Find Strength in Rest
find strength in rest with yin yoga
Yin yoga is an opportunity to find strength in rest rather than action. It is an invitation to explore how simplicity and stillness are nourishing to our body and mind. Yin yoga is a gentle physical practice suitable for everyone. No prior yoga or meditation experience is necessary to access the benefits of yin yoga. For many, however, the most challenging part of practice is to fully surrender to the passive nature of rest. Below I’d therefore like to give you some background on how rest is vital to staying strong.
constantly being busy causes us to get insufficient amounts of rest
Our relationship to rest is a tricky one. We usually don’t get enough of it due to busy schedules and mounting responsibilities. Even when we do find an opportunity to slow down, we tend to feel lazy or over-indulgent for being idle. Often, we rush for recreational or social activities to give us the impression we are getting the most out of our free-time. What we frequently neglect or disregard is our need for balance.
To sustain ‘action’ requires the inclusion of ‘non-action’.
The trinity of our beings (body, mind, soul) needs rest to establish homeostasis. Homeostasis is our inbuilt, automated ‘software’ with the objective to create inner balance. To continuously preserve health by creating an environment of equilibrium.
So what can we do to help this process? We can support our bodies to establish homeostasis by investing in ‘deliberate rest’.
we need to allocate time to unwind and deliberately establish rest
‘Deliberate rest’ is the conscious decision to allocate time and space to retreat and soften into the awareness of simply ‘being’. If you’re already familiar with mindfulness practices and ‘taking things slow’ this might seem straightforward. Yet we are unaware that many of the things we do to ‘unwind’ continue to involve external sensory input. These external stressors have an impact on our nervous systems too.
Snuggling into bed with a novel. Getting comfy on the couch with our favourite series. Listening to a podcast while cooking a Sunday lunch. These are all forms of relaxation. They are valuable experiences to inspire and fill us with joy. However, these activities also represent ‘content’ in the form of external sounds, images, words or physical sensation. Consequently, our nervous systems need space and time to categorise these experiences into ‘sustenance’ and ‘surplus’ information in order to stay healthy.
Take our digestive systems. The food we eat is broken down and divided into nourishment and waste in order for our bodies to function properly. Our bodies extract and assimilate nutrients to use as ‘fuel’ and give us energy. They also filter and discard any excess byproducts to keep us balanced and feeling strong.
At times, we forget that our mental and emotional bodies too require time to ‘digest’ the content we expose ourselves to.
In order to feel well, we need to establish opportunities to ‘digest’ and ‘empty out’ our experiences. ‘Deliberate rest’ empowers our bodies to do exactly that. To release the sensory impressions we collect throughout our daily lives.
the subliminal burden of noise pollution & other external stressors
Another factor that enhances our need to rest is noise pollution. Noise pollution, particularly in cities, is a serious strain on our nervous systems. We all know the sounds of rush-hour traffic, blasting construction sites and airplanes rumbling across the sky. We’re accustomed to engines screeching, sirens blaring, cars beeping, loud music streaming in shops, supermarkets and cafés. Phones ringing, people talking loudly, children crying or screeching, dogs barking. And let’s not forget the incessant visual impressions haunting us throughout the day. From billboards to news feeds, everything we encounter – whether we are aware or not – leaves an impression on our nervous systems.
It’s like we’re constantly filling our hard drive and forgetting to declutter and free up space.
What we need is time to ‘digest’ and release all those impressions that, if left unattended, get ‘stuck’ in our bodies in form of mental, emotional or physical tension. By establishing space for ‘deliberate rest’ that is free of external input, we support our natural capacity for re-generation.
create opportunities to re-charge with rituals of ‘mental hygiene’
We’re all accustomed to acts of ‘physical hygiene’. We brush (and floss) our teeth, take showers, wash our hair, trim our nails etc. These habits of ‘cleansing’ our bodies are so normal, we feel uncomfortable if we should skip them. Yet we are less resolute when it comes to acts of ‘mental hygiene’ – cleansing the mind to make space for stillness. To re-charge and sustain health by emptying out thoughts and impressions that no longer serve us. Or possibly even jeopardise our sense of wellbeing if left neglected. One form of ‘mental hygiene’ is meditation.
Meditation methods vary in their methodology. What all forms of meditation share in common, however, is the intention to detach from the ‘content’ that arises when sitting in stillness.
Meditation teaches us to take the seat of witness consciousness. In other words, to embrace the perspective of the non-partial observer.
All of us who have sat in meditation know how challenging it can be to face our inner ‘monkey mind’ busily chattering, commenting or criticising. It is a similar experience for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. Distractions arise in form of thoughts, sensations, emotions, memories … sometimes these are hard to bare.
yin yoga can help you access a deep state of relaxation through embodied meditation
For many, meditation is more accessible when merged with physical sensation. Yin yoga, for example, is an embodied form of meditation. Within the practice we explore simplicity and stillness by gently easing into each physical shape. These postures are then held for several minutes while we concentrate on our breath.
Hence yin yoga is an invitation to let go and soften into the present moment. To learn to take the seat of the non-judgemental witness. To watch thoughts as they rise and fall without attaching any meaning or stories to them.
The beauty of yin yoga is that it is accessible to every age level and every body – flexibility and fitness are irrelevant.
Props such as cushions, bolsters, blocks or blankets enable everyone to fully access the benefits of each posture. Rather than forcing ourselves to be flexible, we let time and gravity gently open up our bodies.
Through yin, we empower our body, mind and soul to ‘empty out’ and thus be able to fully re-charge.
Yin yoga is a warm-hearted way to allocate pockets of ‘deliberate rest’ into our lives. It is a nourishing opportunity to find strength in surrender – to find power in rest.
