Yin Yoga For The Spine

This full-length Yin Yoga class targets the spine and the tissues in the back, moving the spine in all six directions: forward, backward, side to side, and twisting. We practice seated neck stretches, seated twist, butterfly, deer, caterpillar, sphinx, child's pose, banana asana, reclining twist, and savasana.
Intro music by NaturesEye
Savasana music by RelaxingTime
Photo by Cottonbro Studio.

Transcript

Welcome to your yin yoga practice.

Before we begin,

Just take a moment to make sure that you have everything you need for your practice today.

You'll need a yoga mat and if you're in a cooler climate,

Make sure you have a blanket to cover yourself with during the relaxation at the end.

You may also need to support your body with props in some of the postures.

If you have yoga blocks,

Those are great,

But you can also use cushions or pillows or a folded blanket to support yourself.

You may also need a strap,

Belt or tie and if you have a yoga bolster,

That may be useful too.

So make sure that you have some of these with you in case you need them.

Yin yoga is a passive practice where postures are held for several minutes to stretch into the connective tissues.

These tissues are delicate and can be injured if they're stretched too forcefully or intensely.

It's good to be able to feel that something is happening,

But you should never be forcing a stretch or pushing yourself into a position and you never want to be feeling any physical pain as you practice.

Pain is a signal from your body that the position you're in is not safe or beneficial for you.

So if you do feel any pain at any time,

Come out of the pose.

You can come into a resting position until the next posture or you can move back into another posture from the class that you didn't experience any pain in.

If you have any injuries or health conditions,

Make sure to consult with your doctor before starting a new practice.

Yin yoga can have many benefits for health and recovery,

But it's important that your body is suitably recovered,

That the stretches will benefit the tissues and won't potentially make the injury worse.

So do please check with your doctor first for your safety.

As this is an audio session,

I'll talk you in and out of postures verbally,

But if at any time you're unsure of the posture and don't know if you're in the right position,

You can always pause the recording and do a quick internet search to bring up a picture.

I've included names for all of the postures so that you can easily do this if you need to.

We're going to begin today's practice sitting.

So make your way into a comfortable seated position.

If it feels good to sit with your legs crossed,

You can cross your legs.

Or if you prefer,

You can come to kneeling or to any seated position that you'll be able to stay in for a few minutes without feeling too uncomfortable.

Support yourself with props if you need to.

You might like to sit onto a block or a folded blanket,

Or to place blocks or cushions under your thighs.

And if it feels better for your back to lean against the wall,

You could also use the wall to support yourself.

Straighten your spine.

Relax your shoulders and shoulder blades.

And now tuck your chin in slightly to lengthen the back of the neck.

Close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath.

Follow the natural flow of your breath.

Watch the air as it flows in and out of your body.

And notice how your breath is flowing for you today.

Is it fast or slow?

Shallow or deep?

Is the breath flowing more into your belly or more into your chest?

Just watch the breath exactly as it is right now.

There's no need to think about why it's the way it is,

Or to try and change anything.

Just observe.

In today's practice,

We're going to be targeting the spine,

And we'll be moving into postures which move the spine in all of the different directions,

Forwards and backwards,

Side to side,

And twisting.

Remember,

In yin yoga,

We always want to be at our edge,

At the place where you feel like there's some intensity happening,

But where you're not pushing or forcing anything to happen.

And today we'll be holding most of the postures for two to three minutes,

Giving us time to stretch into the connective tissues.

Continue watching the breath.

And as your awareness flows with the breath,

Feel yourself coming right into your body,

Right into the here and now.

And let your awareness move into the whole of your body.

And just notice how your body's feeling today.

Observe any sensations.

There may be places that feel comfortable and relaxed.

There may be places that feel tense or uncomfortable.

Just observe what's there.

There's no need to analyse why anything feels the way it does.

Just watch.

We'll continue with this attitude of observation as we move through the practice,

Observing the sensations that arise in each of the postures.

And just watching.

We're going to start with some neck stretches.

So make sure that you're sitting comfortably.

If you need to make any adjustments for your comfort,

Make those now.

And keeping your back straight and your shoulders relaxed,

Just drop your right ear towards your right shoulder.

When it feels like the stretch suddenly becomes more intense,

Stop there.

This is your edge.

And just relax into the stretch.

Keep the shoulders relaxed.

Relax any tension you can feel in the neck.

And observe the sensations you feel in your body.

Slowly bring your head back to the centre.

And pause for a moment to observe how your body feels.

To notice any effects from that stretch.

And now let's go to the other side.

Drop the left ear towards the left shoulder.

Stopping when it starts to feel more intense.

Relax and observe.

And slowly bring the head back up.

And notice any feelings in the body,

Any effects from the stretch.

If you're sitting with your legs crossed,

Just change the cross of your legs.

So that you don't create an imbalance from sitting one way more than the other.

So if your right leg is in front,

Bring your left leg in front.

Or if your left leg's in front,

Bring your right leg in front.

And now we're going to twist the neck.

So keeping the shoulders relaxed,

Turn the head to look over the right shoulder.

Again,

Coming to your edge,

That first point of intensity.

And move your eyes towards the right.

Keep the shoulders relaxed.

And observe what you feel here.

Slowly bring the head back to the centre.

And pause to observe.

And now twisting the head towards the left.

Bringing the eyes towards the left.

And bring the head back to the centre.

Observe any feelings in your body,

Any effects from the stretch.

We're going to twist the whole of the spine now.

So if you're not already sitting with your legs crossed,

Make your way into a cross-legged position.

You can support yourself by sitting onto a block or a folded blanket.

Or by putting blocks or cushions under the thighs.

Make sure that your body is comfortable enough to sit this way for a few minutes.

Take as much support as you need.

And now begin to twist towards the right.

Twisting from the hips,

Through the waist,

Chest,

Shoulders,

Neck and head.

Coming to that place where you first start to feel some more intensity happening.

And relax into the twist.

Keep the shoulders relaxed.

Keep the hips relaxed.

And observe what you feel in this position.

Slowly make your way back to the centre.

Bring the upper body,

Chest,

Neck and head back to the centre.

And pause here to observe any effects from the twist.

To do the other side,

Change the cross of your legs.

So if your right leg is in front,

Bring the left leg in front.

Or if your left leg is in front,

Bring your right leg in front.

And begin to twist towards the left.

Turning the head to look over the left shoulder.

And moving the eyes towards the left.

Scan your awareness over your body.

And notice if there's any tension or gripping in the muscles.

If you find any tension,

Encourage those muscles to relax.

And slowly come back to the centre.

Bring the neck and the head back to the centre.

And take some breaths to observe.

Next we're coming into butterfly pose.

So bring the soles of your feet together,

So that the knees come out one to each side.

You can support the thighs here with blocks or cushions.

And if it feels better for you,

Sit onto a block.

If sitting like this is already bringing you enough intensity,

Remain with the back straight.

Or otherwise,

Now folding forwards.

Fold the upper body forward,

So that the head relaxes towards the feet.

Stopping at that point where it suddenly starts to feel more intense.

Relax the thighs.

Relax the upper back and shoulders.

Relax the neck and the head.

Observe what you feel in this new position.

Now take the hands onto the legs.

And walk the hands up the legs to bring the spine back to straight.

Make sure to move slowly,

So as not to suddenly stress the tissues.

And from here we're going to come into deer pose.

Keeping the right leg as it is,

Turn the left leg behind,

So that the left thigh turns inwards and the lower leg and foot move back behind you.

Making a right angle at the knee and at the ankle.

You can sit onto a block or cushion here,

If you find that your thigh or buttock lifts a long way from the mat when you come into the position.

And now turn your upper body to look over the right thigh.

Keeping the spine straight and upright,

Bring the hands or the fingertips to the outsides of the thigh.

Relax the shoulders.

And observe the feelings that arise in this position.

If there are any places that feel tight or uncomfortable,

You can always use the breath to help release the tension.

As you breathe in,

Send the breath into the tight area.

And as you breathe out,

Feel the exhalation carrying any tension away.

Slowly coming back to the centre,

Turn the left leg back inwards and bring the left foot back to meet the right foot.

Bring the upper body back to the centre and take some breaths here to observe.

And now let's go to the opposite side.

Turn the right leg back around behind you,

Making a right angle at the knee and at the ankle.

And turn the upper body to look over the left thigh.

Keep the ankles relaxed,

The thighs relaxed,

The shoulders relaxed.

Sending the breath into any tight areas and slowly coming back to the centre.

Turn the right foot back around and bring the right foot to meet the left.

Bring the upper body back to the centre and take some breaths here to observe.

We're going to come back into butterfly now.

So slowly fold back forwards,

Bringing your head towards your feet.

Bring the hands to the outsides of the feet with the palms of the hands facing upwards to help encourage the shoulders to relax.

Sending the breath into any areas of tension,

Watching those places release with the exhalations.

Slowly walk the hands up the legs to bring the spine back to straight.

And now take the hands to the outsides of the thighs and push the knees together.

Bring the feet flat to the mat,

A tip distance apart,

So that the knees face the ceiling.

And just rock the knees from side to side,

Observing any effects from the posture.

Next is caterpillar.

So bring the legs together straight out in front of you.

If you find it difficult to sit with your legs stretched out in front like this,

Sit onto a block or a folded blanket.

And if it feels tight on the backs of your legs or your knees are lifting up off the mat,

Place some support under the knees,

A rolled-up mat or blanket,

So that you can just let the knees relax.

You can stay sitting upright if this is already bringing you enough intensity,

Or otherwise fold forwards over the legs,

Finding your edge.

And relax into the posture here.

Rest the hands on the outsides of the legs,

With your palms facing upwards.

Relax the neck and the head.

Breathe into any tension.

Although we're targeting the spine today,

The fascia connects all over the body,

And we often feel the stretches in other places too.

In caterpillar especially,

You're likely to be feeling some sensation in the legs,

And you can feel sensation anywhere in the body.

So continue to observe where you feel something happening.

And now slowly make your way back up.

Walk the hands in to bring the spine back to straight,

And we'll take a gentle back bend as a counter-stretch.

So bring your hands behind you,

And turn your hands so that the fingers face back towards the feet.

Push into the hands,

And lift the chest.

Open the front of the chest and the shoulders,

And if it's comfortable in the neck,

Drop the head back.

Otherwise keep the head and neck aligned with the upper body.

And gently bring the spine back to straight,

And now make your way down to lying on your belly,

And we'll come into Sphinx pose.

For Sphinx,

Bring the elbows under the shoulders,

And the forearms parallel to the edges of the mat,

So that your chest is propped up by your arms.

If this feels too intense for your back,

Walking the arms forwards will lower the intensity,

Or you can also fold the arms and rest the forehead onto the forearms.

If this feels uncomfortable for you in the lower back,

Opening the legs can help to alleviate tension from the lower back.

And you can either keep your head upright,

Facing forwards,

Or relax the chin towards the chest.

Check for any gripping in the thighs or buttocks.

Keep the shoulders relaxed,

Observing the sensations you feel here.

To come out,

Bring the hands under the shoulders,

And push yourself up onto your hands and knees,

And from here we'll come into a wide Child's Pose.

Bring the big toes together,

And open the knees to the sides of the mat.

Sit down onto the heels,

And bring the foreheads down to the mat.

Stretch the arms out in front,

So that the hands stretch out towards the front corners of the mat.

And for support here,

You can place a block or cushion onto the heels,

If you're not sitting all the way back to the heels,

And you can support your head with a block,

Or by folding your arms and resting your head onto your forearms.

Feel your body completely relaxing into the posture.

Relax the thighs,

The hips.

Feel the chest sinking towards the mat,

Sending the breath into any areas of tension,

Releasing with the exhale.

Slowly walk the hands in to come back up,

And make your way down to lying on your back.

Our next pose is Banana Pose.

So come to lying with your legs apart,

And your arms by your sides.

Now bring the right foot to meet the left.

You can bring the ankles together,

Or cross the right ankle over the left ankle.

Find which feels best for you today.

And now bring your upper body towards the left,

So that the body comes into a curved banana shape,

And bring the arms over the head.

Take hold of opposite elbows,

And relax the arms over the head.

Relax into the posture.

We're going to stay in these last few positions for a little bit longer.

Observe what you feel as you relax into the pose.

And slowly coming out,

Bring the right foot back to the right corner of the mat.

Bring the upper body back to the centre.

Release the arms to the sides,

And observe.

Let's do the other side.

Bring the left foot to meet the right,

Either bringing the ankles together,

Or crossing the left ankle over the right ankle.

Bring the upper body towards the right.

Bring the arms up over the head,

Taking hold of the elbows in the opposite way to last time,

And relax into the posture.

Slowly coming back out,

Bring the left foot back to the left corner of the mat.

Bring the upper body back to the centre.

Take the arms back to the sides,

And take some breaths here,

Observing any effects from the pose,

Any sensations or feelings in the body.

We're going to finish with a twist.

So bring your knees into the chest,

Bringing the ankles and knees together,

And just shift your hips slightly over to the right.

Now bring your left hand to the outside of the right thigh,

And push the legs all the way down to the mat on the left.

Keep your left hand on the right thigh to help anchor the legs down.

Bring the right hand up and out to a diagonal angle,

So that the hand stretches towards the top corner of the mat,

And if it's comfortable in your neck,

Turn the head to look over the right shoulder.

Otherwise keep the head looking straight up.

Relax into the posture.

Allow gravity to work through the resistance between your legs and your right shoulder,

And surrender into the pose.

Slowly coming back,

Bring the left hand to the outside of the legs,

And push the legs back to the centre.

Bring the hips back to the centre,

And bring the hands onto the knees,

And make some circles with the knees,

Feeling the lower back massaging into the mat,

And circle in the other direction.

Now we'll go to the other side.

Shift the hips towards the left,

Take the right hand to the outside of the left thigh,

And push the legs down to the mat on the right side.

Keep the right hand on the left thigh,

And relax the legs and feet here.

Bring the left hand up and out to a diagonal angle,

And relax into the pose.

Take the right hand to the outside of the right leg,

And push the legs back up to the centre,

Keeping the knees drawing in towards the chest.

Bring the hips back to straight,

And bring the hands to the knees.

Make some circles with the knees,

And some circles in the opposite direction.

And it's time for our final relaxation in Shavasana.

So make sure that you're warm enough.

Your body temperature will drop,

So put on some extra layers,

Or cover yourself with a blanket,

Especially if you're in a cooler climate,

And make your way to lying on your back,

With your legs apart,

And your feet relaxing out to the corners of the mat,

And with your arms at the sides of your body,

With the palms facing upwards.

If you like,

You can support your knees with a rolled-up mat or blanket,

Or place a block or pillow under your head.

And if it feels difficult for your lower back to lie with your legs straight,

Another option is to bring your feet to the mat,

At hip distance apart,

And drop the knees together.

And now relax into the pose.

Feel your body completely surrendering into the mat beneath you.

Scan over your body,

And notice if there are any places where you still feel any tension or discomfort.

If you find somewhere,

As you breathe in,

Send the breath into that area.

And as you breathe out,

Feel the exhalation carrying tension away from that place.

Repeat this several times,

Scanning your body for areas of tension,

And feeling the exhalation carrying that tension away.

And now feel yourself completely letting go.

Feel the whole of the body relaxing.

Feel yourself surrendering into deep relaxation.

Begin to deepen the breathing as you prepare to reawaken the body.

Start to make some small movements with the fingers and the toes,

And with the wrists and the ankles.

Bring the arms up over the head,

And give yourself a long stretch down the sides.

And now bend the knees.

Bring the knees into the chest.

Hug the knees,

And rock gently from side to side,

Massaging the lower back into the mat.

And when you feel ready,

Roll to one side,

And come back up to sitting.

Come back to sitting with your back straight,

And just take a moment to observe how your body's feeling right now.

Feel into any sensations in the body,

Without analysis or judgment.

Just observe what's there.

And to finish the practice,

Just take a moment to acknowledge yourself for showing up to practice today,

And to make a positive intention for yourself for the rest of your day.

And when you are ready,

Slowly open your eyes.

This brings us to the end of today's practice.

Thank you for listening.

Reviews

Hello beautiful 🌷🦋🌷🦋🌷Thank You so much for the wonderfully yin yoga session ☮️☮️it gives me a lot of peace and space for smiling and relaxing 🗺️have a blessed day 🕉️

Lovely. My spine is thanking me very much for taking the time out to care for it, as it's been in much pain & stiffness the last few days. I can feel the gentle release of tension. Namaste for this practice 🙏 🌟

It is a lovely yin yoga and great to be able to practice with Jessica when ever you like. Thank you very much!