5 Yin Postures to Find Balance in Autumn in line with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Yin Yoga is aligned to Traditional Chinese Medicine and the seasons. Each season is a different element and corresponds to two meridians and associated organs in the body. Autumn is metal and the lung and large  intestine meridians. Each of the following 5 asanas work in line with these meridians to help you  to find  balance  at this time of year. 

Three principles of Yin Yoga Practice: 

Find your edge –  slowly enter each posture and feel to find your ‘edge’. Your edge is a place of slight discomfort but not pain. After around 30 seconds you may be able to adjust even deeper into the posture or you may feel you need to come out slightly. This is about you feeling listening and responding. Allow the posture to get you into your body
Find stillness and relax – surrender to the pose, let gravity and your breath do all the work 
Long hold the pose for a minimum of 2 mins and a maximum of 5mins

*in Yin we start off by working the left hand side of the body in postures before the right side. This is because the left side links to your parasympathetic nervous system. In other yang based yoga practices such as vinyasa or hatha you will normally start on the right. These pictures illustrate the postures on one side only so be mindful to start on the left as described in the text below each photo illustration. 

Supported Bridge ~ Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana

Lay flat on your back with the soles of your feet on the mat 
Press your feet into the earth and raise your hips and gently slide your block ( mid height) horizontally under your sacrum *you can also use a bolster- make sure it is under your pelvis not your lower back
Adjust block so it feels good lowering down so your sacrum spreads over the block 
Move shoulder blades together underneath you 
Move your chin towards your chest to lengthen your neck
Arms away from body palms up fingers relaxed 
Option to straighten legs away from your body or leave soles of feet on the floor
Find your edge
Find stillness
Breathe into the pose
Notice the sensations 
Keep bringing your focus onto your breath and the sensations in your body without judgement 
On the exhale release any tension
Hold for 2-5 mins or longer if it feels good for you

The supported bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) can stimulate multiple meridians in the body, including:

kidney
urinary bladder
spleen
stomach
heart
lung

Benefits:

Improve flexibility and range of motion in the hips 
Increase blood flow and circulation
Relieve tension in the hips and lower back 
Strengthen the mid- to upper-back muscles, buttocks, thighs, and ankle
Help relieve low back pain

Contraindications:

People with the following should avoid bridge pose:

Neck or shoulder injuries

Abdominal hernias

High blood pressure or heart conditions

Ankle injury or sprain

Revolved Wide Child Pose ~ Parivrtta Prasarita Balasana

 

From all fours move your knees out towards the width of your mat keeping your toes together 
Sweep your left arm up towards the ceiling follow with your eyes, opening your chest and moving your left shoulder back and down 
Thread your left arm under and through  your right arm
Stretch your right arm away from your body and your left arm away from your body 
Keep your bottom moving back towards your heels * option here to pop a blanket behind the knees/under the bottom or to start the posture on all fours and keep bottom in the air with no wide legged child pose. Have a play around and decide what works for you. A blanket or block to support the head may also feel good for you. 
Find your edge
Find stillness
Breathe into the pose
Notice the sensations 
Keep bringing your focus onto your breath and the sensations in your body without judgement 
On the exhale release any tension
Hold for 2-5 mins on each side 
Slowly come out and do a couple of cat cows before repeating on the other side. 

 

The Revolved Wide Child Pose (Parivrtta Prasarita Balasana) in yoga can benefit the following meridians:

Liver meridian: If the knees are wide 
Stomach meridian: If there is pressure on the thighs and low belly

Benefits:

Stretching and strengthening: Stretches the shoulders and hips, and lengthens the spine
Flexibility and range of motion: Releases stiffness in the shoulders and lower body, and softens the upper and mid-back
Chest, diaphragm, and breath: The chest is engaged in a dual effect, constricting the front of the chest while stretching the back of the upper torso
Awareness and focus: Requires precision and breath awareness
Calming the brain: Helps relieve stress and fatigue
Relieving pain: Can help relieve back and neck pain

Contraindications:

Recent surgery on knees, shoulders, abdomen or heart

Avoid if you have acute arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in knees

Avoid if pregnant (after first trimester)

 

Open Wing ~ Avabhinna Pakshakasana

 

Lay flat on your stomach 
Shuffle  your body over towards the right hand side of the mat 
Place your left arm palm facing down stretched out to the side in line with your shoulder
Steeple the fingers of your right hand on the floor near your head  with your right elbow bent and press down to roll/ leverage  the body to the right with your knees bent/  externally rotating your left shoulder. 
Keep your steepled hand where it is as leverage for your body or option to lift your right arm up into the air and reach behind the right side of your body. * option to raise the foot of your right leg and place on the floor behind your left outstretched leg. 
Another option if this feels too strong is to stand by a wall with your left arm extended and left hand pushing into the wall. Keep the hand pushing into the wall whilst rotating the position of your body to the right- opening and externally rotating your left shoulder. 
Find your edge
Find stillness
Breathe into the pose
Notice the sensations 
Keep bringing your focus onto your breath and the sensations in your body without judgement 
On the exhale release any tension
Hold for 2-5 mins on each side
Slowly and carefully come out roll onto tummy make a nest with hands for your head elbows out to sides and breathe deeply feeling your tummy pushing into the floor for a few breaths before repeating on the other side. 

The Open Wing pose (Avabhinna Pakshakasana) can access and balance multiple meridians in the body, including:

Fire organ meridians: which are located in the arms. The pose emphasizes the armpit, inner arm, and pinky finger to access the heart, and the shoulder blade, side of the neck, and pinky finger to access the small intestine
Lung meridian: The Open Wing pose can stimulate and balance the lung meridian
Large intestine meridian: The Open Wing pose can provide access to the large intestine meridian

Benefits:

Stresses the connective tissues of the chest, shoulders and arms
Helps to release tension and stress
Injury prevention: Strengthens connective tissues to reduce the risk of injury
Balance: Helps bring balance between the shoulders and hips

Contraindications:

Any severe injury or surgery to the elbow, knees, arm, waist or back

Lack of strength ( should choose the wall variation)

Pregnancy ( should choose the wall variation)

 

Sphinx ~ Salamba Bhujangasana

From laying your tummy move your arms palms and forearms facing town elbows in towards your chest 
Push top of feet into floor, engage upper thighs and lengthen legs away from you ( to protect your lower back)
Push your sternum away from you, open chest, shoulders back and down
Gaze up towards the ceiling pushing through the forearms and feet and thighs keep opening the chest shoulders back and down 
Find your edge
Find stillness
Breathe into the pose
Notice the sensations 
Keep bringing your focus onto your breath and the sensations in your body without judgement 
On the exhale release any tension
Hold for 2-5 mins ( you can add seal into this sequence for a minute if you wish coming back to sphinx) 
Come out slowly by making hands into a nest, elbows out to side and resting head into hands. A few rounds of breathing feeling your belly push into the floor. 

 

The sphinx pose  (Niravalasana or Salamba Bhujangasana) affects several meridians in the body, including:

Kidney and urinary bladder meridians: These meridians run through the sacrum and lower back, which are compressed by the sphinx pose 
Stomach and spleen meridians: These meridians run along the top of the legs 
Ligaments along the spine: These ligaments are activated by the sphinx pose

Benefits:

Stretches and strengthens the entire back, including the spine, chest, shoulders, neck, arms, and abdominal muscle
Opens the chest and lungs improving breathing capacity
Help with digestion
Helps reduce stress and anxiety  
Mental clarity: improve awareness and focus
Helps to relieve symptoms related to menstruation

Contraindications:

People  with neck issues should avoid if severe or if you want to practice keep your neck relaxed and look down with your chin towards your chest

If you are pregnant ( after the first trimester) you should avoid this pose due to the pressure on the abdomen

Recent or chronic injustices to the back or spine

 

Supine Spinal Twist Pose ~ Supta Matsyendrasana

Laying flat on your back bring your arms out to the sides palms facing up parallel to your shoulders. 
Bend your right knee keeping your left leg long
Rotate your body and drop your right knee down to left towards the floor * you may wish to have a bolster there to drop the knee onto for support but a hovering knee is just fine 
Slowly turn your head to gaze towards  your right hand.
Find your edge
Find stillness
Breathe into the pose
Notice the sensations 
Keep bringing your focus onto your breath and the sensations in your body without judgement 
On the exhale release any tension
Hold for 2-5 mins on each side

 

The Supine Spinal Twist pose (Supta Matsyendrasana) affects the following meridians:

Spleen

Stomach

Lungs

Large Intestine

Benefits:

Stretches the chest, glutes, and obliques

Improves spinal flexibility and mobility

Relieves pain in the hips, spine, and low back

Massages abdominal tissues and detoxifies internal organs

Opens the chest region and activates the heart chakra

strengthens the knees, hamstrings, and quadriceps

Improves flexibility and range of motion

Contraindications:

This posture offers many benefits. However the pose should be avoided by anyone who suffers from severe back pain, herniated discs or spinal injuries. Those with knee hip or shoulder injuries should enter the pose with caution and modify as required. If you are pregnant you should consult with your healthcare provider before attempting this posture.

 

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