Leaning In

Today I taught a Yin Yoga class that focused on “leaning in”: to the pose, our bodies, our breath and the stillness within. I was struck by how many students approached me afterwards to thank me for this class. Rather than do a more common “flow” of poses that is the norm, we purposely held poses for 1-3 minutes to really go deep within. And what I realized after so many people expressed their appreciation for the class is that the deeper holds are really a metaphor for our lives.

It is so easy to get distracted by the busyness of every day, to be on “auto-pilot” and not really step into the moments before us. As Travis Eliot, author of A Journey into Yin Yoga says,

"Yin provides us the opportunity to slow down, go within, and to go deep. Some cultures call it the sacred pause. It's within the pause, or moment of stillness, that we come back to our inner most essence. By dropping into this stillness, we find our center."

In Yin yoga (my personal favorite style) the beauty and simplicity of each pose is the allowing, noticing and inviting that takes place. When we let go of pushing, forcing or trying, tight muscles relax, release and soften, or magically seem to let go. And so too can our minds.

I know I function and perform better when my morning routine includes time for dropping into stillness. And I realize we don’t need to step on a yoga mat to give ourselves permission to “lean in” to the moment, the emotion, the symptom or the thoughts that may be circulating. I am learning to pause, to patiently wait for the tightness or sensation to soften and ease, knowing that my wise inner self will make any necessary adjustments for my body and mind to thrive.