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Yin and Yang: Where do you fit in?

Is your yoga (or any physical activity) style more yin or more yang? If you have no idea what I’m talking about, let’s dissect this a little bit. The yin and yang discussion is old – like really old. Ancient traditional medical systems used yin and yang as ways to describe tendencies or energies, almost like the two sides of a coin. Those who were alive in the 80’s and early 90’s might remember what were called ying yang necklaces. I had one as a friendship necklace where I kept one side and a friend wore the other. Ten years later, I learned what they actually were about! Yin vs yang isn’t an argument, it isn’t a “which is better” kind of scenario, it simply describes two often opposing, but mutually-existing sides or energies or concepts. Esoteric, I know. Stay with me.

Yin and Yang

Yang is about active, muscular, cardiovascular, masculine, etc. Yang energy is most found in more superficial (meaning not deep) areas of the body (think muscles and skin). If you are a yang type, one who loves vinyasa flow, hot yoga, running or thrive on your go-go-go lifestyle, taking time to slow down, look inward and try a more passive practice could be just what you need to feel balanced.

Yin is about passive, sustained, deep, feminine, etc. Yin energy is most prevalent deep in the body, in deep organs and not surprisingly, in the deep connective tissues of the joints (think ligaments and tendons). If you are a yin type, one who loves naps, isn’t super motivated by success or working really hard, but still enjoy a mental or physical challenge from time to time, you might need to gently force yourself to engage in more yang activities from time-to-time.

We always want to do what comes naturally to us, but sometimes we have enough of that energy and what we really need is more of the opposite – it’s the symbiotic relationship of yin and yang, trying to find that balance of the two in each of us. Go-getters often need rest. Resters need challenge and activity. Take a moment to think about how you fit into this, like really be honest with yourself. Finding balance between the two, unique to each of us, is the key.

Yin and Yang in Yoga

I’m not going to talk about yang styles of yoga because they are most common in our culture. Fast-paced, flow, sweaty, hot, challenging, cardiovascular – we all know this yoga, this is what yoga means to many in our culture because it’s what’s out there. But not everywhere!

So exists a wonderful form of yoga called yin. Now, some places use yin and restorative kind of interchangeably, but that isn’t really correct. Restorative is totally passive, no noticeable stretch (usually), lots of props and staying in poses for 10 mins or more to really relax, restore and rest every fiber of your being. Sounds lovely, right?! It is. It’s like a nap for adults, but is super therapeutic and necessary for people with high stress, which is most of us. Our culture breeds stress, and restorative yoga combats stress.

Yin yoga, on the other hand, is still passive, but not as passive as restorative, with shorter holds, less props and a whole lot more mental and physical challenge. Yin yoga targets the deep connective tissues, and those tissues aren’t as pliable or flexible as muscle fibers, they are firm, hard and lumpy. In yin, we gently tug on those tissues, helping to lengthen them and remove areas of toxin buildup, leading to more flexible, lubricated joints, easier movement of energy throughout the body and a truly mindful experience. It’s not really a stretch, because it’s done super slowly, mindfully and patiently. These same types of poses done in a yang manor could cause some serious injury to joints and tissues. It’s hard work but often hard to explain because the premise is very different than the yoga most of us know and love. Targeting the connective tissues creates a lot of sensation, and learning to sit with that sensation for a while (3-5 minutes per side per pose) is really challenging.

What to Expect in a Yin Class

Expect a challenge. I know what you’re thinking, passive yoga, no sweating, no quick movement and sure-as-hell no chaturangas – how can that be challenging? My first yin class, I was a sweaty mess even though I was totally still. I was cusing out the teacher, feeling totally inadequate and wanting to cry because it was so hard. At the end of class, I felt like a million bucks. Limber, loose, lubricated and totally relaxed, calm and peaceful. How could this be?

I kept going back, and so did others. These classes were always packed and with many regular, committed students who saw, very quickly, the benefits of such a practice. It’s good for the body (lubrication, energy movement, flexibility) but also good for the mind. The framework for the class as I was taught it is rooted in mindfulness meditation, so really feeling the sensations and learning great body and mind awareness.

There are a couple rules for the class:

1) Enter the pose mindfully and slowly

2) Come to your appropriate edge, meaning you can’t go any deeper without it being too deep, yet it’s definitely not easy. Finding the edge is most important – it comes through discernment and practice. Many people are afraid to come to that edge in the beginning or don’t know where it is.

3) Commit to holding the pose in stillness for 3-5 minutes – no fidgeting, no wiggling – stillness

4) Movement is definitely allowed if you ever have pain (but we need to learn to distinguish between pain and discomfort)

5) Tap into deep breathing and mindful awareness while holding the pose

6) Come out of the pose even more slowly and mindfully than you went in

Any pose could theoretically be done in a yin way, but there are several poses ideal to yin classes. They include pigeon, seated wide-leg forward bend, triangle, wide-leg child’s pose, and others. Your teacher’s role is to help you stay focused, remind you of the rules of the class that you agreed to by being there and bringing your attention back to the mindful awareness. They are they to provide modifications whenever a pose causes pain and to help you through the inevitable mental chatter. Physical adjustments are rare, because I believe it’s dangerous to adjust someone when they are at a physical edge, but gentle touches of support might occur.

Want to Learn More?

The discussion of yin and yang is much (MUCH) more complex and detailed than I’ve even given credit to. But understanding the basics is a great place to start. To learn more, there are many books available on the topic. I am a fan of Sarah Powers and Paul Grilley, the superstars of yin in the states. They have books with poses and instructions and information about yin and yang and how to apply the practice to your life. For learning more and applying these poses to a home practice, the books are really great.

For those interested in taking classes, use the power of the internet to find a class near you. The style isn’t super popular yet, so many places won’t have any classes, but they are out there. For those of you in my neck of the woods, I will be starting to teach a weekly class Monday evenings 8-9:15 pm at Tadasana Mountain Yoga in Nederland, CO. I would love to see you there.

I’m also happy to answer any specific quesitons you have about yin, yang, yoga or otherwise. Leave them in the comments!

{Photo from Morguefile}

5 Yoga Lessons to Apply to Your Job Hunt

by Amber Erickson

Note: This post first appeared on Brazen Life, a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. See the original post on Brazen Life.

When you’re in the deep trenches of job seeking, the last thing you’re likely thinking about is yoga. You probably have more pressing issues to deal with. Perhaps you’re worried about how to pay next month’s rent or can’t shake that the dreadful feeling you’ll never find employment again.

Yoga can help these worries and job-hunting related stressors in more ways than one. It’s a great way to break away from the job hunting boards to refresh your mind and body. And, it provides some powerful lessons along the way:

1. Flexibility is key

While you don’t have to be flexible to do yoga, it helps. The more you practice, the more flexible you become.

Job seeking is similar. Being flexible in your search and related activities will help you see open doors where you may not be looking. Sticking to a rigid job seeking routine takes impressive determination, but it could also be limiting your potential.

The universe works in strange ways. That person you didn’t stop to talk to because you had a routine to follow could’ve been a door you chose not to walk through. These proverbial doors can be anywhere.

Be open to the possibilities, be flexible in your day and remain curious about where opportunities may be hiding. Consider applying for jobs outside of your field, brainstorm how you could create your own dream job, take your search beyond the traditional job boards (Twitter, anyone?) and get out there and network.

2. Embrace the journey

This may be the hardest of all. We’re always focused on the end goal. Looking for a job is time consuming, tedious and frustrating. Embracing the journey seems impossible, but at least entertain the idea of enjoying each step of the process.

Can you find any benefits to being unemployed? Or if you hate your job and are looking for a new one, maybe there’s a reason to hold on for a bit longer. Stay open to finding the message or important life lesson in the job hunting experience.

Think about what you’ve applied for, the people you’ve met and what you can see yourself doing next. Take it one day at a time. One application after the other. Take each rejection or milestone as they come.

One potentially disastrous outcome of letting desperation rule your search for employment is that you could end up in the wrong job. Attempting to embrace the journey will allow you to stay focused on letting the process unfold as it will and taking the opportunity that is right for you.

3. Breathe through the difficult periods

In a challenging yoga pose, as in much of life, we forget to breathe. Yes, breathing is an involuntary action, but in yoga, the goal is to do it consciously.

The poses become easier if you anchor your breathing. If you get into a tight pose, breathe into your low belly or into the spot of discomfort. Where your attention goes, your energy will follow.

In stressful situations, such as job seeking, remembering to breathe into the discomfort can help you relax, feel better and reduce tension-related illnesses (such as tension headaches).

If job seeking gets to be too much, go for a walk or do something you enjoy to clear your head and reconnect with your mission. Sometimes taking a moment to breathe is all that’s needed.

4. Have faith in your abilities

Sometimes yoga students need an experienced teacher to guide them into more challenging poses. They may think they can’t do it, but with some guidance and faith in themselves, crazy things are possible.

We often don’t give ourselves enough credit in our abilities. It’s not easy to suddenly believe you’re awesome (p.s. you are!), but luckily, you can fake it to start. The human brain doesn’t distinguish between a real smile and a fake smile. Similarly, just telling yourself how awesome you are can make you believe it.

Take a little time each day, or throughout the day, to remind yourself of your awesomeness. Take stock of what you’re capable of, what you have to offer employers and what obstacles you’ve overcome to get to this place. And beyond just believing in yourself, practice applying for jobs and interviewing with confidence.

5. Beware of your mind playing tricks on you

We all think the mind is so great and powerful, and it is! We have the ability to learn and create and do all these wonderful things—but the mind is not always an ally.

It tries to tell us we’re not good enough, pretty enough, young enough or smart enough. Applying for jobs with that mentality is destructive.

For whatever job or career you aspire to, take steps every day to get there and notice what your mind is doing. Just being aware of destructive thoughts or habits is enough (you don’t have to try to ignore them or actively change them). Recognize them as your mind trying to hold you back. As Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

The hardest part of yoga is dealing with the mind. It’s as if the mind’s job is to distract us from our goals and lead us off our path. Notice when your mind is playing these tricks on you and don’t give in.

Repeat after me: “I am enough, I have enough, I do enough. I will find a job I love.” And breathe.

Amber Erickson Gabbey, MA, is a freelance writer, holistic health expert and yoga instructor. She blogs at Mindfully Written with the goal of inspiring and empowering others to be their healthiest selves.

Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work. Be Brazen!

One Simple Yoga Pose to Relax and Restore

by Amber Erickson

Rather than the sweaty, muscular yoga that is so popular here in the West, let’s talk about a whole different thing. Restorative Yoga. It’s like a yoga nap for adults and leaves you feeling refreshed, relaxed and ready to take on the world. Perhaps a little sleepy too, I should add.

I am a huge fan of restorative and teach it from time to time. There aren’t many poses and each one is held for a long time – 10 or more minutes. The goal is to allow your nervous system to settle down and allow you to really rest. No wandering mind, no to-do lists, no planning or stressing or preparing, just resting, in totally comfortable, supported poses and breathing.

The recent restorative class I taught, a 75-minute class, one student mentioned afterward that it took up until the last pose (an hour in) for her to really calm down. She left feeling amazing, relaxed and without the strain of the stress she came in with. Pretty powerful stuff.

Here are all the details for my absolute favorite restorative pose, reclined bound angle pose, or Supta Baddha Konasana. It’s a gentle heart opener, gentle backbend and super relaxing if you get the props just right.

Supta = reclined

Baddha = bound

Kona = angle

Asana = pose

Before you Begin

Just like most poses, there are many ways to do this pose and the use of props can make it slightly different feeling. I’ll walk you through my favorite version, and one that is easy to do at home (with minimal supplies).

What you’ll need:

Yoga Mat (or soft carpeted area free from distractions)
Eye Pillow or Scarf
At Least Three Blankets (at least two the same or similar size/thickness)
One Bolster or Cushion (or you can use a thick blanket or two stacked in a rectangular shape)

Before you get started, prepare your props. If you don’t have a bolster, fold blankets to make a cushion long enough to support your body from sacrum to head or use cushions or pillows from your couch or bedroom (see the photo to help get an idea of what to use). Fold a blanket 4+ times to make a small pillow. Make sure your eye pillow is within reach once you recline. Fold two more blankets into small squares, attempting to keep them relatively even (you’ll use one to support each leg). If you get chilly, have another blanket handy to cover yourself. Place the bolster (or folded blankets) with pillow parallel to the sides of your yoga mat, with one end of the bolster directly behind you.

Doing the Pose

Start seated with your legs out straight (Dandasana), with the bolster touching your sacrum/lower back
Bring the soles of your feet together (into a butterfly position) with your knees bent out to the side
Find the right spacing for your feet. Avoid putting them too close to avoid strain on the muscles.
Prop yourself up to make sure you’re sitting on your sitting bones, without rounding your pelvis (tucking) or forcibly arching your low back (tilting). This will create a neutral spine to start with.
Find your two evenly sized blankets and place one under each knee to support the weight of your legs and limit the stretch through your groin. Resist the urge to feel a deep stretch, that isn’t what this is about. The goal is support, ease and comfort. Play around with where the blanket is placed (closer to the midline of your body or further away) depending on how flexible you are.
Then lower yourself down onto your bolster/blankets, allowing your low back to slightly arch. If this arch is too much, lower your cushion.
Make sure your pillow is in the right place. You don’t want your chin to be too close to your chest, as this negatively impacts the curve of the cervical spine (neck), so make sure you adjust the height so your neck is long and stable and comfortable enough to relax.
If you are likely to get cold, use your extra blanket to cover your whole body for warmth.
Find your eye pillow and place it over your eyes so it’s dark enough for you to turn inward. If you don’t have an eye pillow, you could use a scarf of other lightweight material that isn’t see-through.
Finally tuck your shoulder blades down your back, keeping relaxed shoulders.
Allow your arms to fall down toward your sides and out away from your body as far as is comfortable. Turn your palms toward the sky.

Take your time getting set and then allow yourself a couple moments to find the sweet spot. Wiggle around if you need. Rock your head side to side. Find a comfortable position and then find stillness. Begin to focus on your breathing, attempting to fill your torso with air on every inhale, without strain or striving. Allow the breath to move effortlessly and smoothly.

Stay in this position for as long as you’d like. There is no maximum. Some suggest it takes 15 minutes for our bodies to settle down and relax completely, so play around with times.

To come out of the pose, roll onto your right side, being mindful that you’re raised off the ground and rest there for a few moments, mentally preparing yourself for movement again. Come to seated, open your eyes and either move through a home practice, move into seated meditation or get up off your mat, rested and restored.

Try it out and let me know how it goes. Any questions or feedback? Post them in the comments!

Because Standing is Not Always Easy: How to do Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

by Amber Erickson

If you’ve ever been to a yoga class and did sun salutations – or came to standing at all – you were doing Tadasana, or mountain pose. You just stand there right?! Wrong. Well, that’s maybe what you and most of the class were doing, but there is so much more depth to this pose when it’s broken down into pieces.

Just like every yoga pose, if you take the time to carefully learn and practice all the actions of the pose, you come to see just how complex and thought-out this practice is and how powerful the poses can be in their full expression.

Let’s get to it. We’ll start at the feet and work upward.

Note: This is detailed, complex stuff, so don’t stress about remembering every piece or perfecting the pose, just try it out and see how it feels. You might remember one of these pieces in your next class, and that is a success in my mind. Also, if something doesn’t make sense, just move on. What matters most is your safety, comfort and the feeling of the pose.

Feet

Come to standing at the top of your mat. Look at your feet. Make sure they are hip-width distance apart – this doesn’t mean the outer skin on the hips, but where your upper leg bone (femur) connects into the socket. The goal is to have the legs straight down from that socket, not too narrow or wide. Next, look at your feet. Are you rolling onto the inner or outer edge? Is your weight balanced on your toes or heel? Take a couple moments to pay attention as this is probably your default reaction. Attempt to find balance on your feet, with the weight spread evenly toes to heel and inner arch to outer edge. Also make sure the feet are parallel to each other.

Lastly, press firmly into the ball mount of the big toe. This will help you feel grounded and firm in your footing.

Legs

The legs start with the feet. If you press into that big toe ball mount and lift your toes off the mat, you may feel your quadriceps (or the muscles of the upper leg, above the knee) engage. This muscular engagement lifts the kneecaps slightly, protecting the knee and keeping the legs stable and grounded. Be careful not to hyperextend the knee – if you are prone to hyperextension, think about bending your knees ever so slightly. It’ll feel like they are bent (because you are used to them being hyperextended), but really they will be at neutral.

Lastly with the legs, think about your inner thighs rolling toward the wall behind you, giving a slightly internally rotated hip. If this makes no sense to you, skip it.

Pelvis

I don’t want to talk about the hips, because anatomically, when we talk about hips, we are really not – make sense? The hip is the joint, the area around the hip joint is more accurately the pelvis (when speaking about bones). Most of us ignore our pelvis all together even though it’s a relatively large (not to mention important) area. If you haven’t before, take a moment to find your pelvis. You can feel the upper ridge if you push into the meaty area on the sides of your waist and the boney protrusion you can feel when sitting on a hard surface is the bottom of the pelvis. The base of the spine ends up here and there are tons of muscles and connective tissues holding stuff together.

In Tadasana, we want a neutral pelvis. This means you aren’t sticking out your tailbone and you’re aren’t bringing your bellybutton to your pubic bone. Think about pointing your tailbone straight down to the floor and simultaneously engaging your lower abdomen. Make sure your “hips” are balanced – more accurately, make sure your pelvis isn’t tipping to one side or the other. Many of us have uneven leg length or spinal problems that lead to a naturally unbalanced pelvis, but visualizing a stable, balanced pelvis will help in this pose.

Chest

Stacking onto the neutral pelvis, you want to create a neutral spine by visually stacking each vertebra on top of the other, reflecting the natural curve of the spine. Make sure you aren’t leaning forward, back or to the side. You want to make sure your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and ears are in a straight line if viewed from the side.

Allow your heart to lift slightly, thinking about shining your sternum (or chest) up and out. This isn’t an arch of the back or a muscular effort, but more of a straightening of your posture. We want to avoid a rounded spine, with is like protecting the heart. Let your beautiful heart shine!

Head

Adding again onto the stacked spine, make sure your head is on straight. Keep your ears over your shoulders, avoiding the forward head position we’ve become accustomed to. Lift your chin slightly to ensure you are looking straight ahead.

Arms

Holding everything else still, relax your shoulders, allowing your shoulder blades to slide down your back toward your bum. You want your shoulders to be as far away from your ears as is comfortable. Let your arms come straight down at your sides, noticing if the are in front of your behind the center line from ear to ankle. Teachings vary, but I prefer facing your palms toward each other (rather than toward the top of the mat). Keep your hands engaged and fingers actively reaching toward the floor.

Finally, close your eyes and attempt to hold all these actions at the same time. Challenging stuff!

Recap

To give you a bullet-point list, here are all the actions of Tadasana:

Balance your weight evenly on your feet
Press through ball mount of big toes
Lift your kneecaps (by engaging quads)
Roll thighs inward (toward one another)
Point tailbone to the floor
Engage lower abdominals
Lift your heart
Make sure ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and ears are in alignment
Reach the top of your head toward the ceiling
Relax your shoulderblades
Reach your fingertips toward the floor, palms facing your thighs
Look straight ahead

Finally, let go. You’ll notice when you actively do all these actions, you feel (and look) a bit like a tin soldier. Rigid, conformed, stiff. Instead, we want to keep all the actions, but release the tension or gripping or need to get it perfectly. Maybe a slight smile will cross your lips or you might sigh audibly, but attempt to surrender into the pose. See how that feels and notice how this feels so much differently than just standing haphazardly (not better or worse, just different).

Stay in this pose for 5-10 breaths and visualize yourself as being open, aware and ready to go out into the world. Notice how you can be strong, tall and powerful, yet patient, kind and attentive.

Try this pose and let me know what you think. How did it feel? Did you notice anything important?

The New Kid in Class: How to Handle New Situations

by Amber Erickson

Luckily, throughout my life, I haven’t been “the new kid” all that often. As an adult, however, I find that being the new kid is becoming more common. It’s funny how sometimes I think about NOT doing things because of the uncertainty (where to park, what to bring, what to wear, etc.). I’ve noticed that pattern and worked to get past those barriers. I think my introverted nature makes these new situations more scary because it seems like everyone else is always chummy and social, leaving me to my lonesome. This is a hard one to overcome, but noticing it is helpful.

One place I felt very secure before moving was at the yoga studio. I knew all the staff and teachers and many of the fellow students. I usually knew at least 2 people walking around. They knew me. I knew where stuff was, how to set up in the space and to some extent, how the class was going to go. No stress. No uncertainty. Awesome.

Earlier this week, I set out for my first visit to a new studio. I was resistant. I know the protocol of studios, so there was some consistency, like going early to pay and get the run-down. I was the first one there and, like many studios, although the person at the desk knew I was new, I didn’t get much by way of assistance. I stepped into the space and immediately knew I’d have to ask some questions. Which way do I face? How do you set up mats? Do you use props? Where is the bathroom? Oh, the stress of being new!

I’ve now been there twice and feel better about it. Everyone is really nice and helpful when I ask questions and it’s been a good practice for me to speak up and ask for what I need. Most of us could probably benefit from more of this.

Until next time, have you done anything recently that was outside your comfort zone or have you been the new kid in class?