I have been doing yoga for quite some time now, vinyasa and ashtanga in particular. I am drawn to these physically demanding styles of yoga, as I find myself calm, steady, and positive after a sweaty session.
So when I first heard of yin yoga, my first reaction was naaah, not for me. Not for this type A mom.
That changed in the morning of November 23 in St. Luke's BGC. I attended Wellbeing From The Yin Side, a yin yoga workshop organized by Yin Yoga Philippines.
I have attended other yoga workshops in the past, and I look always forward to 1. getting instructions from the masters on how to do a pose, and 2. the nuggets of wisdom that crop up here and there as they teach about the mechanics of the pose. But this workshop began with talks from Yin Yoga PH teachers, so there was a lot of time to mull over and do some self-reflection.
"Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience." One of Ria Tirazona's highlights is this quote from Ralph Emerson. I smiled as I listened to Ria share her weight loss journey, and related it to my journey as a mother.
"Whenever you meet someone new, say in your mind, 'I wish for this person to be happy.'" This was from Dinah Salonga's slide. I decided to make this my mantra the following day, when I was about to attend what I felt would be a difficult meeting. Details aside, let's just say it turned out perfectly fine, and we all left the room happy :) Try it!
I think I nodded one time too many in Dona Tumacder-Esteban's talk. Women wear so many hats, that we neglect ourselves. Since I am a mother, it has become second nature to think family first, what they need first. I made a mental note to put self-care in that long list of to-do's. Absolutely not because I am selfish, but because I am better able to serve my community if I care for my self too. As Dona has said, "You are at the front and center of what is happening around you."
And finally, the highlight of this workshop. Victor Chng, the founder of yin yoga in Asia, took the floor.
I thought it was going to be easy. It is not fast-paced, I was not going to sweat, so it was going to be easy.
Boy, was I wrong.
The poses were held for at least 3 minutes, maybe more. I could feel my muscles tensing, but my friends and yoga teachers Jane and Ria came to my rescue. They touched me ever so gently and gave me points with voices so soothing, I could literally feel the tension just melting away. The result was me holding the pose for as long as possible, and getting to know my body, my self, even more.
I'm sorry I cannot articulate how that one hour yoga practice changed me physically, because I doubt that it did. All I can tell you is that I did feel that my pelvic muscles, my legs, my arms were quite sore. A "Wow! That feels good!" kind of sore.
But I can tell you that the yin session made me want more. Yin yoga's principles of grounding, holding, and relaxation were what I felt I needed to balance my very yang nature. Also, the teachers say that yin helps in improving yang practice, and I now say from that this is true though I have been practicing yin for almost two weeks only. The Yin Yoga Immersion next year is the answer to my yin yoga obsession. Crossing my fingers that I'll be able to attend. Help me, universe!
Before I end this post, let me share with you one pose that baffles me to this day.
How is this possible????
This is impossible for me right now. My body just won't cooperate. But I am reminding myself to be patient. As said by Victor, "To allow time for things to happen, take time for things to evolve."
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