Think You’re Too Busy To Meditate? Think Again.

Yin Yoga is the Gateway to Finding Stillness Within

The thought of starting a meditation practice can sound downright intimidating. Online meditators are sitting in the desert shade, a calm peaceful smile on their face. Everything is softly lit by the sun and the photo includes beautiful words of inspiration. A beautiful youthful instructor telling you meditation is simple. Just sit and let the mind go.

Righty-O! “I’ll get right on that” you say.

Your mind is busy. Easily distracted by outside thoughts with an abundance of information coming through constantly.

Of course you understand that meditation is a fairly straightforward thing to do. You just close your eyes, stay focused on your breathing, and let your thoughts go.

But here’s the thing…

Your mind is always thinking about something!

Now what if you gave your mind a focus?

As you meditate you are always coming back to the breath. But what if you added a feeling to it? Something for your mind to center around?

Yin Yoga consists of slow and steady poses held in stillness. This form of yoga hydrates the joint tissues. Targeting the body’s connective tissues. Including

• Ligaments
• Bones
• Tendons
• Cartilage

The essence of Yin is allowing. When you practice these long holds you have the opportunity to direct your breath to stress held in the body.

You do this all while breathing in stillness.

Sounds like meditation right?

Yin Yoga is a slow moving meditation.

Once you see how the practice of Yin Yoga creates calm steadiness within your body and mind, you will begin to feel less intimidated to try meditation.

At the beginning of a Yin Yoga class the instructor will usually begin by guiding you through some focused breathwork. Bringing your awareness from your head to your heart will begin to bring your attention inwards.

From there you will be guided to observe whatever arises. This means allowing any thoughts that come up to just be there. Noticing your field of awareness without judging what you are thinking or feeling.

Here’s where the work comes in.

As your mind continues to think because….

Hello! That’s what your mind was designed to do.

You will continue to be directed back to your breath. Using it as your anchor to keep you in the present moment.

As this is happening you will be guided through simple stretches. So simple in some cases that at first you’ll be thinking, “That’s it?”

Instructed into poses like the Butterfly where the souls of your feet will be together while your knees fall out to either side. Creating a diamond shape between your legs. Slowly guide your body forward to create a very passive stretch in the hip and groin area as well as the lower back.

From this relaxed place you will play with props, pillows, straps, and bolsters to keep your body supported.

Now all you have to do is breathe.

Playing Your Edge

Coming into what is referred to as your edge. Your edge is that place your body just naturally goes to in a stretch. Typically within the first 30 seconds you will feel your edge open up, and you will drop further into the pose. Then for the next 2–5 minutes you’ll breathe and focus on what’s happening.

This is a great focus for your mind. Always going back to the breath, but also having the stress of the pose to hold you to the experience. Allowing your mind to stay focused on what’s happening in your body.

The active mind now has somewhere to focus those thoughts.

Inward.

On the experience.

You will begin to notice tension unwind in your body. As you breathe deep into these areas more space will open up. Bringing clarity to your thoughts and a deeper understanding of stress held inside your own body.

Physically, Yin Yoga will bring noticeable change to your body. You will notice your range of motion increase and feel more open in your joints. As your body opens up your heart will feel light.

And since we cannot think greater than the body feels, you will notice stress melt away as the tension is released.

After an hour of Yin Yoga you will feel harmony between your heart and your mind. This is because you allowed space between your stress and anxiety to breathe. You will feel more present in your life.

This is exactly what meditation does for your brain.

• Improves your immune system
• reducing blood pressure
• and improving your quality of sleep.

These are just some of the examples that you can look forward to.

Yin Yoga is often said to enhance the subtle body energy system. Refreshing, Rebalancing, and stimulating the flow of our vital life force, prana (or breath).

Meditation is a way to ground you. Nourishing your mind by allowing thoughts to float through like pictures on a screen or clouds gliding by in the sky.

The practice is to not attach to any one thought for too long.

Yin Yoga helps you create space between yourself and your thoughts. Instead of just thinking about how you’re thinking, and that you shouldn’t be thinking, it gives focus to your thoughts as you move slowly through your practice.

The more you practice Yin Yoga the longer you will be able to hold and go deeper into the pose. Once you realize that you are able to sit in stillness for 5 minutes, a meditation practice suddenly doesn’t feel so unattainable.

You’ve been curious about meditation, but hadn’t seen how it applied to your busy mind.

I’m here to tell you that you will not experience an empty mind and sudden bliss.

Phew!

Let that expectation go.

Learning to meditate through Yin Yoga allows you to let your mind just do its thing.

All you need to do is

• be curious about your inner world
• be still where no effort is required
• notice where your mind goes
• and breath.

In our outer world we are constantly being asked to achieve and accomplish. Here is your opportunity to just be.

Turn off the worries of your day and take an hour to feel what’s happening inside your body.

I guarantee those thoughts and worries will be waiting for you on the other side of class, so give yourself space to journey inside. Find out what comes up when all you have to do is be still and breathe.

Any form of meditation helps cultivate awareness. Yoga is designed to create harmony between the mind and body. They are one and the same. Opening you up to more space for conscious living. Creating paths in your body and mind that lead to great benefits. More peace of mind, tools for growth, insights into your life, and joy from within.

We all carry daily pressures from the outside world around with us. Yin Yoga offers us space for deep physical work, combined with a contemplative compassion for ourselves. Allowing our body, heart, and mind to heal. Leading you towards inner enlightenment and a strong meditation practice.