Yin is in! Yin yoga has been with us for centuries, since the beginning of hatha yoga; but since the early 19th century, yoga has become more and more yang-like in nature: more active, hot, sweaty, muscular, and demanding. Everything requires balance, and yin yoga is the balancing practice for yang forms of yoga. Yin yoga is slow, deliberate, calming, and yes, challenging, yet allowing. It is the “other half” of your practice that you may have been craving.
In yin yoga there is time. . . lots of time: time to explore sensations; time to learn the appropriate depth for you in each posture; time to develop the habits of attending, noticing, and making appropriate decisions.
Yin yoga explores the edges where resistance arises: This resistance may be physical, but there are other edges to become aware of as well—emotional and psychological edges are also to be noticed and honored. On a physical level, yin yoga targets and affects our deepest layers: the connective tissues, which include our fascia, ligaments, joints, cartilage, and bones. All tissues need exercise to regain and maintain optimal health, and these deeper tissues are no exception. But, to safely exercise the deeper, yin-like tissues of our body we need to use yin-like stresses.
In this training, you’re invited to learn the techniques of yin yoga in a way that will allow you to share this practice with others. Bernie Clark and Diana Batts will guide you through the theory behind yin yoga, illustrating the physiological, energetic, and psychological benefits. You’ll also dive deeply into the practice, learning how to safely do yin yoga as well as teach it to others. You will find that your teaching of all styles of yoga will be affected through the many “Aha!” moments you’ll experience.
You’ll gain a new awareness of the wide range of anatomical human variation, which includes your own uniqueness, and you will be able to answer the question: “What stops me?” And, you’ll learn all about the concepts of tension and compression and how tension can arise from a variety of causes, not just short, tight muscles.
Training Structure
This training will consist of seven consecutive five and a half hour days (with a 30-minute break) beginning on November 15, 2021; however, there is a lot of flexibility for students who cannot devote a full week to the course. For students unable to view the entire day’s video, or for those in different time zones, the videos will be recorded and can be viewed at any other convenient time.
Pre-recorded yoga classes are scheduled for you to take on specific days during the seven-day training. For example, on the first day, your first one-hour class should be taken either before or after you’ve finished watching the first day’s presentation. On the second day, there are two one-hour classes to take. In this way, you can complete all 11 pre-recorded classes by the end of the week. However, if time does not allow a student to take these classes within a one-week period, the student can take the missed classes during the following week instead.
This training is designed for students who have been practicing yoga for at least one year and want to deepen their understanding of the practice. Prior experience in yin yoga is not required. You do not have to be a yoga teacher nor desire to become one, but you are expected to have a passion for yoga.
You’ll explore the varied benefits of yoga in general and yin yoga in particular to help motivate you and your students to commit to practice. This training will also help you learn how to safely adapt yin yoga for your unique biology and biography.
You’ll learn a unique way to deepen your overall practice and address tissues rarely worked in more active yang styles of yoga. Plus, this training provides:
Information about the philosophy and practice of yin yoga
An exploration of the similarities between Eastern models of mind/body/energy principles (both Daoist and yogic) and Western scientific models
An understanding of the difference between yin and yang styles of yoga
Information about physiology and anatomy—from the bones outward including the limits to movement and the significance of skeletal variation
Insight into energy including prana, qi (chi) and the meridians, and Western energy medicine
An exploration of Eastern and Western mindfulness practices and how you can incorporate them into your yoga practice
Detailed instructions for practicing and teaching the most common yin yoga asanas: butterfly, half butterfly, caterpillar, straddle, shoelace, swan, dragon, sphinx, seal, bananasana, supported bridge, and reclining twist
Discussions on the best practices for teaching yin yoga and how to modify the practice for students’ unique bodies and/or specific conditions
Information about how to tactfully and scientifically address common concerns raised about yin yoga
