How useful Yin Yoga is to calm your mind and body

Adjusting to social distancing and home isolation may feel overwhelming, but there are plenty of positive changes you can make to maintain your health and wellbeing through the coming weeks and months. I have always loved the calming practice of Yin Yoga. It’s easy to try and can be a great coping strategy for your mind and body. During these stressful and uncertain times, Yin Yoga is a great tool to have in your toolbox. You can try it all in the comfort of your own home and stay motivated with the support of other mums. All it takes is a bit of guidance to start. Are you ready?

What is Yin Yoga?

Yoga is known to be a relaxing, healthy and spiritual practice that can improve flexibility and strength. Some forms of yoga that you may be familiar with can be active and physical, or ‘yang’. While these types of yoga have great benefits, they are missing the ‘yin’. Yin Yoga is a quiet practice that slows down movement and focuses on a spiritual connection with your mind and body. Instead of flowing through active movements, Yin Yoga involves holding deep poses for longer periods of time. A pose may last a minute or two, or even up to 5 minutes.

What are the benefits?

Benefits for your mind

By slowing down your mind and body during Yin Yoga, you are gifting your body with gratitude and relaxation. Yin Yoga releases stress, worry and unease. The slow movements encourage you to sit with your emotions and learn to accept them. This can have lasting benefits with your mental wellbeing, well beyond the end of the practice. Overtime your resilience may become stronger, making it easier to overcome life’s challenges. The stillness in Yin Yoga is meditative and restorative. It offers a chance to connect to your mind, body and spirit. 

Candle for yoga session | yin-yoga | mindfulness

Photo by Hans Vivek on Unsplash

Benefits for your body

Yin Yoga is also physical. By holding deep strengths, your body’s tissues lengthen and release, leaving your muscles feeling as though they have been relaxed or massaged. This practice can improve your range of motion and help strengthen and heal reoccurring injuries. Yin Yoga can correct habitual posture problems, leaving you balanced and in control. The deep breathing you’ll learn during the practice is also a powerful trigger for the parasympathetic nervous system. This is connected to a number of benefits including improved blood pressure, digestion, sleep and immune function. What better tool to have during a public health crisis?

It’s so easy to get started!

Yin Yoga is one of the easiest home activities to do. It requires very little equipment and can be done anytime, anywhere. All you need is:

  • A yoga mat
  • Blanket
  • Bolster (or rolled blankets) 
  • Yoga block (optional)
  • A quiet place
  • Online class 

Create a comfortable place for your Yin Yoga practice at home, and use my guiding Yin Yoga videos to get started. Together, we can not only get through this difficult isolating time, but we can develop new skills and improve our health and wellbeing!

Women exercising using online yoga | yin-yoga | yin-yoga-pose

Photo credit Henry Ford Health System

With the closure of gyms and yoga studios, it’s time to look online for your health and exercise needs. Join me on the mat next Monday for ‘Calm Your Mind & Body in 5 days’ at home. You just need a mat and blankets. I’ll be sharing Yin Yoga shapes and Nidra Yoga. Just 10 minutes each day, no yoga experience needed, it’s perfect for all ages.

Which benefit do you most want from practicing Yin Yoga?

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