More Yin: Why we need it and how we nourish it

With these 5 tips you will gain more peace and balance

We know Yin & Yang as a black and white Chinese symbol: It shows two opposing shapes that unite and together form a circle. The black Yin stands for femininity, softness and curves, passivity and calm, reflection and darkness. The white Yang symbol, on the other hand, stands for the masculine, activity and movement, for heat and everything that generates heat, as well as for dynamic and loud outdoor events.

Together, Yin and Yang permeate the universe and all things in it. And only in the interplay of these two energies does balance develop in our lives.

Nowadays, however, we are more likely to find ourselves in an imbalance: in an excess of yang energy. Always active, with hair blowing in the wind and a coffee to go from appointment to appointment, our heads full of to-dos and a carousel of thoughts that hardly ever stops. We do plan a visit to our favorite yoga studio after work to balance things out, but here too we nourish our yang energy: firstly, "planning" is also associated with yang. Secondly, we often choose yoga styles such as Vinyasa, Hatha or Ashtanga - all yoga styles that I personally love very much, but which are also very yang-heavy.

Prejudices against Yin Yoga – “It’s boring”

When I talk to customers about Yin Yoga, they usually tell me that they have tried it before, but it isn't for them: "Yin Yoga is boring," they say. Or: "You just lie around and do nothing at all" and "I can't relax in Yin Yoga, my thoughts are on a rollercoaster." These are just some of the feedback I get. The crazy thing is that the factors mentioned are exactly what many of us need: peace, doing nothing and boredom. Practice letting our carousel of thoughts calm down.

While the practice may seem boring from the outside, there is a lot going on inside:

• On a physical level, holding the exercises for a long time allows us to penetrate deeply into our fascia tissue, gently stretch it and thus improve our mobility.
• On a mental and emotional level, the slow and meditative practice can lead to a deeper state of relaxation: This reduces stress and calms the nervous system. This in turn promotes our regeneration and healing. Holding the stretches for a long time can also release deep-seated tensions and emotions that are stored in the fascia tissue.

In addition, in our yang-heavy world, we should think about why doing nothing and being bored put us off so much. The words that spring to mind are admittedly somewhat old-fashioned, like "good-for-nothing" and "boring". And we really don't want to be associated with those. We want to be hard-working and successful.
So do old beliefs and learned behaviors have something to do with the fact that we sometimes have reservations about a calmer yoga practice? Whether this is true or not: we can trust ourselves to have more yin in our everyday lives and also more yin yoga. More mindfulness, more self-love and more self-respect. Because for me that is also the epitome of yin. But how can we consciously bring more yin into our lives?

5 ideas on how to easily integrate more Yin into your life

#1 When your alarm goes off in the morning, stay in bed for a while. Just as you woke up. Don't change anything and ask yourself: How am I lying here and how does it feel? This only takes 30 seconds and is a first act of self-love and reflection.

#2 Maybe you have time in the morning to enjoy your coffee or tea at home instead of getting a coffee somewhere and drinking it on the go.

#3 Have you always wanted to try journaling and free writing? Go for it! It gets some thoughts out of your noisy head and onto the sheet of paper in front of you.

#4 You find peace in nature. Your nervous system, your breathing rate and your blood pressure react immediately. Wandering mindfully through nature is definitely yin. Listening to the rustling of the leaves, experiencing grounding by walking on the forest floor or watching the clouds drift by also nourishes your yin.

#5 Do you take time for regular breathing breaks? I would like to share with you my ultimate breathing exercise for anytime and anywhere. You can do it while waiting at the traffic lights, in your kitchen or in the office. Close your eyes for a moment. Place one hand on your stomach and the other (only if you can) on your chest. Now breathe in such a way that you notice a clear movement of your hands. With this simple exercise you connect with yourself. You have taken the time to breathe deeply. You have made yourself a priority. Perhaps these little impulses will support you to have more yin and maybe even to attend a yin yoga class. For even more yin in your life, I have also created a playlist on Spotify: Discover playlists.

Maren Potschies

Maren Potschies is a long-standing experienced Vinyasa and Yin yoga teacher, mindfulness coach and enthusiastic lecturer. With her authentic manner and her fine wording, she has already inspired over 30,000 yoga practitioners as a teacher and over 120 people as a lecturer. She runs her own online yoga membership, the "Yin Experience", and works successfully as a mentor with women in the spiritual business for more lightness and clarity.

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