Doing Less: The Practice of Yin

Why do you need to do the most you possibly can right now? Why can't you just 'be'?

Wow. At the suggestion of a friend, I tried out the yin class at a local yoga studio. I've tried yoga a few other times in my life but I've always hated it. It seemed too slow, too quiet, too introspective when I like my fitness to be intense, high-energy, grunting, going to the point of near-exhaustion with just enough strength to walk home.

What I found so interesting about the practice of "yin" is that it goes against everything my body screams for. It's about doing less, thinking about your intentions for every single movement, focusing on being comfortable rather than working through pain. I was fighting against my anxiety for the entire hour.

Other yoga classes have used language like "find your happiness center" and "smile through your heart" which is the kind of spiritual language that I don't jive with. What this instructor did differently in her class was explain how to challenge our natural habits and actions in real life.

It's about Balance.

I can have 6 days of the week where I leave the gym barely being able to move my limbs, and days where I'm focusing on my senses, emotions, and movements in an intentional and respectful way.

Great start to my #YearOfBalance

--

What is "Year Of Balance"? Read my blog: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/lets-say-new-years-resolutions-yes-yearly-themes-claire-kennedy/