6 Keys to Stillness in Yin Yoga
Life is filled with busyness, noise, and often meaningless activities. Yin Yoga may provide an answer by seeking stillness.
Our time on earth comes with endless trials, heartaches, and burdens and with very few joys, and pleasures that are so short-lived. We humans have also been given a means of escape, a way to remember that we are reflections of purity and love. When we raise ourselves up through quiet and stillness we unite the spirit and quicken something within us that is eternal and unlimited. Once we have experienced this eternal part in us, we can no longer doubt our spiritual connection to something bigger.
Yin Yoga is thus the way to knowing and beholding the essential center of our being and a deeper somatic understanding of our bodies.
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Many scientific studies have been conducted to measure the effects of finding stillness meditation and prayer. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), measure activity taking place in specific areas of the brain providing us with a deeper view of the effects of stillness. Activated areas of the brain — areas with increased blood flow — “light up” on the fMRI’s computer screen. Studies using fMRI scanning have given us a thorough map of the specific areas of the brain that light up when subjects perform specific activities.
Certain parts of the brain become active when the body is in motion and becomes active when solving problems or being creative. We also know which parts of the brain light up when emotions traumas are triggered and stimulated from sexual arousal or offering loving-kindness.
During yoga and meditation the areas of the brain that process sensory information and physical movement become inactive. These areas include those which receive sensory input from specific body parts and those involved in motor control, spatial sense, speech, object recognition, and primal emotions such as fear and anxiety.
Simultaneously during meditation areas associated with attention, creativity, along with love and compassion, become active. These areas are located in the frontal lobe of the brain, including, especially, when we concentrate. The frontal lobe, especially the prefrontal cortex, is associated with our higher abilities: imagination, creativity, appreciation of art and music, problem-solving, planning, conscience, manners, and morals.
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6 Ways to SEEK Stillness in with Yin Yoga
Spend the first moments each day in silent, meditation. — Yin Yogas asanas prepare the mind and body for quiet contemplation. If prayer is our conversation with the divine, meditation is listening. Meditation is not an easy commitment to keep; however, it can slowly change your life. When you feel that you’re too busy to do it, ask yourself: don’t I spend more time than that in eating, sleeping, working or exercising?
Dedicate the day to sleep —Racing mind distracting you from falling asleep? Waking up in the middle of the night remembering something important you were supposed to do? Sleep is a yin process, but when food has chemicals in it, it becomes yang and the mind goes into a vata state. While there are many ways to describe a vata state of mind, the key word in our culture seems to be anxiety.
Quiet can be addictive.—A Meditative state demands silence and stillness. Obviously, we cannot cut ourselves off from daily life. But we can choose a time and a space in which noise and interruptions are unlikely. Historically, many have chosen to pray early in the morning before the day's activities begin or later in the evening when things have slowed down.
Consistently work towards renewed self-definition.—Our values become redefined and take on an increasingly evangelical demeanor. If prayer is our conversation with the divine meditation is listening. This conversation is a continued conversion resulting in acts of clarity and purpose.
Create sacred space your internal landscape will thank you!—This is a time and place in a way that creates a container to enter states of contemplation towards the divine. A catharsis, celebration for healing and growth. This space is not necessarily where answers are grasped or understood. Rather a place where questions are asked, internal conversations occur, rituals are perpetuated, and silence is heard—all in the attempts to find answers. The beauty of the setting, a sacred space is paramount, an image, a candle, incense, lighting, music—all can be aids to prayerful conversations. Some have this conversation while they walk, stand in the grocery line waiting or even in traffic.
Distractions are an inevitability.—The mind is incapable of concentrating on a single object over long periods of time. Quiet contemplation is to calm our body and mind so we can breathe mindfully, clear-headed, and gain a sense of mastery in our lives. If your meditation space is disordered and full of distractions, you’re unlikely to achieve this goal. Mediation often says a lot about what is going on inside us. When you become stilled focus internally the answers come.
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