Yin yoga and meditation

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Storme
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 2:23 am

Yin yoga and meditation

Post by Storme »

What would you recommend for pre-meditation postures?
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Yin Yoga and Meditation

Post by Bernie »

Meditation is a big topic; there are many styles and many ways to meditate. The Buddha once said that there are 4 main "positions" in which one can practice mediation: sitting, standing, walking and lying down. I am going to assume that your question refers to a seated meditation. (By the way, you may want to watch this video introduction to meditation on the Yin Yoga Channel.)

When we sit for long periods of time we can create a lot of stress and sensation in the lower body: the knees can start to burn, the hips can ache, the flow of blood to the feet can be cut off, creating the pins and needles feeling in the feet when one comes out of meditation. But the lower body is not the only place that can complain: weak back muscles and a slouching posture can lead to shoulder and neck pain. Since everyone is different, what you may want to do to prepare you to meditate could be quite different from anyone else.

Yin Yoga generally targets the lower body, so let's look at how we can use this fact to prepare us for a seated meditation practice. Let's look at hip openers.

Shoelace is a very similar to the seated posture of mediation and so it can be a great "warm up" or preparation for mediation. When we work to externally rotate the hips, we can help reduce the stress on the knees that often makes sitting so uncomfortable. Unfortunately, for many people who are very tight in the hips, Shoelace may not be the answer because it is too stressful already for the knees. In these cases easier hip openers such as the Swan, Winged Dragon, Seated Swan or Wall Swan may be more accessible. Deer Pose and Square pose are other options. To check out any of these options, visit the Yin Asana tab or check out the Wall Yin Newsletter Article.

When it is the upper body that is challenged the most while sitting, yang yoga may be more appropriate, but some Yin Yoga poses may still be helpful. Butterfly and Seal Pose may be great for strengthening the connective tissues along the spine.

I have found that one the best ways to prepare for sitting meditation is simply to sit on the floor as often as you can. This is a mantra I have been chanting for a long time, but it works! Eat at your coffee table, read while lying on your belly in Sphinx pose. Watch tv or talk on the phone while sitting on the floor. It doesn't matter what position you take: change the position when you need to but build up to sitting on the floor for a couple of hours a day. If you can manage that, I will wager that sitting meditation will become a piece of cake.

One final note: sitting meditation can be done in a variety of postures. There is no one "right" way to sit. Cross-legged is great, for some people. Sitting on the heels in seiza style is better for others.

Cheers
Bernie
Storme
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 2:23 am

Postures for a betteer meditation

Post by Storme »

Thank you Bernie: the ones you spoke of were the same ones I thought of. The idea, though, of increasing time spent on the floor each day, is something that I heard Sarah Powers talk about a few years ago. I think she said they simply moved their furniture to the outside edges of the room and sat on the floor. This is not new because I remember laying on the floor to watch TV or read a book as a child - thank you for bringing it back. I will certainly pass this along to those who attend my classes.

I am in the process of putting together a class beginning with pranayama then postures then meditation (mindfulness). Do you have any particular suggestions for the type of pranayama? I was thinking alternate nostril breathing to start.

Once again, thank you.

storme
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Breathing and Meditation

Post by Bernie »

Alternate nostril breathing to start is great: I will sometime do that too, although I mostly just offer a quiet, lengthened breath. I used to call this breath ujjayi, but after reading Max Strom's book, I use the more poetic term now of the "Ocean Breath". I describe this and the benefits in an article called The Yin-side of Breathing.

Another senior yin teacher here in Vancouver often uses the bumble-bee breath in her yin classes and students really enjoy it. You probably know it as bhramari: the sound of the bees. It can also be a good preparation for meditation, especially if the anchor for the meditation is listening.

Cheers
Bernie
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