Yin Yoga in Leicester – 3rd Tues of the month 7pm Houghton village hall, Leicester
What is Yin yoga? Yin Yoga, (unlike a traditional hatha or vinyasa “yang” yoga) is a much slower practice, where poses are held for longer promoting peace and relaxation. Yin Yoga targets the connective tissues, which include our fascia, ligaments, joints, cartilage, and bones. This makes Yin Yoga a great complement to Hatha and Vinyasa practices. Yin yoga sequences are slow paced with long holds and they usually contain fewer poses than hatha or vinyasa sequences. This is to enable you to explore sensation and to better get to know your body, allowing you to figure out how “deeply” to go (or not go) in each pose. Props such as bolsters, blocks, blankets and belts are used for participants to find the right level of comfort and effort in each pose, and to make postures accessable to all regardless of body type or level of flexibility.
Benefits of Yin Yoga:
- Release of the body – holding poses allows the body to release into them more deeply.
- Calming of the mind as yin is a slow meditative practice
- Help with stiffness, achy joints or limited joint mobility by loading connective tissue which lose elasticity if they are underused (which can happen if you have a mostly sedentary lifestyle) or as a natural byproduct of aging.
- Promotes flexibility, supports joints and ligaments making them stronger.
- Aid ability to sit longer aiding in long car journies and meditation
- An opportunity to just be, stilling the mind, diving deeply into body and mind
About Somatics:
- Origin: Somatics was created by Professor and theorist Thomas Hanna in 1976.
- Focus: Somatics emphasises the individual’s internal experience of the body, rather than external appearances or external observation.
- Practices: Somatic practices include movement, and other techniques that promote self-awareness and body-mind connection.
- Benefits: Somatics can help improve flexibility, reduce pain, increase strength, and promote emotional regulation.
- Relationship to the Mind: Somatic therapy recognises the mind-body connection and explores how the body can hold and express trauma, emotions, and experiences
About Sound Baths: Simply lie down on a yoga mat with a blanket and pillow and relax whilst I play a variety of instruments around and over the body to facilitate calm, relaxation and healing. Sound baths are a highly accessible form of meditation as you’re listening to the sounds of the instruments so the monkey mind is a lot less likely to wonder!
What to expect:
The session will begin with somatics in order to arrive fully present in the body. We will then progress onto Yin Yoga and finally a Sound Bath.
What to bring:
A yoga mat, pillow or cushion and blanket. Yoga mats will be available if you don’t have one. All other props are provided, however if you have your own blocks, belt and bolster you may wish to bring that along
Location:
Houghton on the Hill Village Hall Main Street, Houghton on the Hill, Leicstershire, LE7 9GE Google maps link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Nk227TVGDcPjsXV7A