Yin in its very nature is cooling and calming; it is related to the feminine – meaning to receive instead of deliver. Yang is heating and stimulating; it is related to the masculine – meaning to take action. To manifest, to build and bring to fruition.
Generally, the balance in our lives swings heavily to a very Yang existence. With so much Yang (active, driven) energy in our lives, we need more and more Yin to bring balance, or we end up in a constant state of panic and eventually burn out. This is the law of balance in nature –where there is Yang there must also be Yin.
Increasing Yin is a matter of shifting focus from Yang ACTION/CONTROL to Yin FLOW/SURRENDER. Here in lies the challenge as we’re obsessed with control it and cling to it desperately!
Yin is all about letting go. NOT HOLDING, which takes practice as we are always holding on to something. We spend our lives holding it together, holding on until the end of the day, the week, the financial year… holding in emotions, holding back from doing whatever. Do we ever just truly surrender and let go?
HOW TO NURTURE & NOURISH OUR YIN? Yoga of course! Practice on the mat to bring it into life.
Yin/Restorative practice requires us to come into a vulnerable, receptive state of being, cultivating a meditative mind. It is an intuitive practice where we bring ourselves into a pose that opens the body and remain still in that pose, allowing tension to let go. The mental practice is to simply observe the process of NOT HOLDING.
We let go of working the muscles and release tension at a deeper level in the connective tissue and joints. Stagnant energy flow 
across the meridian lines of the body are unlocked. This is an internal practice to relax and restore the body and mind – balancing Yin and Yang. All yoga should be practiced with a healthy balance of yin and yang, but sometimes when our lives in general are so far leaning to a Yang space, we need to increase the Yin in excess.
With surrender comes humour, a greater depth of internal peace, feeling safe in the face of the unknown, more joy, less ego and generally more flow in life. Cultivate your Yin in your practice and in your life.
‘Our goal in life is not to become perfect: our goal is to become whole.’ Paul Grilley
Book in for Tuesday’s Yin/Restorative class 7.30pm by emailing nancy@blissretreat.com.au.