05 Oct Yin & Yang
Friday was really going my way. I woke up with a bounce in my step. There was no traffic on my drive into the office at 8am (in addition to owning and teaching at Aspire, I also work a full-time job) and all morning I was knocking things out left and right. I enjoyed a really nice patio lunch with a couple co-workers. At 2pm, I got an email from my boss saying to wrap up work and go home at 4pm to enjoy the beautiful weather! I felt really in the flow.
Willie feeling better!
When I got home and walked in the door, I could tell immediately that something was amiss. And then I found it. Yep, right there in the living room was a huge, and I mean HUGE disgusting pile of dog diarrhea. Poor Willie wasn’t feeling well and lucky me, I got to clean up the stinky, nasty mess (you’re welcome for not sharing a photo!). Instead of letting it ruin my AWESOME day, I decided I’d turn the negative into a positive and make it the topic of this week’s blog post.
I’m sure you can relate to what happened. There was a time in my life, probably not too long ago, that I would’ve let that hiccup ruin the rest of my day and obsessed about how OF COURSE that happened — I’m having a great day and then it gets pooped on, literally. I’m positive that my consistent yoga and meditation practice helped me just go with the flow and continue my day with peace in my heart. Life is all about finding balance; not letting the high points get too high or the lows too low.
Finding the yin and yang balance is also important on our yoga mats. Physically challenging forms of yoga are considered Yang styles. The flip side of the coin would be a restorative, Yin style. Yin yoga is super complimentary to an active Yang yoga practice, and is also excellent for students who participate in highly-athletic sports like running, CrossFit, biking, football, etc. Practicing restorative yoga helps bring balance to an intense workout schedule and allows active students to slow down a bit and tune into tense and tight places in their bodies.
Here are just a few of the known benefits of Yin yoga:
– Calms and balances the mind and body
– Increases flexibility in joints & connective tissues
– Helps with rehabilitation after an injury
– Lowers blood pressure
– Relieves muscle tension
– Reduces anxiety
– Improves circulation
– Strengthens the mind and body connection
We offer Restorative Yin-Yang Yoga Fusion classes at Aspire Yoga Center. This style class combines a very gentle flow practice with Yin yoga. It typically begins with a short, gentle flow that helps to create openness, awareness and a sense of steadiness. The Yin portion focuses on releasing tension in the body and relaxation of connective tissues. Poses are held for longer periods of time than in a yang-style class, sometimes up to five minutes or longer, which helps the body to surrender and release deeply held, stagnant energy.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, overstressed or overworked, then give our Restorative Yin-Yang Yoga Fusion class a try and experience the healing benefits for yourself. This class is suitable for students of all levels and is offered twice a week on Wednesday evenings from 5:30-6:30PM and Saturday mornings from 9:30-10:30AM. Give it a whirl and see for yourself whether it helps you to find some much-needed balance.