Having originated in the Far East, yoga's popularity has since spread to the West, with many seeing its health benefits as an alternative and complement to modern medicine and workouts.
Most yoga forms concentrate on energetic, robust, and active classes and styles. That is to say that the exercises are very physical. However, yin yoga emphasizes gentler forms, which are especially beneficial for mental health.
It's a slow-paced form of yoga, with more passive forms designed to allow your body to soften naturally without straining or pushing.
It can do so much, and this article will highlight seven main benefits to convince you to try it out.
1. Improved Sleeping Habits
Yin yoga induces the body to free itself from mental and physical stress and tension, the latter of which is often a primary cause of poor sleeping habits.
Yin is passive energy and serves to counterbalance the active energy or yang that is generated In daily activity. As a result, you'll be able to gain more from your resting periods and sleep better too!
2. Better Circulation
Yin yoga aims to access the body's deep tissue, muscles, and areas like the spine, sacrum, and hips.
Stiffening the body's connective tissue, fascia, from stress can limit blood circulation. Yin yoga undoes this, hence boosting blood circulation.
3. Reduction of Anxiety and Stress
Given that day-to-day activities are often just as strenuous, yin yoga involves rejuvenating and relaxing forms, with several physical, mental and spiritual benefits.
Practicing yin yoga helps to soothe the nerves and calm the mind, hence relieving you of stress and pent-up anxiety.
4. To Boost Body Mobility
Healthy limbs and posture are significant in physical well-being. However, aging, injury, and bad habitual posture affect mobility, negatively reducing the range of motion.
Yin yoga's gentle poses can help to loosen the joint stiffness by applying gentle pressure on key points of connective tissue to boost their motion range and increase mobility and body suppleness.
5. To Trigger the Parasympathetic Nervous System
The body's nervous system works in two ways: controlling impulses when the body is active and at rest.
Unfortunately, humans spend too much time in overdrive, straining the sympathetic nervous system to its limits in daily activity.
The parasympathetic nervous system conserves energy for internal functions like urination and digestion. Its activation is beneficial for immunity, hormonal balance, and reducing blood pressure.
Belly breathing exercises in yin yoga help to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system, and its health benefits are tremendous.
6. It Helps You to Meditate
Your state of mind is often as important as your physical fitness regarding overall well-being.
And yin yoga provides an opportunity to figuratively click on the reset button, clear mundane worries off your mind, and connect with your inner self.
If you find it hard to meditate, yin yoga is a great and efficient alternative.
7. It Helps to Build Perseverance
Although it's not as intensive as Ashtanga yoga, yin yoga helps to build inner strength and resilience by teaching patience, gentleness, and clarity.
Are you ready to try out this unique form of yoga? Connect with us to begin!