I come from an ashtanga background so some of my pose names may be off, but I've loved yin yoga for a long time and am now teaching a local community class. My students are primarily older women, many of whom are farmers. We live in a rural farming community, and I find that these women are very strong and flexible in some ways, but extremely inflexible in others. Many basic poses, including cross-legged and child, are difficult for my students.
Does anyone have advice about building these basic poses, especially increasing hip flexibility, but in a yin way? I don't want to scare people off. For instance, with one student, I have found no variation of an easy cross-legged seated pose with which she can be comfortable. I'm thinking if I can find the gentlest possible variation and if we can do a yin practice, with long 3-5 minute holds, she can begin to build flexibility. Other students have great challenges in child pose (snail in yin?), especially those who are overweight or obese. Again, I have tried all variations I know (wide knees, wide knees and wide feet, a block beneath the hips, beneath the forehead, etc.), and am wondering if anyone else has any thoughts.
If we had a vast array of props, mainly bolsters, I could find a way for students to be comfortable in these poses, but we're at a local community center and have nothing like that. I've tried to convince people to bring blankets, but so far no one has. My goal is to find variations of these poses that people can experience without pain.
Would love any comments! Thanks!
Melissa