Yin yoga is rapidly gaining popularity. The postures that you adopt in this form of yoga are mainly aimed at strengthening and relaxing connective tissue and joints; they stretch deeper muscles and loosen the pelvic area. Initially, the postures are intended to allow you to meditate longer in the Lotus position, but it is also a nice exercise for those who have a sedentary profession.
In Yin yoga, positions are held for longer, so you have more time to explore and push your limits. You don’t use your body to get into a posture, but you use the posture to feel better. It is therefore the relatively calm nature of a Yin yoga class that appeals to most participants. Because you don’t have to move very intensively, you can really take the time for your body which makes this class very successful.
The founder of Yin yoga is the American Paul Grilley, who has been teaching yoga and anatomy since 1980. He bases his theory on the researches and writings of Hiroshi Motoyama, a Tokyo yogi and scientist with extensive knowledge of energy pathways and acupuncture.
Yoga Nidra is a form of deep meditative relaxation where you follow a voice that leads you through a structured meditation. It is therefore not an active form of Yoga, and everyone can do it! Literally translated Yoga Nidra means: yoga sleep or sleep of the yogis. But it’s anything but sleeping like you do at night. Through Yoga Nidra you achieve a deep, dreamless sleep with a trace of awareness and connection with your environment. The deep relaxation creates theta and delta brain waves, you reach a trance state in which experiences and fragments of memories are processed, muscle tension and stress in the body decreases and blood pressure and heart rate drop. This has a very healing effect on body and mind.
During Yoga Nidra you are first brought into relaxation where you make contact with your sankalpa, which freely translated means intention or heart’s desire. Then you are guided through the whole body by following a voice through all body parts, which ensures that you relax even more deeply. The theme of Nidra is always changing. Think of the seasons, moods, chakras or deep relaxation. The theme runs like a red thread through the Nidra and after the journey through the body is discussed in the visualizations and the introduction of opposites: such as warm and cold or light and heavy, tense and relaxed.This puts the rational brain out of play even more, deepens relaxation and brings together the opposites that can change the neurological pathways in the brain. Then you go back to your breathing, your sankalpa and slowly back to an awake state after which the Yoga Nidra is completed.