What is in a name ?

Please use this forum to ask any questions you may have about yoga in general or Yin Yoga in particular, or to discuss anything you have discovered that may be of general interest. Note, spam will be removed and the user deleted, and this includes putting website in your posting that are purely commercial.
Post Reply
Mickcope
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:47 pm
Location: England

What is in a name ?

Post by Mickcope »

I have no doubt this has already been debated before . but as a relative newbie to the idea of Yin yoga I have really fallen in love with the practice. But walking for my coffee this morning and musing on things I wonder about a seeming paradox.

The idea of Yin and Yang is that they are not independent absolutes. It is not a case that something 'is' yin or yang. It is always a dynamic model with something being more yin in relation to a yang construct. So the two work symbiotically .

If this is the the case than does the name ‘Yin Yoga' of itself becomes a false idea. Does the creation of Yin as a distinct article in effect go against the very idea of that underpins the notion of Yin/Yang?

I think this question came from quite a lot of my yoga teachers not buying into the Yin Yoga model. And in many cases dismissing the idea.

In many ways it feels like my wife and cowboy movies! My wife says ‘I don't like cowboy movies'. So because of that she will never even contemplate watching a movie in this genre. No matter how good it is ... she dismisses it from the outset. And this is often the reaction I get when talking to teachers about a more Yin based practice.

So is the paradox that in seeking to promote more balance in a yoga world that is biased towards a Yang style ... the creation of a separate and distinct entity called Yin actually creates an artificial wall?

Please note... I ask this as a question of seeking deeper understanding and not to judge or critique the idea of a Yin based practice.

mick

Ps. Because my wife had a bad first experience at a Yang yoga class she hates ‘yoga' ... but .... loves ‘Yin yoga'. I am working to bridge that gap with her. Ha
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Post by Bernie »

Hi Mick

"What is in a name? A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet...,

You are correct: nothing is absolutely yin or absolutely yang, plus these are Daoist terms. We could use Sanskrit and call this “Tha Yoga, to distinguish it from “Ha Yoga,. In any case, what is it relative to - that is the important question. Your wife experienced a more active, dynamic style of yoga, which she didn't resonate with, which we could call “yang yoga,. “Yin yoga, is the complement to this-more passive and allowing. So we call this style yin to distinguish it from the more muscular yang practices, not to say that yang is bad or unnecessary (we need both yin and yang to be whole) but to offer the balance for the yangsters who only do the yang forms of practice.

Yes, some yoga teacher react negatively towards yin yoga, but I personally feel it is because they have not been taught the basic principles and science behind it: they are reacting quite often to the idea that “Yin yoga targets the joints and ligaments,, and in their training they were taught to not stress these areas. But, all tissues need stress to maintain and regain optimal health! The kinds of stresses we want for joints and ligaments are different than what we apply to muscles, but stress is still essential. Once teachers understand the nature and value of yin stresses, they seem to relax and allow the practice to unfold. Plus, for some reason, many teachers think that yin teachers want students to only do yin yoga: that is not true. We need both yin and yang practices.

We have to call the practice something: if we just said “yoga, how would people know to come to this particular style of practice, or to not come? Adjectives are useful, but we should never become dogmatic or insist that there is only one way to do something. Additionally, the use of yin postures long predates anything we call yin yoga today. You can read more about that on this thread. For a brief history on how the name “Yin Yoga, evolved, you can read this.

Cheers
Bernie
Mickcope
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:47 pm
Location: England

Post by Mickcope »

cheers Bernie - really look forward to learning more in Feb - if you can just keep the rain away please

mick
Bernie wrote:Hi Mick

"What is in a name? A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet...,

You are correct: nothing is absolutely yin or absolutely yang, plus these are Daoist terms. We could use Sanskrit and call this “Tha Yoga, to distinguish it from “Ha Yoga,. In any case, what is it relative to - that is the important question. Your wife experienced a more active, dynamic style of yoga, which she didn't resonate with, which we could call “yang yoga,. “Yin yoga, is the complement to this-more passive and allowing. So we call this style yin to distinguish it from the more muscular yang practices, not to say that yang is bad or unnecessary (we need both yin and yang to be whole) but to offer the balance for the yangsters who only do the yang forms of practice.

Yes, some yoga teacher react negatively towards yin yoga, but I personally feel it is because they have not been taught the basic principles and science behind it: they are reacting quite often to the idea that “Yin yoga targets the joints and ligaments,, and in their training they were taught to not stress these areas. But, all tissues need stress to maintain and regain optimal health! The kinds of stresses we want for joints and ligaments are different than what we apply to muscles, but stress is still essential. Once teachers understand the nature and value of yin stresses, they seem to relax and allow the practice to unfold. Plus, for some reason, many teachers think that yin teachers want students to only do yin yoga: that is not true. We need both yin and yang practices.

We have to call the practice something: if we just said “yoga, how would people know to come to this particular style of practice, or to not come? Adjectives are useful, but we should never become dogmatic or insist that there is only one way to do something. Additionally, the use of yin postures long predates anything we call yin yoga today. You can read more about that on this thread. For a brief history on how the name “Yin Yoga, evolved, you can read this.

Cheers
Bernie
Post Reply