Morning Yin Yoga

Ever wake up in the morning and feel 100 years old? Don't despair! This session is designed just for this purpose - to get your energy pumping after rolling, jumping or falling out of bed... in a yin way.

The poses in this class are Bananasana, Half Saddle & Caterpillar - find images of most on my website (see profile).

Victoria's Yin Yoga classes are designed to release tension and bring presence to body & mind. Bring a bolster (or pillow), some blocks (or books) and a blanket. Please make sure to listen to your body during the class and if anything doesn’t feel right, come out of the pose and rest. Your body is your responsibility.

Transcript

Hello and good morning.

My name is Vicky from Uchala Yoga and today we're going to be doing a Yin Yoga session specially for the morning to really wake you up and get going after you get out of bed.

For anybody who hasn't done Yin Yoga before this is a passive,

More meditative form of yoga where we stay in poses for several minutes.

So the word Yin comes from the expression Yin Yang from ancient China.

In a physical sense Yin Yoga works more on the connective tissue of the body so the joints,

The ligaments,

The fascia,

The tendons.

The idea of the practice is to bring a balance both in a physical sense but also in a mental sense to our often Yang lifestyles.

Always on the go,

Moving,

Stressful etc.

If you have any props then blocks are fantastic and also a blanket is always useful.

If you don't have blocks then that's fine cushions,

Books,

Anything at all that can support you would be great.

The poses we're going to be doing are Banana asana,

Half saddle and caterpillar and if you'd like to look at them to get a general idea of the shape then you can check my latest blog post on my website uchalayoga.

Com that's u-c-e-l-e yoga dot com.

So we're going to start down on the floor.

In fact seeing as this is morning yoga you could actually do this bit in bed if you wanted to.

So just close your eyes for a moment,

Come into the room,

Maybe slowing down your breath a little bit but just keeping it natural.

Feel the connection of your body with the floor,

The mat,

The bed and notice which points of your body are touching the floor,

The mat or the bed.

Notice the weight,

See if you feel like you're holding any tension anywhere and if you are then try breathing into that area seeing if you can soften it.

Then we're going to start by introducing a soft ujjayi breath.

For those of you who know this already then you can start but keep it soft,

Keep it gentle,

Keep it yin.

A slow deep ocean breath and for those of you who haven't done it before I'll guide you through.

So first just bring your attention to your normal natural breath.

Noticing the in-breath and the out-breath and the spaces between.

Natural,

Normal,

With presence.

And now in a similar way to how your throat would feel if you were whispering we're going to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.

So maybe you might just want to whisper something,

Yin yoga.

And notice how the back of the throat is a little bit constricted.

If you were blowing on your glasses for example to clear them up,

Then you would also get this slight constriction in the back of the throat.

So just imagine you're steaming up glass.

Notice how the throat feels.

Breathe in and breathe out as if you're steaming up glass.

Breathe in,

Breathe out,

Breathe in,

Breathe out,

Breathe in,

Breathe out,

In,

Out.

Now this time we're going to close the mouth and we're going to breathe out but with that same slight restriction in the back of the throat.

Just slight.

So it's almost like you're breathing in and out through a straw.

Breathe in your normal breath.

Breathe out with that slight constriction through the nose.

Breathe in and out.

Breathe in,

Keep it gentle.

Breathe out,

Breathe in,

Breathe out,

In,

Out.

And now we're going to breathe in and out through the nose with a soft ocean breath,

Ujjayi breath.

This slight constriction in the back of the throat so it sounds something like the sea,

Not the crashing ocean,

But the gentle waves of the sea.

So let's breathe in together and out.

Breathe in,

Out,

In,

Out,

In,

Out.

Keep going.

I'm gonna leave you for a minute to just practice.

Keep it slow,

Natural and calm.

Now let go through Jai breath.

Just for now we can bring it into the poses if you like it.

And we're going to start today by working on the sides of the body,

Stretching the sides,

Then stretching the front,

Then the back.

So let's begin with the side body.

Firstly from lying on your back put the left leg out to the side on the floor and then put the right leg next to it.

Adjust your hips if they come off the floor a bit,

Stretch the arms up on the floor above you and then move the torso over to that side as well so that your body is in a kind of banana shape,

Hence the name of this pose Banana Asana.

So what we're looking for here is a stretch in the right side of the body,

Particularly around the outside of the hip.

If anything's not feeling comfortable,

So for example any pinching sensations in the back then just move the hips.

They want to basically be on the floor but they don't need to be completely on the floor,

Not at all.

And then you can take hold of the right wrist or the left wrist or the elbows,

Whatever is most comfortable in the shoulders and then without pulling just allow your body to relax and see if you can feel that stretch on the right side of the body.

We're going to stay here for just over two minutes and if you're not feeling too much stretch then you can try crossing the right ankle over the left or maybe even the left over the right.

If there's too much stretch then lessen the banana shape,

Get straighter.

If you're feeling that there's any pinching sensations in the shoulders here then you can play with the arms.

So as I said you can hold on to either wrist or the elbows and bear in mind that the arms don't necessarily need to be overhead.

You can also have them on the forehead or possibly even on the chest,

Although bear in mind that you're unlikely to feel too much stretch in the arm,

But you may.

Resolve to stay still for just over a minute and you might want to bring back that breathing we did at the start.

Soft,

Gentle,

Ujjayi breath.

As always in yin-yogo we're looking for a general stress in a particular area,

So in this case on the right side of the body.

We want to feel the body being stimulated in that target area but we don't want anything that feels painful,

So pinching,

Stabbing,

Electrical sensations,

Tingling sensations,

Anything that just doesn't feel right.

We want a general stimulation over a general area without any pain.

Let's move to the other side now.

So slowly bring the torso back up to the centre and the arms back down by your sides.

Also bring the legs back to the centre and let's just stay here for a few moments before we go to the other side,

Noticing the difference between right and left.

This time take the right leg out to the side and place the left leg next to it.

Maybe you're already starting to feel a bit of a stretch on the outer hip here.

Raise the arms up on the floor above you,

Move the top of the body over to the side to make your banana shape and then take hold of one of the wrists or the elbows and see if that gives you a stretch down the arm.

The jackpot for this pose is to have a stretch around the outer hip going down the leg,

Up the torso and into the arm but we're aiming for at least one of those areas.

Again if you want more stretch then maybe cross the left ankle over the right or the right over the left.

You can also try moving the legs and or the torso a bit further to that side or move them back closer to the centre,

Straighter if you want less stretch.

Play with the position of the arms if you're feeling any pinching sensations in the shoulders.

Move the hips if you need to,

Be comfortable in the pose and then we'll stay here now for about two and a half minutes.

And as I said if you feel anything that's painful then just move your limbs around.

If you're feeling it in the shoulders for example then move the arms,

Different positions.

If you're feeling it somewhere around your pelvis,

The lower back,

The hips,

Move the legs around.

Just think about which limb is in that area and what it's attached to and then play with that particular part of the body.

Close your eyes if that's comfortable,

Come back to the Ujjayi breath if you like it and notice where you can feel the stretch.

Which part is it?

Can you feel it in one gem of the area in the side of the body?

Does it go further down?

Does it go further up?

Can you feel it in the arm at all?

Where do you feel it the strongest?

Where is it the weakest?

Keep the body relaxed,

Notice if you're tensing anything.

Okay.

So slowly come back to the center again.

Bring the arms down and bring the legs back to the center.

And just notice.

Now put the arms and legs out in a kind of starfish shape.

Then when you're still again,

Resolve to stay still in this rebound,

Such an important part of yin yoga,

Where you can see,

You can feel,

You can notice the after effects.

So notice how the sides of the body feel.

How do your emotions feel?

Now we're going to move on to stretching the front of the body.

So make your way to seated position.

Bend the knees,

Place the feet on the floor.

Then take hold of the right leg and bring the right foot somewhere around the outside of the right hip.

Don't worry if you tilt to the left,

That's fine,

That's normal.

Now from here,

Put your hands on the floor behind you and see if you can play with the position of the body to find a stretch on the front of the right thigh.

That's right for you.

So it shouldn't be too much nor too little.

You can stay on your hands,

Go down onto the elbows or even lie on your back.

You can use props too,

Your elbows on blocks for example,

To find your position.

Play with it,

Find yours.

There is no perfect position,

It's just what suits you and gives you the right amount of stretch.

If this isn't feeling good on the knee,

Then you can try decreasing the bend in the right leg,

So straightening that leg a bit more.

And similarly,

If the ankle isn't feeling comfortable,

Perhaps you might want to bring the toes forward a bit to lessen the stretch on the ankle.

Now bring back the breath if you like,

If it helps you stay focused and see if you can relax into the pose.

Do bear in mind that this is morning yoga,

And you may find that when you wake up in the morning you feel quite stiff in the body.

This happens to many of us,

Especially as we get older,

Unfortunately.

Now what's often happening here is that the fascia of the body,

Which is this giant spider web of tissue,

Fibrous tissue,

That connects and binds and supports all the organs,

The bones,

Everything in the body,

Basically starts to shrink wrap around everything because it's been so inactive for so long.

Also,

There's no lubrication going on there,

You've got less water because you haven't been moving.

So for this reason,

You may find,

Particularly with yin yoga,

Because we are specifically working on the fascia,

That actually you can't go as deep into the poses in the morning as you would later in the day.

Let's go to the other side now.

So slowly,

Slowly move back up from whatever position you're in,

To the center,

Maybe drop to the side and release that right leg,

Straighten that right leg,

Then straighten the left and just sit here,

Your hands on the floor behind or a gentle fold over your legs,

Your straight legs,

Noticing the difference between left and right,

Just for 20 seconds or so.

Okay,

So give your legs a quick shake,

Bend the knees again,

And this time bring that left foot to the outside of the left hip,

Somewhere around there.

Leave the right leg where it is,

Knee bend,

Foot on the floor,

Or if you prefer,

You might want to straighten it or let the knee flop out to the side.

Again,

Listen to your hip,

Listen to your knee,

Your ankle,

Your body.

Is anything not feeling right here?

We want to be feeling a general stretch on the front of the left thigh,

An appropriate stretch,

Not too much,

Not too little,

And there's nothing that feels like pain.

That's what we want.

And if there is,

Adjust the body.

Don't forget to move the torso back,

So going back on your hands,

Your elbows,

Lying on the floor,

Or something in the middle using props wherever,

Then allowing your body to relax into the pose.

We'll be here for around two and a half minutes.

Close your eyes again.

You can drop the head back if you want to,

If that's okay on the neck,

And that can give a nice stretch on the front of the throat.

Keep your body relaxed and,

If you like,

Bring back that soft ocean breathing.

And I'm going to leave you here in silence for just under two minutes.

Okay,

So let's come out of this again.

Gently,

Gently bring the body back up to the center,

Drop to the side if you need to,

To release the leg,

And straighten both legs on the floor in front of you.

Once more,

I want you to notice how the legs feel.

Is there more balance here now?

Does one feel more stretched out than the other?

Are you feeling any other sensations?

Tingling,

Heat,

Cool.

Notice what's happened with the body here.

Notice how the legs feel,

And anything else that's going on for you right now.

And again,

Before we move on,

You might want to shake the legs out a bit,

A bit of yang activity,

Before we move into the next pose,

Which is caterpillar.

We've stressed the sides of the body,

We've done the front,

Now we're going to stress the back of the body.

Now if you find it difficult to fold forward and get a reasonable stretch of the back when you're in a forward fold,

Then you might want to sit on something here,

A block,

A cushion,

Whatever,

Just allowing your hips to tilt forward.

This is common in a lot of people,

The hips tilt backwards a bit,

This is the case for me for example,

And it's fine,

It's not a failing,

It's just your body.

That's what props are there for.

So sit up on something if you want to,

Legs out straight and basically just fold forward.

So we're going to stay here for around three minutes and again,

Depending on your bodily structure,

You may be feeling this in different places.

You might be feeling it more in the backs of your legs for example,

You might be feeling it more in the back,

You may be feeling it in both,

You may be feeling it in neither.

So if you're okay here,

Nothing's hurting,

You're feeling a stretch either in the back or the legs or both and you're happy with that,

Then just stay here,

Resolving to stay still.

If you feel actually you'd like to focus more on the stretch in the back,

Then you might want to bend the knees,

That may help you fold forward a bit more,

You'll lose it in the legs probably,

But you've got more of a stretch in the back.

If you'd like it more in the hamstrings,

In the back thighs,

Maybe even to the calves,

Then you could try sitting up on something as I suggested before or you can do a one-legged version.

So bending one leg,

Bringing that foot into the thigh and folding forward again.

Perhaps that gives more stretch on the back of the leg.

Relax the body in whatever variation you're in,

Stretching the back of the body,

Hydrating the fascia,

Helping with that morning stiffness.

And if you're doing the half version,

The one-legged caterpillar,

Then change to the other side,

Then the other knee,

Bring that foot into the opposite thigh again,

Fold forward,

Relax for around a minute.

Okay,

So we're all going to slowly roll up,

Coming back to the centre,

Come down off any support you might be sitting on,

Put the hands on the floor behind you and just for a few moments stay still,

Noticing how the back of the body feels.

And when you're ready,

We're going to move into our Shavasana.

Grab anything that you know is helpful for being comfortable when you're lying down.

You might want to put a blanket or even a quilt on top of you,

Maybe you want to get back in bed.

Perhaps you want to put something underneath your head?

Well some people like to bend their knees and put either a bolster or a rolled up blanket or something under the bent knees so that the lower back is more comfortable in the floor.

Adjust anything that you need to,

The arms,

The legs,

The hips,

Whatever,

And just allow the floor to support you.

Feel the comfort of this position,

Close your eyes and allow the body and the mind to take in the effects of this wonderful practice we call Yinyoga.

I do suggest staying for at least three minutes or so,

Longer ideally.

I'm going to ask the birds to keep chirping away for another 10 minutes or so,

So you've got lots of time and can take as long as you like for your Shavasana.

I hope you enjoyed this Yinyoga session today.

Please try some of my others if you haven't already and I look forward to practicing with you again next time.

Namaste.

You

Reviews

Thank you so much! I felt ease and calm. We are snowed in so it was so lovely listening to the birds. Namaste 🙏

Very nice class, I was able to follow the concise instructions and loved the gentle, yet focused voice :)

Thank you 🙏 for this lovely practice🥰. I live the confidence one as well. Bliss😌

Hello beautiful 🌼🌼🌼🌼Thank you so much for the wonderful morning Yin Yoga ☀️my day starts sunny ☀️ sweet and I’m feeling wonderfully 🗺️ be well 🙏 Namaste

Thank you for this relaxing yoga session. 🙏🏽☺️

Thank you Vicky. Sooths both body and mind. I love your yoga sessions: the quiet pace, the rebounds, the birds and that I can check the poses on your website.

This was amazing, thank you so much.

🙏