Have you tried vin to yin yet? Traditionally you should do yin cold, but I do love teaching and taking classes in the order of vin to yin.
This means starting with some dynamic poses and flows, and then ending the class with some passive long held poses requiring little effort.
Try this sequence and let me know how you feel!
1. Supine Sequence – Lower down to belly, with feet hip width apart and hands alongside the ribs. Roll and lift shoulders. Push feet into the ground. Inhale to lift head, chest and hands off mat in baby cobra. Exhale to lower. Do a few. Extend arms forward shoulder width apart, and palms facing in. Inhale to lift left arm and right leg in half locust. Exhale to lower. Alternating sides in half locust. Feel back muscles engage as you find more length. Slide hands back, push into the palms, pubic bone and feet, and lift chest up in full cobra.
2. Table Top – Come up with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Take a few rounds of cat/cow. Return to neutral table top. Push strong into left hand, and bring right hand behind head. Inhale to lift right elbow up to the sky. Exhale parallel to ground. Take a few rounds. Then thread right arm under, lowering right ear and shoulder to mat in thread the needle. Take a few breaths. Return to table top. Push into the tops of the feet and palms and lift the knees and shins to hover off the mat. Keep the back flat. Repeat through on second side.
3. Wide Legged Flow – Stand up, facing the long edge of the mat. Take feet wide, with heels in and toes out. Extend arms up and out in a star pose. Bend into the knees and elbows to come to temple/goddess pose. Squeeze the knees open and press shoulders back. Sway side to side a few times. Then find center and pulse the hips up and down slightly. After several pulses, bring hands down behind the back to interlace fingers. Straighten the legs and fold down. Reach the knuckles up and over.
4. Standing Sequence – Bend into the right knee, while straightening the left leg. Turn the right toes to top of mat, keep bend in knee. Hold here squeezing the right thigh open. Next, keep legs steady as you lift up to Warrior 2. Extending arms front to back. Flip palms up, reach right hand up and left hand down in reverse Warrior. Straighten the right leg, bringing right hand down and left hand up in triangle. Look down to right foot, bring hands to frame it, tuck left toes and then kick right leg up and back in three-legged dog. Step right foot back between hands, push into feet and lift to high lunge.
Repeat 3 and 4 through on other side.
5. Swan Pose – From down dog or table top, bring the right knee behind the right wrist. Square the hips. Stretch the left leg back behind you. Stay up or fold down to forearms or floor. Hold for about 3 minutes. Try not to engage muscles, easing off and not chasing sensation. Repeat on the other side.
6. Caterpillar Fold – Come to a seat, extending both legs out in front of you. Bend into the knees if needed, and use props if you like. Gently fold forward. No grabbing, pushing or pulling. Turn the palms up. Let the fold happen naturally with gravity. Stretching the entire posterior chain. Hold for a few minutes.
7. Banana Pose – Shift your hips over to the right. Lower down on to the back, bringing the head and shoulders to the left. Straighten the legs, walking feet to the left side. Bring the hands overhead and clasp the forearms. To deepen cross the right ankle over the left. Push the right hip down as you hold for a few moments. Repeat to the other side.
These poses and flows come from a full 1 hour vin to yin practice I shared. Check out the video below for the rest of this intermediate sequence.
Namaste,
Kassandra
