Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur) - Hindustan Times (Jaipur) - City
Practise yin yoga to manage stress and improve sleep
Yin yoga is gentle and slow but very effective at reducing stress and driving up energy levels. Not as popular as some other energetic forms of yoga such as vinyasa and ashtanga are, but it’s quite effective. Spring is the perfect season to discover yin yoga, which is similar in some ways to meditation, and never fails to make an impact. Yin yoga, which was invented about 20 years ago, is not concerned with the aesthetics of a pose, muscular strength or perfect alignment. It is a meditative activity with a focus on deep breathing, which enables us to slow down and accept the feelings which appear in the present moment, without setting any objectives. Unlike the other more energetic forms of yoga, the poses, which must be held on the floor between 3 and 5 minutes, require concentration and relaxation. The stretches are intense, reaching deep below the surface of the skin in connecting tissue, tendons, ligaments and joints, where there may be long-standing tension. Once this tension has been released, energy can circulate freely in the body. Yin yoga counterbalances our fast-paced lifestyles, targeting our inner being. It can surprise fans of skiing, running, and the very physical forms of yoga, as it can be challenging for them to “do nothing.” Typical yin yoga poses include the butterfly, the dragonfly, the child, the half-shoelace, the shoelace, the plow, the bell, the sphinx, the seal, the dragon and the camel. Yin yoga classes, which are
As you begin shopping for your summer essentials in this sweltering heat, it’s time to take style hints from our fashion savvy men, who are sporting the coolest accessible to all, use various props (cushions, bricks, bolsters, blankets, etc.) that help the body in relaxing and achieving a pose more easily (by putting your head on a block, rather than on the floor, for example). The poses can therefore be held comfortably for several minutes. While yoga in general is known to be good for health, yin yoga is particularly good for managing stress, improving sleep, and stretching the back and the whole body. On the energy front, the opening and stretching poses revitalize the organs by following traditional Chinese medicine’s meridians. Immunity is therefore strengthened. And in the spring, working on the liver and gall bladder meridians can help with a detox. So get cracking!
YIN YOGA IS PARTICULARLY GOOD FOR MANAGING STRESS, IMPROVING SLEEP, AND STRETCHING THE BACK AND THE WHOLE BODY