Yin Yoga Explained.
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What is yoga?
The word yoga means ‘unity’ or ‘oneness’ and is derived from the Sanskrit word Yuj, which means ‘to join’. This unity, or joining, is described in spiritual terms as the union of individual consciousness with universal consciousness. This is seen even in the simple gesture of Namaste, where the right palm (which represents universal consciousness) and the left palm (which represents individual consciousness), are brought together as both palms come to touch.
Yoga is the ancient science of living in health and, as such, is intended to be incorporated into daily life, working on all aspects of a person: the physical, psychic (energetic), mental, emotional and spiritual. The gift of yoga is that over time and with practice it restores balance on the physical, psychical (energetic) and emotional levels and awakens one’s awareness to create opportunities to know profound peace, deep inner bliss and limitless self-freedom. It is ultimately a set of learned principles and techniques that can be applied to one’s entire lifestyle.
Some classic definitions of yoga:
Patanjali Yoga Sutras 1.2: “Yoga is to still the movement of the mind”
Yoga and Buddhism: “Yoga is the end of suffering”
Swami Sivananda Saraswati of Rishikesh: “Yoga is an integration and harmony between thought, feeling and deed, or an integration between head, heart and hand”
What is the yogic philosophy?
If you have 15 grandfather clocks together on the same wall, you will notice that after some time, all the pendulums become synchronised. This occurs naturally according to the law of mutual rhythms and vibrations. In our physical bodies, the various systems all have their functions to carry out, but there should be complete synchronicity between them. If any of the systems of the body are not in coordination with the rest, it means that not just one but all the systems are unbalanced.
According to the law of mutual rhythms, all you have to do to regain the health of the whole being is to bring one system to a state of health, then all the others will naturally follow suit.
The 5 koshas and 8 limbs of yoga practice:
Anna-maya kosha: Physical body
Prana-maya kosha: Energy body
Mano-maya kosha: Mental body
Vijnana-maya kosha: Wisdom body
Ananda-maya kosha: Bliss body
Over time, practising yoga takes us from the external discipline of the physical body inward to the energetic, the mental, the spiritual (or self-realisation) and then perhaps eventually to the transcendence of illusion and duality, otherwise known as bliss.
This is the personification of unity or oneness, which is the definition of yoga.
Yama: Behaviour
Niyama: Attitude/Self-discipline
Asana: Steady posture
Pranayama: Breath/Energy control
Pratyahara: Senses
Dharana: Concentration
Dhyana: Meditation
Samadhi: Truth/Bliss
These 8 limbs combine to encompass the practice of yoga, and the ultimate goal is to embody these many components simultaneously.
What is Yin yoga?
There are many branches of yoga:
Ashtanga
Hatha
Jivamukti
Bikram
Vinyasa
Kundalini
…to name but a few, and there are many texts to explain each in detail. Most will be aware that the practice of these branches involves the constant flow of movement in sync with the breath.
Yin yoga is different:
It is a much slower, more subtle, more meditative and introspective style of yoga. This change of pace allows us to tune into our thoughts and feelings. With the guidance of a good teacher, it gives us space and time to go deeper into the mind, something that is not afforded in other faster-paced styles. Yin makes us work with deeper layers within our body - physically, mentally and emotionally.
There is a lot of attention placed on our bodies connective tissues, on the deep release of muscle tension, but also our energy points and channels - bringing together a combination of Hatha yoga asana and Chinese Medicine. Yin yoga examines, in greater detail than any other style of practice, the mental aspect of yoga. Cultivation of stillness, or the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, is one of the main intentions of the Yin practice.
Short-term benefits:
As well as the deep release of muscle tension, the key benefit of Yin yoga in the short-term is that it allows us to access the calm, quiet centre that lies within. To begin to slowly untangle physical knots, energetic blocks and stagnant emotion held deep within our bodies, while practising stillness, patience and self-compassion - virtues we are not often applauded for in today's busy, chaotic, task-oriented world.
Long-term benefits:
In the long-term, Yin yoga teaches us to sit with resistance, to observe discomfort in our bodies with softness and kindness rather than narrative and reactivity. Over time it affords us a much deeper level of self-awareness and insight of both mind and body, and this is the single most vital tool for agency, autonomy, self-development and personal change.
Attempting to master its practice has changed my life and is an ongoing journey.
What are the scientific benefits of Yin yoga?
Okay, now for the part I like most, the science.
Stress gets demonised a lot these days. But it’s not all bad. There are some good types of stress, called eustress. Biologically these stressors are things like high-intensity exercise, certain types of breathwork, like that practised during the Wim Hof Method, heat stress from the sauna or cold stress from ice baths or cryotherapy. Psychologically, these are stressors like striving towards a challenging personal goal, riding a rollercoaster or even going on a first date. Social stress, work-related stress and even certain types of short-lived acute fear can be good for us. However, there is a point for each individual at which, even good stress, gets overwhelming – this is when we move outside our subjective internal coping skills and into distress.
There are some very obvious examples of distress like grief, loss, heartache, illness, abuse, neglect and personal or financial difficulties. But there is also the far less obvious internal psychological distress of overwhelming rumination, that is worrying about past experiences that have occurred or future possibilities that may occur. This is considered chronic distress, and chronic distress perturbs many biological processes in the body such as cognitive functioning (studies have shown it quite literally leads to neuronal cell death), gut permeability and its associated increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine production from immune cells. Inflammation has been identified as one of the key drivers of the ageing process. In fact, the Blue Zone Study, a global study of health and longevity, found that a low level of inflammation was the only biomarker that predicted survival in centenarians (a person who has reached the age of 100 years) and supercentenarians.
To keep it simple, chronic distress or the type of constant, low-level stress we are often exposed to as part of modern living is just not good. Stress-related inflammation shortens telomeres - these are the very important nucleotide sequences that hold together the end of each chromosome, protecting our DNA - it damages our tissues, wrecks havoc with our immune system and our endocrine system.
But there is some good news…
We can lower inflammation and mitigate the negative effects of chronic stress:
One highly effective strategy for buffering stress is the meditative practice of Yin yoga. Firstly, meditation and breathwork help to lower inflammation in the body and strengthen vagal tone, similar to the Wim Hof Method.
But research also suggests that guided meditative practices by their very nature immediately pull us out of rumination and further protect the brain through the production of gamma waves. Gamma waves in the brain are a sign of neuroplasticity, which is linked to a capacity to learn new things and change our synapses as a consequence of new behaviours. Neuroplasticity makes your brain more resilient and slows cognitive ageing. It is incredibly empowering to know that neural plasticity can be modulated through lifestyles choices like yoga.
Meditative practices also increase the brain’s grey matter. This is the area of the brain associated with working memory and higher function, executive decision making. Grey matter is also where the omega-3 fatty acid DHA is enriched. DHA protects the brain against cognitive decline. As we age, our brains atrophy and we lose some of that grey matter. But meditation may increase brain volume in areas of the brain related to learning, memory, neurotransmitter production, empathy, compassion, attention, and self-relevance, while decreasing activity of the amygdala, the area of the brain involved in anxiety and fear.
And the good news doesn’t stop there…
Not only does meditation slow cognitive ageing, but it also slows biological ageing by slowing the shortening of telomeres, protecting your DNA. Studies by telomere experts Elizabeth Blackburn at UCSF and Elisa Epel show that meditation buffers the stress that shortens telomeres and activates the gene that encodes for the enzyme telomerase, which can extend the length of telomeres and thus the length of your healthspan.
For more on the science, may I refer you to my favourite biochemist Dr Rhonda Patrick, PhD:
References
Braboszcz, C., Cahn, B. R., Levy, J., Fernandez, M., & Delorme, A. (2017). Increased Gamma Brainwave Amplitude Compared to Control in Three Different Meditation Traditions. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5261734/
Buettner, D., & Skemp, S. (2016). Blue Zones: Lessons From the World's Longest Lived. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6125071/
Duman, R. S. (2009). Neuronal damage and protection in the pathophysiology and treatment of psychiatric illness: stress and depression. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181922/
Epel, E., Daubenmier, J., Moskowitz, J. T., Folkman, S., & Blackburn, E. (2009). Can meditation slow rate of cellular aging? Cognitive stress, mindfulness, and telomeres. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3057175/
Hölzel, B. K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S. M., Gard, T., & Lazar, S. W. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004979/
Mathur, M. B., Epel, E., Kind, S., Desai, M., Parks, C. G., Sandler, D. P., & Khazeni, N. (2016). Perceived stress and telomere length: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and methodologic considerations for advancing the field. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5590630/
Mukdibodhananda, S. (2000). Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Mungher, India: Bihar School of Yoga
Saraswati, S. (2003). Asana, Pranayama, Mudra and Bandha. Munger, India: Yoga Publications Trust