Beauty blooms from calmness, and you can do it too

Mysterious countries often create magical civilizations. This is true for China and India on the South Asian subcontinent. In addition to Buddhism and Hinduism, another important contribution India has made to the world is probably yoga. Yin Yoga is the branch of yoga that is most closely integrated with the times and is the most effective. The birthplace of yoga is Mount Kailash in India. The original yoga was one of the thousands of Buddhist practices, and was especially favored by ascetics who traveled around India. They relied on this exercise to improve their physical fitness and resist the sun and rain. Indian ascetics may be the most perseverant and determined people in the world. All year round, no matter it is windy or rainy, or they have to sleep in the open air, they appear in the world's sight with peculiar yoga postures: hanging upside down on a tree with one foot, sitting in the mud with their bodies twisted, or posing the strange "five hearts facing the sky" without moving. 20 years ago, Yu Qiuyu went to India for the first time and was deeply shocked by the ascetics who came one after another on the way to the Ganges! In fact, yoga was introduced to my country as early as the 11th century. At that time, Marpa, the founder of the Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism and a master of mantras, studied in ancient India. When he returned to Tibet, he learned six mantra methods, which were later called the "Six Methods of Naropa". "Bardo Yoga" is one of them.

Yin Yoga has only become popular as a form of exercise for ordinary people in the past two years. Its founder is American Paul. Paul Grilley. In 2003, Paul, a yoga instructor, was inspired by his teaching practice that most popular yoga has deviated from the original meaning of yoga and is turning to increasing muscle resistance and adjusting breathing. In his eyes, yoga, which is too "masculine", is keeping more and more female practitioners away, and the founder of ancient Indian yoga is a goddess named Shri Lakshmi. After much thought, Paul eliminated too many "masculine" elements in yoga, and used femininity as the main theme to balance the symmetry of yin and yang. At the same time, he greatly reduced the difficulty of the movements and created the new school of Yin Yoga. In fact, the support point of Yin Yoga is the ancient Yin-Yang theory of Chinese Taoism. Once you practice it yourself, you will understand the simple truth in it - the theory of moderation and peace combined with human anatomy. Of course, Yin Yoga cannot be separated from the unique postures and frames of yoga. What is different from other types of yoga is that after practicing the asanas, a set of relaxing movements are performed to stretch the muscles and tendons, and increase the flexibility of the body. In terms of terminology, this is to "let the body return to its original heart", so as to achieve an organic combination of body and mind, enhance self-confidence, and release beautiful ideas - this is probably the "beauty" that Xiao Nuo and Duanduan are pursuing.

The movements of Yin Yoga are simple and easy to learn. The butterfly pose, baby pose, meditation pose, seated angle pose, and the splits and forward pose that Duanduan is currently practicing are all very suitable for stretching a woman's body. However, the "yin" of Yin Yoga does not give up during the practice - it requires that each movement stay at the extreme position of the body for at least 5 minutes. That is to say, each movement must be ensured to stay after the muscles are stretched to the right position. After stretching to the point of unbearable pain, the attention is diverted by returning the breath to the origin, so that the hard work will pay off and the special effects of yoga can be achieved. Yin Yoga also has strict requirements on breathing, especially when stretching the muscles and bones of the lower body, it is particularly important to adjust the breathing. With each increase in the depth of stretching, the breathing must be slowed down accordingly. The greater the stretch, the lower the breathing intensity must be. When the muscles are stretched to what the practitioner considers to be the limit, "breath like a gossamer thread" is the best state. Of course, beginners must leave room for themselves and not rush for success. For example, when doing splits, do not do them at the maximum angle, be conservative. For example, when twisting the waist, do not twist it to an unbearable angle, retract it appropriately, so that you will not be injured due to excessive posture when stretching for a long time. Balance first.

The realm of Yin Yoga

The reason why Yin Yoga is popular among white-collar workers and the middle class is that, like "Hatha Yoga", "Beauty Yoga", "Tai Chi Yoga" and "Yogalates", its biggest feature is "quietness". Whether you practice at home or in a private club or yoga club, you need an elegant environment. Apart from the Indian Sanskrit music, not even the slightest cough can be heard. Yin Yoga requires a clean and quiet environment. There is no need to build an additional venue for practice. Each person can just have a blanket on the floor of the yoga studio. Yoga is a practice of one's self and the inner heart. There is no need to dodge or move. Every move is based on stretching the muscles and bones. Two square meters per person is enough.

Yin Yoga can also be practiced outdoors. The shade of trees in midsummer, a private garden full of flowers, a verdant valley, or a vast blue seashore are all blessed places to cultivate the body and mind. There are more than 20 registered clubs in California. When the weather is fine, most of the clubs arrange their venues on the coastal beaches. Rows of parasols block the sun, swaying coconut trees rustle, and wide-sleeved yoga clothes flutter. Many people don't even use yoga mats and sit directly on the beach. Japanese practitioners prefer winter. A Yin Yoga studio in Kyoto holds outdoor activities all year round. They practice particularly diligently in the snowy winter - the distant mountains and nearby mercury are covered in white, snowflakes swirl down on their bodies, and joy descends on their hearts. They have transcended their own yin and yang balance and expanded it to the universe. Southeast Asia, including Hong Kong and Taiwan in my country, has the largest number of Yin Yoga enthusiasts, second only to India. The popular slogan in Hong Kong and Taiwan is "Yoga for fitness, Yin Yoga for soul shaping". The largest Yin Yoga club in Taiwan is in Hualien, the hometown of Xi Murong, a famous essayist from Taiwan. It has more than 2,000 members. Dozens of cleverly designed bamboo huts in the mountains of Hualien are Yin Yoga practice rooms. The largest ones are over 500 square meters in size and can accommodate hundreds of people at the same time. But more members like to occupy a small bamboo hut with a few close friends, burn incense and take a bath, then sit and look at the green mountains and clear waters, listen to the birds singing and the sound of Zen, and the breeze brings the fragrance of mountain flowers. Before they start practicing Yin Yoga, the righteous energy of heaven and earth has already filled their hearts.

Yin Yoga came to the mainland around the spring of 2005, and its initial base was in Guangzhou, where a Hong Kong investor opened a training hall and club in Guangzhou Tianhe Sports City. Half a year later, it quickly spread to big cities with high fashion indexes such as Shanghai, Beijing, Harbin, Nanjing, Dalian and Hangzhou. In Beijing and Shanghai alone, there were more than 1,500 yoga clubs of all sizes, with more than 200,000 registered members and more than 3,000 coaches with industry licenses. According to incomplete statistics, there are as many as one million people practicing Yin Yoga across the country, most of whom are women under the age of 40. The investment in practicing Yin Yoga is very low, and you only need to buy a few sets of yoga clothes and a few yoga mats. It does not require professional equipment and professional clothing like outdoor sports. More importantly, it does not require trekking thousands of miles to a foreign place. You can achieve the purpose of exercise by just using Sundays or an hour or two after get off work - men can strengthen their bodies and women can become more beautiful.

Tips

The main differences between Yin Yoga and other yoga classes

In Yin Yoga practice, poses are held for longer periods of time and the muscles are in a more relaxed state.

Yin Yoga is suitable for people

Yin Yoga is suitable for yoga beginners, people with high work pressure and people with injuries. Practicing Yin Yoga can help these people relax, heal, and open their bodies. Yin yoga is also suitable for people who lack upper body strength or who do not practice yoga regularly. Yin Yoga can make anyone who practices it feel rejuvenated, refreshed, and more beautiful. Interweaving Yin Yoga with other yoga styles (Eight Limbs, Flow, or Hot Yoga) can help you achieve a balanced state in your yoga practice.

Yin Yoga Basics

1. Forward bending is a negative movement. Forward bending puts our head and heart at the same height, making it easier for blood to enter the head. At this time, our myocardium is relaxed and blood pressure is lowered. These kinds of movements can help us relax our body and mind.

2. Back bending is a positive movement. Backbends flex the spine, activating our nervous system and the Ren and Du meridians. This type of movement can inject energy into our body.

3. Usually in the morning or in cold seasons, we need positive exercises to clear our minds and raise our body temperature. At night or in warmer months, we may need more feminine practices to calm the mind and relax the body.

4. The more positive our practice is, the more diverse the movements will be; the more negative our practice is, the more monotonous and basic the movements will be.

5. Breathing and meditation are two very important aspects of Yin Yoga.