“Most forms of yoga today are dynamic, active practices designed to work on half of our body, the muscular half, the “yang” tissues. Yin yoga allows us to work the other half, the deeper “yin” tissues of our ligaments, joints, deep fascial networks, and even our bones. All of our tissues are important and need to be exercised so that we can achieve optimal health and vitality.”  

There is a term called ‘samsara’ in the wisdom teaching of yoga. Samsara has the connotation of revolving cyclically and going around and around without relief. When we get lost in the spinning cycle of samsara, we lose balance and suffer. Yoga is a long journey of cultivating clear and open awareness which requires slowing down and waiting. This is a skill that we can cultivate through meditative practices like yin yoga and meditation. When we can skillfully guide our minds to slow down and be calm, we can relax into deep inner experiences.

There is a famous and popular poem by Pico Lyer that expresses the value of yin practice and the balance between yin and yang:

“In the age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still”