Yoga by Gillian

The first yin yoga class I ever attended – I hated. It was a 90-minute ordeal I just wanted to be over, and I instantly regretted booking into the class. Luckily I came back and tried again. Over time I managed to cultivate some calm and learn how to embrace stillness in yin yoga. The benefits have been incredible as I have learned to slow down and listen to myself.

Yoga isn’t what you do. It’s how you do, what you do

Bernie Clark

My First Yin Yoga Class

Attending my first yin yoga class was also the first time I visited this particular studio. I was running late, and didn’t know the parking situation. Oh and I forgot to mention, I hadn’t brought any cash with me! This all created the perfect backdrop for a poor first impression.

Parking sorted and money secured, I entered the studio space. The teacher and the other 2 students all seemed to know each other, hugging and exchanging pleasantries. I was completely the odd one out. No hugs for me today.

I knew what yin yoga was, because I was a couple of months into my initial 200 hours training. Part of the training encouraged us to attend a variety of classes. Really I just loved going to a yoga class and switching off for a bit. But I couldn’t switch off in this yin yoga class. It just felt weird. As we settled into poses, the teacher read us poetry, there was no space for silence. It literally went from one wtf (well that’s fun!) moment to another. I hated it.

Another chance

Something about that class caught my interest. A year later I was about to embark on a 50-hour Yin Yoga training in Edinburgh. It’s about an hour on the train from where I live to the capital so not too far. But I had NEVER been to Edinburgh on my own, so cue some big adventures.

I was late for the first day of that training too. I got off the train at the wrong stop. Then I had to race along Princes Street with the heaviest yoga mat ever. When I arrived I wasn’t in a very yin mood, but I gave it a go. Luckily my teachers were amazing, and very, very patient with me. The answered my questions and most importantly gave me space to figure out what yin meant to me.

Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.

Bhagavad Gita

The Journey Begins

I remember vividly the moment I ‘got it,’ and I fell in love with this yin yoga idea. We were working through our practice on day 4 and headed into caterpillar pose. I’m not sure how long we stayed in the position, but the teacher cued the next pose. As she did she offer an invitation to stay in caterpillar if we wanted. I had never taken ownership of what I wanted in a yoga class and I had never stayed before. Today, for some reason my mind and body were in agreement and I stayed in caterpillar.

Maybe I sighed aloud or perhaps it was more of an inner release. Either way at that point I realised why I was there – I needed this.

I’m a doer, a go-getter, a chronic over-achiever. I like to do well and I have the highest expectations of everything I do. I am a perfectionist and I am constantly on the go. Before this yin course I had been doing a lot of Ashtanga yoga, which is the polar opposite of yin. Ashtanga is very regimented and structured, which I liked and didn’t like in equal measure. Basically my attitude towards life was very yang and I needed some balance. Right when I needed it balance came along in the form of yin yoga.

Being a student before being a teacher

After my 5-day course I ordered my first bolster and I practiced every day. The best part was lying on my mat, staring at the ceiling in my new house just switching off. The tension would release from my shoulders and a deep sense of contentment washed over me. I enjoyed practicing yin yoga and relished the time I carved out to dedicate to the art of just being. I kept this practice just for me for a while before I taught my first class. But I knew that I wanted to share yin yoga. This practice offers something to the people who spend all their days running around being busy. The people like me!

I found the balance I needed when I began my yin yoga journey. What could you discover if you decided to start a yoga journey? Maybe you could also find the stillness and quiet you didn’t know that you needed!

I teach a weekly Yin Yoga class and offer workshops and retreats throughout the year. You can also find a wealth of Yin Yoga classes over on my YouTube channel.