Yin and yang...A balancing act

You are probably familiar with the yin/yang symbol. Yin and yang represent opposite energies, the symbol represents bringing these energies into balance. This is what our yoga practice aims to do, bring us back into balance. Calming us when we are overstimulated and energizing us when we are sluggish. Yoga offers us different tools and practices to achieve balance but first we need to understand the difference between yin and yang energy. 
         

Yin energy is feminine. It is associated with the earth and the moon, it is calming and cooling. It is the ease we feel in a yoga posture. The opposite is Yang male energy; the sky and the sun, activity and warmth. The effort we put forth in our practice is yang. We consider these energies as opposites but in reality they are interrelated, each contains aspects of the other. 

Being out of balance leads to dis-ease in our life. When we are overstimulated and stressed out there is too much yang energy in our life. If we are feeling sluggish we have too much yin energy. Everything in life has either a yin or yang quality, finding a balance between yin and yang brings us a sense of harmony. 

Hatha yoga is a balanced practice, a little bit yin and a little bit yang. We seek to balance ease and effort. We begin with slow postures to warm up and get flexible. The practice then becomes more yang as we focus on strength and endurance. Once we cool down, stretch and relax in Shavasana we often notice a feeling of balance, of harmony. 

This month we concentrated on balancing poses. Our story for the month; My body and mind are in balance. Balancing has both yin and yang qualities; the poses require effort and ease, steadiness and subtle movement to stay upright. Feel the play of opposites, have fun and remember, when you wobble you are learning to balance! 

Tree pose; begin in mountain pose, bring the sole of one foot up to the inner calf or upper thigh, not against the knee, the bent knee should be pointing out to the side, press into the leg with the foot and into the foot with the leg, balance. Bring the hands together in prayer or you can slowly reach the arms overhead it you would like, hold the pose as you gaze forward. Repeat on the other side. 

Warrior III; begin in mountain pose, reach back with the left toes touching the earth, balance on the right foot, look down at the ground. Inhale and bring all of your weight onto the right foot, exhale and lift the left leg back while extending and reaching the torso forward, arms can reach forward or towards the toes. Keep the core engaged and the muscles of both legs working to bring the torso parallel to the ground. Gaze at the ground, breathe and balance. Gently return to upright and repeat on the other side. 


A guided relaxation for Shavasana

Get comfortable...the relaxation will help you to become aware of the yin and yang aspects of the breath. Balancing these energies brings health to the body and the mind. The inhale is yang; masculine and warming. The exhale is yin; feminine and cooling. Begin scanning your body, take your attention to your toes and feet, relax your toes and your feet. With each breath move your attention upward slowly and gently relaxing the body. On the inhale the belly rises and on the exhale the belly sinks. As you inhale imagine the sun warming you, filling you and lifting you, you expand and float upward. As you exhale the moon cools you, you become empty and soften, contracting and sinking. Imagine yourself floating and sinking, expanding and contracting. Stay here as long as you'd like and feel the peace of this balanced harmony. 

Mahalo, we serve.