Yin, Yang, and Yoga

A few asanas (postures) of Yoga

Use Yoga to balance Yin and Yang.

Yin is inward, slow, low, and gentle.
Yang is upward, quick, high, and active.

There are many ways to practice the asanas (postures) of Yoga.

Hot Yoga is vigorous and active – it is more “Yang-like” in contrast to the slower pace of restorative Yoga. You can assess any type of asana practice through the lens of Yin and Yang by observing the following:

1. Do you move quickly from one posture to another? (More Yang)
2. Are you primarily on the floor for most of the postures? (More Yin)
3. Is the room heated? (More Yang)
4. Is the purpose to sweat and generate energy? (More Yang)
5. Is the purpose to go inward and reflect? (More Yin)

Yin and Yang

Everything in the manifested Universe is a mix of Yin and Yang, as is every class of physical asana practice. And like everything else, we can assess the relative balance of Yin and Yang by observation. By thoughtfully assessing our own relative balance of Yin and Yang, we can choose what type of asana practice will more likely balance our system.

Choose the right practice for balance:

1. If you tend toward lots of energy, movement, a quick and spinning mind, ever striving to get ahead, and just feel generally “wound up,” then we can guess that you are experiencing a relative ratio of more Yang than Yin. To bring balance, in this case, try restorative yoga or the obvious choice of Yin Yoga. Slowing down, going inward, pausing, and reflecting will help restore a more balanced ratio of Yin and Yang.
2. If you tend toward sluggishness, inertia, and heaviness in body or mind, then we can guess that you are experiencing a relative ratio of more Yin than Yang. In that case, try the more active practices of flowing or power yoga classes. Speeding up, or getting hot and sweaty can help restore your relative balance of Yin and Yang.

For me, the idea of shifting the type of practice was easier than the actual practice! Self-awareness has brought many surprises to my consciousness. It’s often easier to see the relative balance of Yin and Yang in others rather than in myself. So, I have been doing a little at a time with patience, curiosity, and practice; now I have found my way of using different types of asana practices to balance Yin and Yang.