Yang exercise of yin tissues

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

Yang exercise of yin tissues

Post by Bernie »

I received the following question from a student:

Hi Bernie,

I have just started reading your newest book, The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga. Loved YinSights and particularly your humor in it (no photos in happy baby pose always brings a smile/laugh). YinSights was one of the ‘textbooks’ that Daniel Shankin used in the Yin Yoga training I did with him a couple of years ago in Philadelphia. It is my go to reference book.

So, already, on page 8, I have run into a big concern (for me). You wrote ‘…moving from Up-dog to Down-dog, can, over time, damage the ligaments…’. I am a lover of a good warm Vinyasa class and I would like to know what damage you are specifically talking about. I am 58, diagnosed and taking Evista for osteopenia. Lately, I have been experiencing some issues with my S.I joints, which luckily my massage therapist has been able to relieve/re-set. Didn’t mean to bore you with my health issues, but thought it might give you a bit of background.

Should I be aware of any specific alignment concerns? Would backing off the number of Vinyasas done in a class help? Obviously, I am not asking for a diagnosis, but more of an understanding of what is happening and what I need to be concerned with in my practice. Thank you for taking the time to read this email.


The main question here relates to the Up Dog to Down Dog movement common in power yoga classes. The wrists do take a beating in these vinyasa movements: for some people, it is not a problem at all, but for others this constant yang stress of the yin tissues of the wrists, and their ligaments, can create pain. Yin tissues do not respond well to repetitive yang movement.

Think of this analogy: imagine taking a credit card (which is made of plastic, a yin material) and bend it back and forth 108 times every morning. It would not take many mornings before the card broke in two. Now that is a great thing for a credit card, but not so great for your wrists.

One of the reasons we take so much care of our alignment in yoga is to avoid repetitively stressing our yin tissues. We want the yang tissues, the muscles to take up the strain. This means we need to engage the muscles.

For Up Dog to Down Dog we can reduce the strain on the wrists in a couple of ways: first - do a longer Dog! There is no one "right" Down Dog or Up Dog, every dog is different. If you have your hands a bit further away from your feet you will have less of an angle in your wrists and you will be working your upper body harder. However, there will not be as much of a stretch to the back side of the legs.

The second way to reduce stress on the wrists is to stay active in the hands. Don't let the hands be passive pads on the floor. Press the tips of the fingers down, emphasize the base of the fingers and especially the thumb creating arches in each finger and lift the arch of the palm up. Try this now - put one hand flat on the table in front of you and with your free hand, loosely hold the wrist. Feel now what happens in the wrist when you add the grounding actions in the hand. That indicates that the muscles are engaging and taking the stress of the pose. Do this again while in Down Dog and then try it in Up Dog.

If you feel pain in your wrists at any time, not just during a yoga practice, you may want to really observe the way you use your wrists in the practice. As much as possible use your muscles to take stress off the joints and if it is not working, if the pain continues, stop doing those poses! Ask your teacher for other ways to work those areas of the body or find options that will allow you to do the pose with modifications.

Cheers
Bernie
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