Have you been going to Yin Yoga for stretching and quieting your mind? And, listening to your Yin Yoga teacher mentioning how the Yin poses are therapeutic to various organs such as lungs, liver, heart etc. Wonder how that works?
Yin Yoga sequence based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be therapeutic. Having been brought up in the Ayurveda tradition, I enjoyed understanding the parallels with Chinese Medicine and starting the season-specific sequenced Yin class with acupressure at my studio Yoga My Love.
Parallels
Regular yoga classes, such as Hatha, Vinyasa, Flow etc., are based on Ayurveda as a foundation. Prana (meaning the ‘life force’) movements across the body are manipulated through asanas (yoga poses), so the life force flows and clears all blockages, and you feel energised.
The Chinese equivalent of ‘Prana’ is ‘Qi’ (pronounced as Chi) which travels through the body’s channels to the organs. Again, the channels system is like that in Ayurveda, the only difference being the number of channels.
Both Ayurveda and TCM state that when ‘Prana’ / ‘Qi’ becomes either stagnant or deficient in the channels or organ systems or in its relationship with the other vital organs, a disease process arises.
Another similarity is the Five Elements and meridian systems in Ayurveda and TCM. Though the elements and meridians are slightly different, the concept of how it works is the same.
Specifics
If both Ayurveda-based regular yoga and TCM-based yoga have similar foundations, why call it Yin and why specific detox names?
Yoga generally is Yang (masculine) as it moves the stagnant ‘prana’ or ‘Qi’ and blood and dredges the channels, and you come out of it feeling invigorated and ready for life. This energy may sometimes be in excess for some people who need gentle practice and may want to focus on specific organs within their body that need attention.
This is where the Yin Yoga based on Chinese Qi, channels and the meridian system comes to play. Each slow and deep, long-held poses in the Yin activate a specific Sinew channel(s). The Sinew include muscles, tendons, and ligaments and attaches to corresponding joint systems. And each Sinew corresponds to an element. Thus, Yin poses influence and brings that element to balance and harmony.
However, the Sinew channels themselves do not impact organs directly. Their indirect effect is by moving Qi and blood in the channels and stimulating the membranes around the organs. To influence an organ, acupressure needs to come to play. By combining Yin poses with acupressure, we come one step closer to medicine.
Who is it suitable for?
This yoga is the perfect class after a vigorous workout such as a spin or a workout in the gym, ashtanga yoga or even after an intense run. It is also suitable for people with injuries or chronic conditions such as arthritis and can be practised as part of restorative-style yoga. From beginners to advanced practitioners, this yoga is suitable for anyone who prefers a gentle style and would like to address a specific organ or condition in the body.
Health benefits
Increases flexibility
Lengthens connective tissues
Boosts circulation
Reduces stress levels
Great starting point if you are interested in mindfulness & meditation due to the internal focus
Interested? Try Yin classes at Yoga My Love which are sequenced especially for each season and corresponding elements to activate the specific organs through acupressure and sinew channels through deep relaxing poses and releasing the blocked emotions.
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