yinyang class

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tricia
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:49 am

yinyang class

Post by tricia »

Hi Bernie,
I recall reading somewhere that when sequencing a class which intermingles yin and yang postures, we should practice about 15 minutes of yin then move to some yang postures then back to yin and so on. Does this sound correct? I am planning a yinyang class and would appreciate any feedback. I know generally yin postures come first but here I am mixing things up a bit.
Thanks-love the site!
Tricia
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Yin Yang Fusion

Post by Bernie »

Hi Tricia ... thanks for asking the question on the forum. Perhaps others can share their experiences on how they have fused both yin and yang elements in their classes.

As always, it depends upon your intentions. I have often lead fusion classes. If my intention is to do some deep physical work, I will start with Yin first, while the muscles are still relatively cool. [See this section of YinSights for an explanation of why we do it that way: http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_1.1_when_to_practice.php and then read this page for the difference between doing yin when warm or cold: http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_1.1.1_cold-warm_muscles.php]

However, if my intention is to have a mental/mindfulness class where the priority is to really focus the mind, I may start with yang flows first and end with yin. I do this especially if the class is a later-in-the-day class. It is nice to end the evening with a yin-state of mind. Here in Vancouver, on Thursday nights, we have a "double-dip" schedule where I lead a Power/Vinyasa class from 5:45 to 7:00pm and then this is followed with a Yin Yoga class at 7:15pm for 75 minutes. Many students stay for both classes, and so end their day with the mellow Yin feeling.

Sometimes, I will ping-pong between yin and yang offerings in one class. Here I would generally start with the yin poses for maybe 10 mins, then move into yang, then end with yin before final meditation or shavasana. If you are going to weave together yin and yang elements, make sure each section of the class has at least 10 mins of time, so that you aren't bouncing back and forth between the two modalities.

Cheers
Bernie
Jessica Powers
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:16 pm
Location: Washington State & New Zealand

yinyang sequencing

Post by Jessica Powers »

I'm with Bernie - the time of day the class is taught can make a big difference. I used to teach regular morning Yin/Yang classes and what most of my students found useful was half an hour of Yin followed by 45 minutes Yang and a closing 15 minutes of savasana and meditation. Often they would take a symmetrical pose again for the final relaxation posture, not just corpse pose. When students of my evening classes requested Yin I added it after the Yang portion of class to quiet them and prepare them for the ultimate restorative practice of sleep. Have fun experimenting and working to find what is best for the students you have!
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