21/08/2025
Something told me that Wednesday’s class needed to be a rest and reset. So, after sending a poll out to the group, it was decided: Yin over Vinyasa.
Yin yoga is an intentional practise in which poses are held for 5 minutes. The intention is to build mental strength and persistence.
Yin classes force us to face ourselves and our thoughts, and teach us to learn to breathe through the discomfort and (possibly) go deeper - both in the stretch and in focus.
Most, if not all, poses are supported by yoga blocks, bolsters, pillows or straps as the body needs to be made as “comfortable” as possible to be able to maintain the pose for 3-5 minutes.
I set the scene with blue studio lights, incense, soft wordless music and blocks at each “station”.
Students entered the studio in their most comfortable get up, armed with pillows, beanies and blankets and were invited to draw a card from a deck that offers advice on self-love. These cards offered us an opportunity to create an affirmation or an “I am” statement inspired by the content of each card. We then used these statements as a tool to bring back presence during the poses, should the mind get too critical or loud.
For this class I kept a timer of 3 minutes for each pose, rang a soft bell when the time was over, made sure to support any dangling limbs and kept a constant stream of gentle chatter during the 3 minutes. The longer the class progressed, the less I talked. I thought it was important to allow students to engage with their own inner worlds gradually…
Yin classes are so important to counter vinyasa or “power classes”, as they remind us that to be able to be energetic, we must rest and restore. We must take stock of where we are, what resources are available to us and where we might like to move next. 🧘
