Yoga in bed - try yin to wake up or let go of the day.

Yoga in bed to wake up or let go of the day © CRivers

When we think about yoga, we believe it requires a mat and a dynamic asana (poses) practice. But yoga can also be practiced in bed without a mat. Yin yoga is a great way to gently wake up the body in the morning or support the body to let go of the day before sleep. It doesn’t matter how long you practice, what matters is that you connect body and mind by focusing on the sensations and allowing sensations to be present, shift and change as you are holding the pose. However, it is not about holding a post actively. It is about letting the body find its way into the pose and letting go, which is referred to as passive holding.

So how do yang and yin compare? Yin represents female energy and Yang male energy. Yang Yoga is dynamic, active and we change poses frequently, we flow. Fingers are sparkled and engaged, feet pointed or flexed, we build flexibility and strength. In contrast, Yin Yoga is more static, passive and we hold poses for longer between two to five minutes. We take time to ease into each pose, relax muscles, use the breath to soften the tissue and focus on the sensations arising. Yin lengthens muscles, works into the fascia, and improves joint mobility. It is like deep tissue massage for me.

Both, Yang and Yin balance the mind and body in different ways and reduce stress and anxiety. I love Yin Yoga especially in the morning when I feel a bit achey or after a Yang practice. It is certainly my go-to when I am tired or under the weather. The best part is the bed is a perfect place to fully enjoy yin yoga. Sometimes yin yoga is referred to as restorative yoga, however there are some minor differences still. Restorative yoga has no effort involved at all and I like to build some restorative elements into yin yoga practices to reset, which are called rebound.

You can find a couple of yin yoga practices on my youtube channel www.youtube.com/@mindfulness_spaces including the one on the bed as shown in the picture.

If you would like to experience yin yoga in person, come and join me every second and fourth Monday of the month at Yateley Industries for an hour of softening, restoring and relaxing body and mind.