Author: Stefanie Arend

When I practice Yin Yoga, I become myself completely and experience a deep feeling of peace within myself— I am fully myself and do not have to please anyone else—either proverbially or in reality. While some types of yoga specify precisely how certain positions should look, and many practitioners do their best to emulate this ideal image, Yin Yoga is oriented towards the person practicing it—you can’t go wrong. Our inner teacher is the most important yoga teacher and only considers this one individual body. I believe there is great healing potential within this as only we ourselves sense what is best for us.

I do not consider it wise to seek out a doctor just to have a medicine prescribed for current complaints—and to hope that everything will be fine again—without any further questioning. Unfortunately, essential conventional medicine increasingly focuses on combating symptoms and less on looking for the cause. Also, very few doctors have enough time to concentrate intensively on the history of the individual patient. Alternative medical practitioners, on the other hand, tend to look for the origin of the complaints, and they view people more on a holistic level, taking more things into consideration which might have caused the issue in the first place.

In order to better understand our particular ailments and issues, we need rest periods, and  some kind of regular practice, for example something like a regular Yin Yoga practice, which directs the senses inwards and can bring us into deep contact with ourselves. The mind speaks very softly, and these periods of withdrawal are absolutely vital to  understand it and to find out what the body can express with symptoms. It is said that when the mind is not being listened to, the body sounds the alarm through illness, thereby making the person slow down.

Ideally our energies are in balance when we both integrate Yin and Yang energies into our life. Yin corresponds to a female, more receptive, and yang to a male, more outgoing energy. In our current age we oftentimes have a surplus of Yang in our environment, which can trouble us at a physical level. Never before have there been so many hyperactive children as there are today—I tend to find the term “hyperactive” unsuitable, and I am only using it here for the ease of understanding—and “burnout” is just named as a fashionable complaint, without due respect for its incredibly harmful effect on our lives. In my experience, I find an important cause is anxiety, which can be worsened due to an excess of intense Yang-energies.

Think for a moment how everything has changed over the years: Barely anybody takes time out to rest in the early afternoon nowadays; due to mobile accessibility we receive calls or text messages late in the evening when we should actually be resting; the TV is on all day in some households, even when nobody is consciously following it; there are fewer family meals; the performance mentality at school and at work is ever-present; attentive conversations without glancing at your mobile phone have also become rare. All these things exhaust our Yin. Yin and Yang are then no longer in balance, which has adverse consequences. If these energies fall out of their dynamic balance, energy can no longer flow harmoniously and this creates the circumstances for illnesses to occur.

Yin Yoga practice gives us the peace that we so urgently need in this noisy world. We can use it to get in touch with our inner selves once again, as well as find release in our stuck places. Our body awareness is trained and intensified through long and deep stretches, but these also provide us with calm so that memories or emotions can emerge again. If we become our own quiet observer and look and listen carefully to what it is showing us, it is quite possible that we will even be able to trace the causes of certain complaints in time.

Our body communicates with us constantly, but many of us have forgotten how to listen to it and interpret its signs. For example, if we experienced emotional damage in childhood, we often carry this into our adult lives. Symptoms often appear—such as nervousness, anxiety, depressive malaise, or sleep disturbances—which can be treated quickly with medicines, but the actual causes of the complaints remain unrecognized and untreated. It is therefore important to become aware of what is going on inside us, no matter whether it is pleasant or painful. If we identify what is causing us stress, then we can accept it, process it, and ultimately let it go. This progression can be very liberating and is a complete contrast to the repression of unpleasant experiences or memories. A repression mechanism never works in the long term. Whatever is behind it will keep occurring until it is accepted, understood, and released.

Yin Yoga practice, with its passive stretches that last for 3-5 minutes, we can learn,  in a wonderful way about the process of letting go. If we have learned to let go physically, we can then also let go better emotionally and mentally. The peaceful and introverted Yin Yoga practice gives us sufficient space to question pain or illnesses and find out what the body is trying to tell us.

We know today that our self-healing capacities are most powerful in the parasympathetic state which you can reach during a yin yoga practice. But always remember that YOUR path might be very different from that of your partner, your friends, or your family. Please be mindful with yourself, so you can experience the power of self-healing in early states if your body is out of balance and trying to tell you something. Then you have a good chance of getting back on track again soon.

Here is a yin yoga sequence which focuses on stretching all meridians and ends with a tapping massage so that you can start refreshed into the day! 

Enjoy your practice!

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Adapted from Be Healthy with Yin Yoga: The Gentle Way to Free Your Body of Everyday Ailments and Emotional Stresses by Stefanie Arend (She Writes Press, August 2019).  

Photo credit:  Forster & Martin Fotografie, Munich

We all experience difficult periods in life that leave us feeling sad, lonely, or scared. However, some of us deal with these emotions almost daily. 

Depression is a psychiatric condition that usually manifests in listlessness, sadness, anxiety, and guilt. It often has internal or endogenous causes, but can also be related to conflicts, stressful circumstances, or trauma.  

We carry our healing powers within us at all times, but sometimes they are hidden by a lack of contact or familiarity with our inner self. Meditation, self-reflection and the simple act of taking time for oneself, in addition to the psychological benefits to be gained from any exercise, make yoga a powerful component of the healing journey. Yin Yoga helps us get in touch with our emotions and balance the energies that run haywire throughout the day.  

If the feelings you are experiencing are not just a temporarily more depressive mood, but are indeed symptoms of depression, then treatment from a psychotherapist or other mental health professional is recommended. Yoga teachers should never presume to see themselves in this position. However, we can give valuable support on the path to mental health and happiness.  

Depression is oftentimes kept secret due to embarrassment or anxiety. A diagnosis, or even an awareness that one feels differently from the people around them, can lead to insecurity and compound stress. Therefore, it is particularly important to feel comfortable and confident in your yoga practice rather than striving for a specific ideal in your poses. Because Yin Yoga is adaptable to specific needs and capabilities, and because there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ posture, the Yin method is easily accessible to everybody. When I practice Yin Yoga, I become myself completely and experience a deep feeling of peace and freedom with the realization that I do not have to please anyone else. 

Depression is often related to suppressed emotions—for example aggression, grief, or anger. It is therefore important to work through possible trauma or face your own anxieties. Meditation can be very helpful here, but the inexperienced should practice with a teacher who can help and support them if necessary. A doctor, therapist, or teacher can support you and open the door, but remember that you must pass through it yourself. 

Possible questions for reflection are: Why am I anxious? Which of my emotions and experiences wish to be seen? What issues from my childhood still need to be healed? What is my calling, and how do I get back on my path? 

Below is a series of Yin Yoga poses to ground and comfort you in this difficult period: 

Ujjayi Breathing 

Ujjayi Breathing can create heat in the body, but it can also be very relaxing. It is therefore ideal for the start of practicing exercises, if you feel unsettled, or your mind is very full. Ujjayi translates as “victorious breathing,” as it triumphs over shallow breathing. Breathe in Ujjayi as long as you like. In some styles of Yang Yoga, Ujjayi Breathing is also practiced while doing the poses.  

Sit in Easy Pose on the mat, and straighten your spine while placing your hands loosely on your legs. Now let the epiglottis narrow, with a deep flow of breath out into the throat area, as though you were making a whispering sound with your mouth closed or were breathing onto a mirror to clean it. The sound of Ujjayi Breathing is reminiscent of a distant sound of the sea. With this sound in the throat, you can inhale and exhale calmly and deeply. Come back into a natural flow of breath and feel the effect. 

Dragonfly (Upavistha Konasana) 

1. Sit on the mat with outstretched legs, and open your legs wide until you feel a comfortable stretch in the sides of the legs. Take a yoga bolster or a rolled-up blanket and lay it centrally lengthways in front of you so that your stomach is touching the bolster when you bend forward. If you want to massage the lower stomach organs, then lay the bolster flat on the floor. You can reach the upper stomach organs better if you place one or two blocks under the lower end of the bolster. If you are not very mobile, you can also place additional blankets or blocks on the bolster to raise it. Then relax your back and legs, and bend forward as far as your body will allow. Rest your head on your hands or props. Direct your breath gently to the stomach and pelvic area. 

2. Alternatively, you can also go into Half Dragonfly by stretching your leg out to the side and bending the other one inwards, pulling your foot to your pelvis. You can then also change the position of the leg. 

3. Another variation is Dragonfly with a side bend. Sit up straight again and tilt your upper body to the left. Place the bolster on the left leg so that your arm is supported comfortably. You can either take your right arm behind your back, or lift it at an angle over the head to increase the stretch. 

Remain in Dragonfly for three to five minutes, including Dragonfly in the supine position or Half Dragonfly, and changing sides. You can stay in the side bend for one to two minutes per side, and in the rotation for around five to eight breaths. Then come back to the center and relax into Supine Position. Alternatively, you can just do the forward bend. 

Dragon (Anjaneyasana) 

Come onto all fours, and place a blanket under the knees if you are sensitive to pressure 

here. Then take your right leg from between your hands and place your left knee on the floor. If you want the position to be gentler, then pull the left knee forward slightly; for more intensity, take it further back. The right knee can be placed in front of, above, or behind the ankle, but this should not cause any pain in the knee. Let the pelvis sink towards the floor very passively. Now place the hands either left or right next to the foot, or both on the inside. The position becomes more intense if you support yourself on your forearms, and it is slightly easier if you use props—for example, blocks or a yoga bolster. 

Embracing Wings 

Lie on your stomach and cross your outstretched arms at shoulder height under your body. Your right arm is in front of the left one, and your palms are facing upwards. Place a block or folded blanket under your forehead, or a yoga bolster under your chest if you wish. Give your weight up to the floor. If the tips of your fingers go numb in this position, then you should change it—for example, with the head up higher or moving your arms a few centimeters up or down. 

Remain in the position for two to three minutes and then change sides. Release your arms again and then relax into Supine Position. 

Cleansing Meditation 

Practice this meditation daily as you wish, as long as you feel completely freed by this. 

Recall something that made you feel uncomfortable: something that annoyed you, for example, or an injustice that was done to you or something that sucks your energy. Now think of an energizing place in nature, a place where you really feel good. Sense this place precisely. Imagine gentle drops of rain falling on you, which are colored violet. These drops are running over your whole body, first outside and then inside too—like an external and internal shower. The violet water flows over your hands and feet and out of you again, and takes everything with it that should no longer be part of you. If you feel externally and internally cleansed, then imagine your crown chakra opening up and radiant white light flowing into you. The rays are flowing through your whole body, and they replace everything that you have just given up with new positive energy and strength. 

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This article includes poses from Be Healthy with Yin Yoga: The Gentle Way to Free Your Body of Everyday Ailments and Emotional Stresses by Stefanie Arend (She Writes Press, August 2019).  

Photo credit:  Forster & Martin Fotografie, Munich  

Find Stefanie.

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Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States. There are many kinds of anxieties, ranging from social anxiety to obsessive compulsive disorder to specific phobias. Most of these are associated with a loss of confidence, and particularly with a lack of basic trust, which is marked in childhood. However, anxiety is also correlated with a complex and variable set of risk factors such as brain chemistry, genetics, life events, and personality.  

Easily recognizable physical symptoms of anxiety include quick, shallow breathing, muscle tension, high blood pressure, and feelings of narrowness or rigidity.  

Anxiety is treatable, but unfortunately the large majority of people affected never seek professional help. It is important to face your fear in order to discover its cause. Depending on the severity and depth of your anxieties, this does not have to be something you face alone—almost anyone can benefit from the support of family or friends, and for traumatized or depressed people, working with a therapist can be very helpful.  

In China there is a lovely expression which goes: “Anxiety knocked on the door, trust opened it, and nobody was there.”In the spirit of that wise proverb, some possible questions for reflection are: What exactly do I fear? What is the trigger for my anxiety? Where and how can I feel this anxiety? What happens when I face the anxiety? What happens if I feed my anxiety with trust and love? Oftentimes, though it may seem counterintuitive, the simple act of accepting our feelings of anxiety for what they are, rather than feeling stressed about being anxious, can go a long way toward alleviating mental and emotional discomfort.  

Yin Yoga teaches us a simple but powerful method for soothing the worries that have become so prevalent in our daily lives. Please join me below in a series of accessible poses and a guided meditation to help leave our anxieties behind and find physical, emotional, and mental equilibrium. 

Full Breathing 

Sit on the mat in Easy Pose and straighten your spine. Be aware of your natural flow of breath. Let it deepen with every breath. Place your hands on your abdomen, left and right of your navel, and consciously direct your breath there. Then take the hands onto the lower ribcage and breathe into your chest area. Place your hands below your collarbone and breathe into the upper apex of the lungs. As you inhale, lift the hands upwards or forwards, and lower them again as you exhale. Put one hand on the lower abdomen and one hand on the upper abdomen. Now link up the breath across all three levels. Become aware of the small pauses between breathing in and out, and extend them a bit further. Now either breathe with an extended inhalation, very evenly, or with an extended exhalation—depending on what feels harmonious to you. However, always breathe in such a way that the breath can still flow easily. Come back into the natural flow of breath and notice whether anything has changed. Alternatively, you can also do Full Breathing while lying down. Place your feet on the floor and leave your hands resting on the abdomen. This version is ideal before going to sleep, for example, or if you are lying awake and unable to sleep at night. 

Easy Pose with arm and shoulder stretch (Sukhasana) 

This position opens up the hips and stretches the whole back as well as the arms and shoulders. 

1. Come into Easy Pose, your right arm crossed in front of the left. Bend forward in a relaxed way with a rounded back, and cross your arms so that your right arm is in front of your left arm and the palms are facing upwards. Alternatively, you can grip the opposite shoulder. 

2. Then change the arm position by placing the palms downwards on the opposite knees. Remain in Easy Pose for three to five minutes, including both arm positions. Then straighten up again, release the arms and legs, and move to and fro loosely a few times. Then change sides—crossing the left leg in front of the right one, and the left arm in from of the right—and repeat the process. 

Butterfly 

Sit on the mat, place the soles of your feet together, and pull the feet towards the pelvis. Let the knees drop gently outwards, or support the outsides of the legs with two blocks if this stretch is too intense for you. You can also sit on a blanket or a cushion. Relax the back, let your upper body sink forward passively, and place your arms where it is comfortable for you. 

Rainbow Bridge (Modified Urdhva Dhanurasana) 

This position mobilizes the thoracic spine, opens the heart chamber, and stretches the shoulders and insides of the arms. 

Place a yoga bolster and a rolled-up blanket straight across the mat. Then lie down with your back on the bolster, which supports your pelvis and lumbar spine. Your shoulder blades are on the blanket, and your arms are placed alongside your head. If you would like to intensify the stretch, you can extend out your legs, or for a gentler variant, leave your feet placed on the floor.  

Stay in Rainbow Bridge for three to five minutes. Then either sit up again with activated pelvic floor muscles, or roll to one side out of the position. Relax into a supine position. 

Protective Meditation 

You can carry out this meditation any time you need protection on an energetic level. 

Concentrate on a color that gives you strength. Now imagine a column of light appearing in front of you in this color. Take a step forward in your mind and place yourself into the light. You are completely protected in this column of light. It connects you with the energy of the earth on the one hand, and with the energy of the sky on the other hand. You can help the effect further and use the following affirmation if it feels right to you: “May only light and loving energies come through to me, and may all negative energies remain outside, starting now.” Then give thanks to the universe for this energetic protection. 

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This article includes poses from Be Healthy with Yin Yoga: The Gentle Way to Free Your Body of Everyday Ailments and Emotional Stresses by Stefanie Arend (She Writes Press, August 2019).  

Photo credit:  Forster & Martin Fotografie, Munich  

Find Stefanie.

Find Stefanie on YouTube.