Have you ever tried Yin yoga? If you have, then after the class you might have felt calm, relaxed and rested.
An article by Fitness Coach & Class Instructor Celeste
It may have also been followed by a deep and restful sleep that evening and an increased awakening energy with reduced stress. Well, if you’ve felt one or all of these, then you’re not alone. Anecdotally, it would appear there are some physiological changes that could be associated with a Yin yoga class.
I’ve decided to go deeper into the question tracking my heart rate during my usual Friday Yin practice.
The difference between yin and other yoga classes is that you’re going to hold the posture for a longer period of time, between three up to five minutes, and that you’re going to be invited to stay still and just focus on slow, deep breathing. While many of the fitness-dominated practices activate the sympathetic nervous system that speed up your heart rate, deliver more blood to areas of your body that need more oxygen or other responses to help your get out of danger, the longer holds of a yin practice tap into your parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic Nervous system instead helps to decrease heart rate, reduces respiration rate to a resting pace and promotes digestion through an improved vagal tone.
My Friday class is 75 minutes long and begins with some pranayama (breathing exercises) followed by an asana practice (yin yoga posture) and concludes with a ten minute relaxation. My heart rate to start was 72 beats per minute.
Friday practice has started with Nadi shodhana pranayama (alternate nostril breath technique) followed by asana that targeted the hip region:
- Child pose (2 min)
- Sphinx into seal pose (5 min)
- Dragon (3 min x side)
- Half saddle pose (3 min x side)
- Supported bridge alt legs to chest (3 min x side)
- Supported bridge (3 min)
- Reclining twist (2 min x side)
- Savasana (10 min)
Even though I was teaching, instructing and talking, my heart rate had reduced to 55 beats per minute, an incredible reduction whilst exercising.
Tara Fitzgibbon, one of the most well-known Yin Yoga teachers in Australia says “Yin yoga gives us permission to be still. It provides balance against all of life’s Yang activities, and allows us to reach deeper levels of rest, which open us up to higher consciousness.”
That’s the real power of yoga: it is a healing practice on a physical, emotional and spiritual level, it lets us allow ourselves, just to “be” and not to “do”.
A reduction in resting heart rate is often associated with improved heart efficiency, overall cardiovascular fitness and has also been linked to some overall improvements in mood.
Book in for one of our Yin yoga classes today using the Odyssey app.
