directly beneath your shoulders. 4. Release the tension in your stomach and torso, allowing your hips to draw back and downward. 5. Hold the pose for a few minutes as you practice your breathing. 6. When you are done with the pose, gently bring your feet back together while you use your hands to press away from the floor. Bring your knees back in, one after the other. 7. Rest for a few minutes in Child’s pose before you move onto your next pose. Options: In order to support your upper body you can place a bolster under your chest lengthwise. If your knees are sensitive you can place a folded blanket underneath them. If you extend both of your arms during the pose you can place your cheek down on the mat, switching sides halfway through the pose. There is an easy variation of this pose called the Half Frog Pose: lay on your stomach while you keep one leg straight and the contralateral cheek on the mat. Arms open in a T-shape or cactus shape. Bring the knee of your other leg forward until it is aligned with your hips and you have ninety-degree-angle between leg and thigh and the inside edge of the foot on the ground. Hold this for one to three minutes before repeating it on the other leg. Alternative: Butterfly Pose. Dragonfly Pose.

Child’s Pose. Counter Poses: Windshield Wipers Pose. Lying on the back, grab your knees and move them in circles. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Liver, kidney, and spleen meridian channels, thanks to the inner legs pressure. Lumbar spine, hips and shoulder. Recommended Hold Times: One to five minutes.

7. The Snail Pose. In figure A for the Snail Pose you can see the ideal form, which has a person balanced on their shoulders, with their torso in the air allowing their legs to gracefully bend over their head. The feet are rested on the floor a few feet behind where the head is resting. The arms are braced along the torso to give added support to the spine. Figure A

In figure B you notice the person is doing a similar pose, but with a slight alteration: instead of having their arms bracing their spine, the arms are stretched out upward and to the sides, allowing them to rest. Figure B

In figure C the pose is the same as in figure B, but instead of having the legs bending in a relaxed position over the head, the person has the legs arched

upward for a deeper stretch and increased intensity. Figure C

Lastly, figure D is the same as figure C, except instead of having the arms stretched out gently upward and to the sides, the arms are stretched out behind the torso and the hands are grasping onto each other. Figure D

The Snail pose allows you to get one of the deepest stretches of the spine. It requires great relaxation and concentration, making it one of the more

difficult poses, but very much worthwhile. It’s okay if it takes you some time to adjust to this pose, simply attempt to relax and don’t force it. Benefits: Stretches and releases the spine. Massages the abdominal organs, improving bladder health. Side effects: Avoid this pose if you are pregnant, if you have high blood pressure or glaucoma. Ask a doctor before attempting this pose if you have a neck injury. Getting In and out of the Pose: While laying down on your back, push your hips upward and support them with your hands. Relax your stomach so that your spine can round, allowing your feet to gently fall over your head and toward the floor. Pull your shoulder blades together and position them so that they carry most of your body weight. The hands and legs rest in the position chosen among the described above images. You should feel stretching in your spine and neck, and possibly some in your hamstrings. Hold this pose for a few minutes while slowly bringing the hips down further to target different spinal regions. To release this pose, slowly bring your legs down and then lie down still for a few minutes resting your body as you feel the post-stretch sensations. Options: Try placing a folded blanket over your yoga mat to pad your shoulders. Be sure there is not too much pressure in your neck. Balance is more difficult with the Snail pose, try relaxing your belly to allow your spine to better round.

To help with balance, you can ask a partner to hold your feet in place. Alternative: Dangling Pose. Caterpillar Pose. Counter Poses: Reclined Twist Pose. Windshield Wipers Pose. Shavasana Pose. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Urinary bladder meridian channel. Spine. Bladder, stomach, uterus, and other lower abdominal organs. Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.

8. The Saddle Pose. In figure A you can see the traditional Saddle Pose with individual laying on their back with their legs straddled beneath them, and their arms stretched out above their head. In figures B and C you can see two variations on the pose, with a leg either stretched straight outward or with the foot anchored on the floor and the knee pointed in the air, as if kneeling. Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

The Saddle Pose is frequently considered as one of the more challenging Yin yoga poses. However, it offers a deep stretch for the fascia and muscles of your bent leg, together with a great stimulation for ankle and knee joints and compression to the spine, offering increased blood flow to the lumbar region. There are a couple different alterations you can do with this pose to make it more comfortable, such as adjusting the placement of your feet or using a pillow, if you would like. Benefits: Stretch the hip flexors and quadriceps. Increase flexibility of the hips. Knee, ankle and spinal lumbar compression, increasing blood flow. Side effects: Ask a doctor before attempting this pose if you have an ankle, knee, or back injury. Getting In and out of the Pose: 1. On your yoga mat sit either on or between the heels of your feet, depending on whichever is most comfortable for your hips and knees. You can have your knees slightly more open than your hip-width.

2. Slowly lean backwards as far as you can. Find the way that works for you. You may have to support yourself on your hands or your elbows as you lean backwards, or you may be able to lie all the way down. Work with your body doing what it can comfortably manage. You can use a bolster under your spine for support. 3. It’s okay if your knees lift up slightly, if it doesn’t cause discomfort. You can place your arms either over your head or beside you, whichever is most comfortable. 4. You should feel a comfortable compression of your lower spine and knee as well as a stretching/opening feeling in your belly, chest, hip flexors, and quadriceps. 5. After holding your pose for a few minutes use your arms and core muscles to push yourself up. Release your legs from under yourself and lay down on the mat for a few minutes before doing your next pose. Options: 1. You can either sit between your feet or on the heels of your feet. By sitting on your heels you will create a deeper stretch in your back whereas sitting between them increases the stretch in your quadriceps. One or the other will feel more natural for you, depending on your femoral rotation. 2. You can sit on a cushion during this pose to make a deeper stretch in the back easier. Alternative: Seal Pose. Sphinx Pose. Counter Poses: Shavasana Pose. Child’s Pose. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected:

Stomach, kidney and spleen meridian channels. Heart and lungs meridians if your arms are overhead. Hips flexors and quadriceps. Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.

9. The Sphinx Pose. In figure A you see the Sphinx Pose, in which the person is laying on their stomach with their head in the air and their forearms rested to the side so that the palms of their hands are placed on the ground in front of them and the shoulders are over the elbow. Figure A Sphinx Pose

In figure B you see the Seal Pose, a variation of the Sphinx Pose. In this pose the person has their torso elevated higher in the air, thanks to their arms being stretched out in front of them with their palms on the floor. Figure B Seal Pose

In figure C you see the Advanced Seal Pose, where the arms are still stretched out and braced on the floor, but instead of being extended in front of the person they are extended directly downward from the shoulders. This causes the torso to be elevated even higher than in the standard Seal pose. Figure C Advanced Seal Pose

The Sphinx Pose is a classic in Yin yoga, and the perfect way to stretch out your spine, increase flexibility in your hip flexors, and reduce stress. While this pose is simple and can be completed by nearly anyone, those who are pregnant should avoid it.

Benefits: Reduces anxiety and stress, calms the mind. Increases spinal flexibility. Stretches the abdomen, spine, and hip flexors. Side effects: This pose is not recommended for pregnant people. It’s normal to feel a comfortable compression of the spine, but if you feel a sharp or tight pain then ease out of the pose. Getting In and out of the Pose: 1. While laying down on your abdomen place your hands on the yoga mat so that your palms are flat and elbows are aligned directly under your shoulders. 2. Pull your shoulders back from your neck so that your shoulder blades slide down your back. You should feel your breast bone slightly lift in the process. 3. As you breathe feel your breath go deeply in the direction of your abdomen and lower back. 4. Come out of the Sphinx pose by bringing your elbows out to your sides and rest laying on your mat. Options: Get a stronger compression and deeper stretch by pulling your hands slightly closer toward your torso with your arms straight, creating a sharper angle. This is a Seal Pose variation as showed in figure B that can slowly lead you to the Advanced Seal Pose (figure C). Alternative: Using a cushion under the elbows to deepen the pose. Sliding the elbow away from the ribs to reduce compression in the lower back.

Counter Poses: Child Pose. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Urinary bladder and kidney meridian channels. Spine and hip flexors. Adrenal glands through compression.

Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.

10. The Fire Log/Square Pose. In figure A you see the standard Fire Log Pose with the legs overlapped and stacked in front of the individual in seated position. One leg is placed on top of the other in order to simulate a stack of fire logs or a square. The arms are placed directly at the side of the torso with the palms flat on the ground. Figure A Fire Log Pose

In figure B you can see a variation of the Fire Log Pose, where the individual is bent forward over their legs so that their head is resting on the ground. The arms are also stretched forward in front of the individual with their palms

facing upward in the air. Legs can be in Fire Log Pose or in an easy cross. Figure B Fire Log Pose bent forward over legs

In figure C you can see Eye of the Needle, where the individual is laying on their back with the left leg crossed on top of the other so that the left ankle is over the opposite knee, left arm is between the legs and hands are interlaced around the right leg. Figure C Eye of The Needle

With the Fire Log Pose you can stretch out your lumbar region and target your gluts and hips. It is not a simple pose and if you have trouble with your knees not laying down there are steps you can take to make the pose even more simple, such as by placing a cushion between your ankle and your knee or trying Eye of the Needle Pose as in figure C. Benefits: Stretches the lower lumbar region, and groins. Increases hip mobility through a deep external rotation. Massages lower abdominal organs, such as the stomach, uterus, and bladder. Side effects: This pose may worsen sciatica. Avoid it if you have low back injury. Avoid this pose if you are pregnant and if you have knee injury. If you experience pain in your knees when completing this pose try spreading your knees further apart. If you still experience pain, ease out of the pose and definitely try the Eye of the Needle pose instead. Getting In and out of the Pose: 1. While seated on your yoga mat, stretch out your right leg before placing your left ankle over the right knee. 2. Without moving your left leg bend your right knee and place your right foot beneath your left knee. 3. You can stay here as in figure A or, if you want more, from your hips bend forward, letting your spine round as in figure B. 4. Rest your hands on the yoga mat or on your elbows and then continue to hold the pose for a few minutes. You should feel the pose in your hips, outer thighs, buttocks, and sacrum. 5. Once you are done with the pose, place your hands behind you and lean your weight back on them before stretching out your legs in front of you. Take a minute to feel the effects before

repeating the pose on the opposite side. Options: If you find your knees stay stuck up high, then you can place cushions or folded blankets under your knees. You may place a bolster in your lap to support your torso when bending forward. If you want to target one side of your body you can bend to the side instead of folding forward. If you have a sensitive neck you can place your elbows down and support your head on your hands. If needed, you can place bolsters under your elbows. Alternative: Eye-of-the-Needle Pose. Sleeping Swan Pose. Shoelace Pose. Counter Poses: Reversed Tabletop Pose. Windshield Wipers Pose. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Liver and kidneys meridian because of the pressure into the inner groin, Urinary meridian channel if you fold forward and gallbladder meridian channels on outer leg. Spine and hips. Stomach. Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.

11. The Happy Baby/Stirrup Pose.

In figure A you can see the Happy Baby Pose with the individual laying on their back with the knees bent over their lower stomach and their feet straight in the air above their torso. They have their arms stretched upward and wrapped around their feet. Figure A Happy Baby/Stirrup Pose

In figure B you can try a variation on the Happy Baby Pose, which is the Half Happy Baby Pose. In this pose the individual lays on their back with one air bent over their torso with the arm on the same side grasping the foot, just like in the traditional Happy Baby Pose. However, in this version the opposite leg and arm remain stretched out. Figure B Half Happy Baby Pose

The Happy Baby pose is a great option for those who are new to yoga, as it is really simple and can ease you into becoming more flexible. This pose is great for stretching the thighs, groin, and hamstrings as it opens the hips. It also helps to release the sacroiliac joint and the sacrum. Use this pose to build up your strength and increase your flexibility, making it easier to attempt more difficult poses as you become more advanced. Benefits: Calms the mind while reducing stress, fatigue and anxiety. Increases arm strength. Decompresses and releases sacroiliac joint. Increases hip flexibility and range of mobility. Stretches the inner thigh, hamstrings at the back of the thighs, and groin. Side effects: If you have a knee or ankle injury then place your hands behind your thighs instead of grasping your feet to increase support. If you have a neck injury or any discomfort then support your head with a pillow or a folded blanket. Getting In and out of the Pose:

On your yoga mat lay on your back and bend your knees into your chest. While inhaling, grab onto your feet with your hands. You can grab onto either the inside or the outside edges, whichever is more comfortable. Spread your knees out wider than your torso, pulling them back toward the floor and your armpits. At a ninety-degree angle have your ankles placed directly over your knees. Stretch your feet through your heels. Lightly pull against your feet with your hands to create a slight resistance. Lengthen your spine by stretching your tailbone as you pull your stomach in and stretch your neck out. Hold this pose for a few minutes. To exit the pose, place your feet on the floor while exhaling. Options: If you have trouble reaching your feet you can use a resistance band looped around the arches of your feet or hold onto either your ankles or shins. Counter Poses: Windshield Wipers Pose. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Bladder and kidney meridian channels. Sacroiliac joint and hips. Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.

12. The Sleeping Swan Pose. In figure A you see the main Sleeping Swan Pose with the individual laying out on their stomach. One leg is bent as if in a kneel beneath them with the

other leg stretched straight outward. The forehead rests flat on the floor with the arms coming out above the head and palms resting on the ground. Figure A Sleeping Swan Pose

In figure B you can see the variation known as the Dear Pose aka 90/90. In this version the person is sitting upright with one leg bent in front of them, 90 degree between leg and thigh and the other leg bent behind with the same 90 degree between leg and thigh. Arms are elongated in front of them with the palms resting on the floor. Figure B Dear Pose aka 90/90

In figure C the individual has their legs in the same position as figure B, but they have their torso bent forward and laying on the floor, the arms resting beside them and palms also resting on the mat. Figure C Dear Pose bent forward.

In figure D the individual has their legs in the same position as figure A and B but the person lays forward with their torso towards the front knee, forehead on the floor if it is possible. Arms resting with their palms on the floor. Figure D Dear Pose variation.

Figure E shows the same Dear Pose, where the individual again has their legs bent in front and behind them. The individual is bent forward with their torso towards the front foot, with their arms on the same side wrapped around their head and same front foot. Figure E Dear Pose variation.

The Sleeping Swan Pose is a great way to clear your mind and anxieties while you stretch your hips and spine. This pose has the ability to target and strengthen the hip flexors and psoas muscle, helping to prevent injuries in the

future. Benefits: Increases hip flexibility. Strong external rotation of the front hip. Provides stretch for the hip flexors and quadriceps for the back leg. Calms the mind and lessens anxiety Side effects: Be careful of your knees. They shouldn’t hurt while doing this pose, but if they do hurt you can pull your front foot closer to your opposite hip, or even place it under your hip and padding the back knee. If you have any knee pain or injuries then try the Eye-of-theNeedle Pose. You should avoid this pose if you are pregnant. Getting In and out of the Pose: 1. While on all fours (tabletop position) bring forward your left knee so that it is closer to the wrist on the same side. It should be either directly behind your wrist or to one side of the wrist or the other, it will vary depending on your physical make up. 2. Move your left foot in front of you across the mat so that your knee is on the left side of the mat and your foot is on the right side of the mat. Your shin should be on the mat and your knee should be at an angle that it stretches the hip without causing pain. If you find that your shin is parallel to the yoga mat then you can flex your foot in order to stabilize your joints. 3. Walk your right knee backward until the right leg is fully extended behind you. Lift your pelvis higher by pulling together your thighs. 4. While inhaling push onto your fingertips while you stretch your spine, draw in your abdomen, and open your chest. 5. While exhaling walk your palms in front of you, lowering your

entire upper body to the mat. Keep the weight back into the hips. Rest your forehead and arms on the mat stretched out in front of you. 6. Stay in the pose and while exhaling try to release any tension in your left hip. 7. Come out of the Sleeping Swan pose by pushing back on your hands, lifting your hips, and moving back onto all fours into the tabletop position. 8. Repeat the pose on the opposite side. Options: This stretch can be intense on the hip. Know that the more parallel your shin is to the front of the mat, then the higher the intensity. To reduce this, keep your front foot close to the opposite hip. If your forehead doesn’t reach the yoga mat then you can place it on a cushion, block, or make two fists with your hands and rests your head on them. Variation: You can perform one of the poses as showed in figure B, C, D and E accordingly to your hip mobility. Pick the pose you can painlessly maintain. If you have knee pain or uneven hips, the use of props such as blanket or pillow are more than welcome. Alternative: Eye-of-the-Needle Pose. Square Pose. Shoelace Pose. Counter Poses: Child’s Pose. Windshield Wipers Pose.

Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Gallbladder line because of the stress on the outer leg, liver and kidney channels because these meridians come through the inner groin, spleen and stomach meridian channels from the stress on the top of the back leg, Urinary bladder line through the pressure in the lumbar arch. Hips and lower back. Recommended Hold Times: One to three minutes.

13. The Shoelace Pose. Figure A illustrates the original Shoelace Pose where the person has their legs twisted together in front of them with one knee over the other, their feet resting beside their hips. Their arms are stretched out and braced on the bottom of their feet or on the floor. Figure A Shoelace Pose

Figure B shows a variation with the arms in Eagle Pose (as in Garudasana). Here the legs are in the same position of the figure A but the arms this time are also twisted and held in front of the torso so that the palm of the hands are touching each other with fingertips pointing upwards.

Figure B Shoelace Pose with arms in Eagle Pose.

In figure C the person is in the same pose as in figure B, but they have their torso bent forward, resting on the upper leg and with arms over the knees. Figure C Shoelace Pose with arms in Eagle Pose and torso bent forward.

Figure D illustrates the Half Shoelace folding over the knee, in which one leg is folded over the other so that the ankle is close to the hip and knees are

stacked. The other leg is stretched straight forward. The person is bending forward with the arms resting on the upper knee. Figure D Half Shoelace folding over the knee.

Figure E illustrates the Shoelace Pose with Cow Face Arms Pose (as in Gomukasana). Here legs are in Shoelace Pose and the arms are entwined behind their back. One arm is twisted downward from the shoulder blade with the other upward from the shoulder blade. The hands are grasping onto each other to remain in position. Figure E Shoelace Pose with Cow Face Arms Pose.

Figure F illustrates Shoelace Pose with Hands in Reverse Prayer Pose (Paschima Namaskar). Here the person has their legs entwined, arms placed behind their back in a straight line and the palms resting one against the other in prayer position in between the shoulder blade. Figure F Shoelace Pose with Hands in Reverse Prayer Pose.

Figure G illustrated the Twisted Shoelace Pose. The legs are overlapped as in the Shoelace Pose while the person is sitting with the torso twisted towards

the side of the upper leg with their arms in front of them, palms braced on the floor. Figure G Twisted Shoelace Pose.

The Shoelace Pose allows you to see great progress in your hips, shoulders, and spine. Its name comes from the way in which your arms and legs are twisted together, appearing much like dramatic shoelaces. If you have trouble starting out this pose, then you can try out practicing it in short steps. For instance, first try just moving your arms into position, then just the legs, and then you can try adding it all together. Benefits: Decompress the spine if you lean forward. Increase hip flexibility and mobility. Great hip opener. Side effects: Avoid the Shoelace Pose if you are pregnant. This pose can worsen sciatica pain. If you have any pain or injuries in your knees or back you may want to try the Eye-of-the-Needle pose, instead. Getting In and out of the Pose:

1. While on all fours (tabletop position) place one of your knees behind the other and spread your ankles as far apart as is comfortable, and then sit back down between your heels. 2. You can have your spine straight or from the hips fold forward, letting your spine round. You should feel a stretching sensation along your hips and buttocks, and possibly your spine. You can add some arms pose as explained if you feel comfortable in performing that. 3. After holding the pose for a few minutes come out of it by using your hands to press against the floor gently and slowly stretch your spine back upward. Place your hands behind you and lean back on them to release the hips and unfold your legs. 4. Take a few minutes to feel the pose before moving onto your next pose. Options: If your sitting bones are not evenly planted on the ground, then try sitting on a pillow or block. Try leaving your bottom leg outstretched in front of you or put your leg in an easy-cross position if you are struggling with the pose. Alternative Poses: Square Pose. Sleeping Swan Pose. Eye-of-the-Needle Pose. Counter Poses: Reverse Tabletop Pose. Windshield Wipers Pose. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Liver, kidney and gallbladder meridian channels. In the presence of a folding forward, the urinary bladder line will be stimulated

and the stomach compressed. Hips and spine. Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.

14. The Recline Twisting Pose. Figure A shows the traditional Recline Twisting Pose, where the person has their legs stretched out, knees slightly bent. The person is laying on their back, with their legs and torso slightly bending toward each other. The arm closest to the legs is holding onto the knees while the other arm remains extended to the side. Figure A Recline Twisting Pose.

Figure B is a variation called Wrapped Legs Twisting Pose, in which the person is in the same pose, but twists one leg over the other at the knee. If it is possible, the foot of the top leg hooks the calf of the opposite leg. Figure B Wrapped Legs Twisting Pose.

Figure C shows Cat Pulling its Tail, where the individual again laying on their back. One leg is bent at the knee behind the person’s back, with the arm on the same side holding onto the foot. The opposite leg is bent at the knee in front of the individual with the arm grasping around the knee. Both shoulders should be on the floor. Figure C Cat Pulling its Tail.

This incredibly simple pose is great for beginners and masters, as it has great benefits, such as the ability to balance the nervous system and restore spinal balance, yet it is simple to do. Even if you are new to Yin yoga and not yet very flexible, you can still complete this pose. Benefits: Balances the nervous system. Improves digestion by massaging abdominal organs. Restore spinal balance. Side effects: Be careful not to allow your arms to experience a tingling sensation. If this happens, simply adjust your arm position by either bringing them to your side or elevating them with a prop. Hand can rest on the ribs too. Getting In and out of the Pose: Lie on your back with your arms stretched out straight to both sides, so that it resembles a cross or the letter “T”. Push your hips slightly over toward the right, meanwhile bringing your knees to your left. If needed, you can support your knees with blocks or a bolster. Hold the pose. Once done, bring your knees over your hips and

then into your chest for some breaths to realign your spine. Repeat on the opposite side. Options: Don’t force this pose, you shouldn’t feel any pain. You will find overtime it becomes easier to do this, as you become more flexible. Use any cushions, pillows, blocks, or bolsters necessary. Alternative: Seated Twist Pose. Counter Poses: Windshield Wipers motion. Hugging the knees while rocking on your back side to side. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Gallbladder meridian, lung and heart and small intestine meridian channels if the arm is over head, urinary bladder channel by twisting the spine. Massage the internal organs because the twist compresses the stomach. Spine. Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.

15. The Melting Heart/Puppy Pose. This pose is simple and easy to do, even for beginners. You can use it to increase flexibility in your spine, improve posture, and lessen back pain. The Puppy Pose.

Benefits: Increases shoulder flexibility and mobility. Improves posture and counteracts rounding of the spine. Side effects: If your arms begin to tingle, then relieve this by spreading them out as bending your elbows. Rest your forehead on your hands. Getting In and out of the Pose: 1.

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While on all fours spread your knees a little wider apart than your hips and then lower yourself down onto your elbows. While keeping your hips in line with both of your knees stretch your arms out in front of you, one at a time. Place your forehead or chin onto your yoga mat, letting yourself melt into the pose. You should feel an opening sensation in your ribs, chest, and front of your shoulders along with some soft pressure on your middle and upper back. Hold this pose for a few minutes. To release the pose, gently pull your hands back to your shoulders while you lower your hips onto your heels.

Options:

You can use a bolster to support your torso and a folded blanket to pad your knees. If you feel pain or pressure on your shoulders, then simply bend your elbows to the side and place your forehead on your hands. Alternative: Supported Saddle pose. Supported Reclined Butterfly pose. Counter Poses: Child’s pose. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Heart and lung meridian channels, if the pose pep up your arms. Stomach and spleen meridian channels, if you feel stretch in the chest. Urinary bladder meridian channel thanks to the compression along the spine. Spine and shoulders. Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.

16. The Bananasana. In figure A you see the traditional Bananasana, with the person laying straight on their back, their legs stretched in front of them and ankles crossed. The arms are braced over the head, hands holding the opposite elbows or one hand holding the opposite wrist. They lean to one side at the spine, as if taking the form of a banana. Figure A Bananasana

In figure B you can see a variation of the Bananasana, called Criss Cross Leaning Steeple Pose, in which the person is standing if for some reason it is not possible to lay down. Their ankles are crossed. They stand with an angle to one side, the same of the front leg, again like a banana, and their arms are stretched over head, with their fingers intertwined. Figure B Criss Cross Leaning Steeple Pose

Figure C illustrates the Criss Cross Twisted Leaning Steeple Pose. A very similar form to figure B, if for some reason it is not possible to lay down on the back, but the person is stretching even further with their chest puffed out

by twisting with the torso towards the side of the front leg. Figure C Criss Cross Twisted Leaning Steeple Pose

The Bananasana, otherwise known as the Banana Pose, is a fun and simple pose to open up the entire side of your body, giving you a gentle and deep stretch to muscles and fascia along the side of the body in a few minutes. This revitalizing pose will help to open up your body’s energy systems and is known as one of the more fun poses in Yin yoga. Benefits: Stretches all of the muscles and tissues along the side of the body. Works the spine in a lateral flexion. Side effects: Avoid tingling in the arms when doing this pose. If your arms begin to tingle adjust their position, raise them with a bolster, or try to play by changing the hold onto your elbows in the hold onto your wrist. You can even completely relax your arms. Avoid going overly deep into this pose if you have a back injury. Getting In and out of the Pose:

1. Lie down on your back with your arms stretched out over your head and your legs out straight. 2. While your buttocks is pressed firmly to your yoga mat move both of your legs to the right of the mat. Cross your ankles so that your left foot keeps your right foot in place. 3. With your buttocks still fully planted on the mat, pull your upper body to the right of the mat, allowing your spine to curve to the side in the shape of a banana. To maintain this pose hold your left wrist with your right hand or allow your hands to hold the opposite elbows. 4. You should feel sensations along your ribs, shoulders, arms, hips, and thighs. Hold this pose for a few minutes. 5. To release the pose slowly bring your arms and legs back to a neutral position. 6. Lift your head, making sure that you are laying straight, and then maintain the Shavasana pose to feel the effects of the Bananasana. 7. Repeat this pose on the opposite side. Options: It’s not uncommon to not feel much with this pose at first. Allow a few moments to allow the sensations to deepen, and then you can lean into that more to increase this sensation. Alternative: Dragonfly pose, side bend variation. Shoelace pose, side bend variation. Counter Poses: Hugging the knees to the chest. Shavasana Pose. Meridians, Organs and Joints Affected: Gallbladder meridian channel that runs along the side of the

body. Heart and lung meridian channels if the arms are overhead. Spine. Recommended Hold Times: Three to five minutes.

17. The Shavasana/Corpse Pose. The Shavasana Pose gives your body a chance to truly relax, allowing it to recuperate and recover from the harsh taxing of life. By taking the time to practice the Shavasana regularly, you not only allow your body to heal, but you also give it the chance to become stronger. The Shavasana is also known as the Corpse pose, as during it you lay down completely still on your back with a relaxed body and mind. It may simply appear to be a nap to some people, but it is a vital Yin yoga pose in which a person attempts to maintain full consciousness while also being completely relaxed. It signifies the end of your yoga practice; when you finish your poses, Shavasana is the natural completion. When new to the Shavasana, or if you are practicing alone, then it can be helpful to set a timer while completing this pose. Not only will setting a timer ensure that you spend enough time on this vital component, but it can also help in case you fall asleep. While the goal is to stay awake and alert through the entire Shavasana, it is not uncommon for those new to the pose to fall asleep, in which case the timer can help to wake you. In standard yoga, the Shavasana pose should make up ten to fifteen percent of a person’s yoga practice time. However, Yin style yoga is more gentle as it doesn’t use the muscles, allowing you to use a shorter time period for this pose. Ideally, five to eight percent of your Yin yoga practice should be dedicated to the Shavasana. This means that if you spend an hour doing your other Yin yoga poses, then you should spend three to five minutes on the Shavasana. Although, you can always spend longer on this pose if you feel it would be helpful. While some people may think that the Shavasana is simply a time to allow your body to rest, it is much more than that. This pose allows both mind and

body to heal. While you lay still and relaxed, your mind is still active as you focus on your energies and how they are flowing. When you are in the other Yin yoga poses, such as Shoelaces and Happy Baby, it is difficult to feel your energies and what they are doing. But, when you do the Shavasana you are completely still, allowing you to better focus on the subtleties that are happening within your body. By focusing on your energies and how they flow during the peace of the Shavasana, then you can better learn how to notice your energy flow at other times. While you are practicing this pose notice closely your prana or Chi energy and how it flows both in and out of the areas of your body that you worked during your Yin yoga practice. When you first begin this, you may find it not easy to feel these energies. But, over time, you will find that you can more easily notice them, both as you practice the Shavasana and at other times of the day. The Shavasana may be simple, but there are many ways in which you can practice it. Many Yin yoga masters and teachers have their own way of practicing this pose, and each one has its own benefits. One way is not necessarily superior to another, you simply have to find the method that best works for you. In this chapter, I will be sharing my favorite way to practice this vital part of Yin yoga, but feel free to experiment with other Shavasana methods, as well. Now, let’s look at the Shavasana step-by-step: 1. When practicing the Shavasana it is crucial that your body maintains a neutral pose. Start by sitting on your yoga mat with your feet on the floor and knees bent before leaning back onto your forearms. 2. While you continue to brace yourself with your forearms, raise your pelvis moderately off of the floor. With your hands, press the back of your pelvis in the direction of the tailbone, and then return your pelvis to the yoga mat. 3. Inhale and as you feel the breath fill your body, slowly extend first your right leg and then your left. As you extend your legs one at a time, stretch them by pushing through the heels. As you release the stretch in your legs soften the groin and ensure that both legs are angled evenly to the torso mid-line. Your feet

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should turn out equally. Soften the muscles in your lower back and without flattening it, maintain the natural curves of the back and narrow your pelvis. Use your hands and lightly lift the base of your skull away from the base of your neck, releasing your neck down to your tailbone. If you find this difficult, you can support your neck and head on a small pillow or folded blanket. Then, tilt your head so that the crease in your neck moves to the center of your head and broaden the base of your skull. Be sure that your ears are of equal distance from your shoulders. Stretch your arms up to the ceiling at a ninety-degree angle to the floor. Broaden your back and pull your shoulder blades away from your spine as you gently rock from side-to-side. Now, release your arms and allow them to rest on the floor, angled to the mid-line of your torso. Now, turn your arms to your sides and stretch them away from your shoulder blades. With your arms stills stretched out, rest the back of your hands on the floor. You want the balance of your hands to center on the knuckles of your index fingers. Be sure that your shoulder blades are resting gently and balanced on the floor. Imagine that your shoulder blade tips are raised up and diagonally toward your sternum. Now, spread out your collarbone. Soften your senses by relaxing your nose, the root of your tongue, and eyes. You want to let the eyes sink to the back of your head while you relax your forehead and the bridge of your nose. Let go of your brain, allowing it to relax into your skull. Try to be focused and present in the moment. Hold the pose. 10. When ready to exit the Shavasana, exhale and roll onto your right side. Take a few deep breaths and use your hands to push yourself up off the floor. Lift your torso, slowly moving your head with it. Whenever you roll out of the Shavasana your head should be the last part of your body to move up.

Shavasana Pose.

18. Stressing the Arms. The human shoulder is one of your most important, complicated, and mobile joints. Think about how many times a day you use your arms, whether it is for eating, driving, cleaning, or working. You are constantly using your shoulder joints. Yet, most people neglect these important joints, not giving them the care they need and not working them out in the ways they need to. Thankfully, with Yin yoga, you can practice Stressing the Arms Pose to keep your whole arm and shoulder healthy and mobile. By stressing the arms you can feel an incredibly and soothing release in the front of your chest. This does a great job of working your whole arm, especially the elbows. You can practice this while using multiple poses, such as Shoelace, or Sitting Swan. While you can use any of these options, in this portion we will focus on Stressing the Arms with the Sitting Swan Pose as in figure A, as it is a good bonus pose that works on your hips. Figure A Stressing the arms (with the Sitting Swan Pose)

Follow these steps to begin Stressing your Arms with the Sitting Swan Pose: 1. Sit on your yoga mat with your legs stretched straight out in front of you, and then lean back on your arms with your hands placed slightly behind you. 2. Move your left ankle, placing it on top of your right knee. Bending your right knee, bring the heel of your foot close to your hip. Maintain a flex of the left foot in order to better support your knee. 3. Continue to hold this pose, which should result in feeling some sensations in your left hip. If this feeling lessens overtime, then you can move your foot closer to the hip to increase the sensations. 4. Slowly walk your hands further away from yourself and lean into them more. This will increase the sensations you feel. Pay attention to the stress points, which may be the wrists, elbows, biceps or shoulders. You will feel the sensations differently depending on the angle and how much pressure you are applying. As long as you notice some sensations, then you are getting benefits. 5. Don’t feel like you have to overdo stressing your arms and make it stressful. When you have had enough, come out of the pose.

When you come out, shake your arms and relax them. Next, do the other side. 6. If you want a deeper sensation that you can’t get while doing the Sitting Swan, then you can practice stressing your arms while your legs are fully extended in front of you. You can also walk your hands even further behind you as you move your hands closer together. Eventually, you can get advanced enough that your hands completely touch as you do this pose.

19. Pec Stretch/Shoulders Roll. In figure A the individual laying on their side, knees bent slightly. The upper arm is rested alongside the lower back with the hand in between ribs and hip. The arm on the side the individual is laying on, is rested behind them and bent at the elbow with palm flat on the floor. Figure A Pec Stretch.

Figure B illustrates a similar pose, but the person has the upper leg bent into the air, with the bottom of the foot rested on the floor. The bottom arm is stretched out straight in this version. Figure B

Shoulders Roll.

Getting In and out of the Pose: 1. On your yoga mat, lie down on your stomach and stretch your arms outward and upward at a forty-degree angle for Pec Stretch Pose. This should resemble a cactus. Knees are slightly bent. Turn your head so that one ear is on the floor or a support and the other ear is directly away from the floor. Now roll your body to the same side. 2. Increase sensations by lifting your top hand to the ceiling before laying it across your back. Lay here allowing your head to remain on the floor or support for three minutes, and then repeat the pose on the other side of your body. 3. Follow the same indications for Shoulders Roll but have the upper leg bent into the air, with the bottom of the foot rested on the floor and the bottom arm stretched out straight in this version. We use shoulders and neck almost constantly. Whether we are doing housework, driving, cleaning, working on the computer, or even watching TV, we are using these joints and muscles throughout the day. Because of this, many people carry tension and stress in these areas, gradually increasing and in the process compounding on pain.

While there are Yin yoga poses for the upper half of the body, many of the poses focus on the lower half of the body. Yet, we can still incorporate the amazing principle of Yin yoga, such as passively holding poses, into other aspects of your practice. In this extra section of the book, we will focus on some indications on shoulder and neck health using Yin yoga principles. Yin Seated Neck Stretch: 1. Sit on a pillow or cushion as you draw your chin inward toward your collarbone, then slowly roll your right ear over your shoulder on the same side. 2. While relaxing your jaw, push your chin slightly forward and then back, allowing your head to feel heavy. 3. Find an area with your chin that feels just right and stay in that position for two minutes. Repeat this on the left side. 4. For deeper sensations lay your right hand on your head just above your ear and stretch the other arm to the side so that the fingertips can touch the ground. Yin Shoulder Rolls: To begin the shoulder rolls you should sit in a Siddhasana, otherwise known as Perfect Pose. This is a classic and simple pose, but let’s go over how to accomplish it before we get into the shoulder rolls. 1.

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Sit on your yoga mat with your legs stretched out in front of you and your arms resting at your side. If you want, you can sit on a pillow. Bend your left leg and bring the heel of your foot to your groin. Now, repeat this and bring your right foot to your groin, resting it directly in front of your ankle. Focus on your breathing, and as you exhale lift your right foot with your hands and then place it above your other ankle, bringing it into the groin area. You can keep your posture more steady by placing the toes of your right foot in your left calf muscle. Pick up your hands from the yoga mat and place them on your knees. Sit with your spine straight and gaze facing forward. Your

body should have a straight line from the top of your head to the floor. Now that you have the Perfect Pose down, maintain this pose while you follow the steps for your Yin Shoulder Rolls: 1. Raise your spine and rotate your shoulders clockwise. As you rotate keep the stretch deep. As you do these rotations, focus on the movement of your shoulder blades in your back, attempting to bring them together as you rotate. 2. Practice your deep breathing as you do your shoulder rotations. As you inhale your shoulders should go up, and as you exhale they should go down. Do four rotations of this clockwise, and then repeat four rotations counterclockwise. 3. As you do this pose, ensure that you maintain the straight spine and neck from the Perfect pose. 4. Release the rotations and stretch your neck first to the right and then to the left to remove any residual stiffness.

Conclusion. Thank you for making it through to the end of Yin Yoga, I hope that it was informative and able to provide you with all of the tools you need to leave behind stress, embrace the Yin lifestyle, and begin practicing Yin yoga with success. Through discovering my spiritual journey I was able to let go of the past and embrace a new path, pointing to a brighter future. However, if you want the full benefits that the spiritual lifestyle has to offer, you need to work on your mental and emotional health. They said that 90% of people that walk into a doctor’s office for medical issues have those issues related to stress. So if you really want to address wellbeing, health and wellness, you have to factor in your mind state and shifting from a state of stress and survival into a state of calmness, joy and serenity so that you are not just surviving in your life but you are thriving within it. You can learn more about it in my other book The Key to Happiness. If you found this book useful in any way, a review on Amazon is always appreciated! My Personal Prayer: Never take for granted your life and all you have in your life that is definitely more than enough. Never take for granted your breathing and your healthy mind and body. Never stop wondering in the morning when you see yourself alive into the mirror. Never stop being surprised to see a flower blossom, nor when you receive a hug, a smile, or kindness. Never stop saying the most powerful mantra you should chant every morning when you wake up, that is, “Thank You.” My gratitude goes to: All of the gurus from the past for the texts and prayers that they left behind for all of us as a guideline to live a fulfilled life; all of the yogis in the current era, who each of them in different ways were a

guide to me and a good inspiration; all of the souls who have always believed in me; and lastly to the ones who challenged me so that I could test myself and begin to believe in myself more.

My personal website: www.sasycacace.com If you want to reach me out, please use the following: [email protected] [email protected]