0

Comments

It is commonly known that Yoga originated in India over 5000 years ago and has evolved into a science and art of healthy living over time. Today, it is amongst the most popular form of physical and mental fitness practiced around the world. That is why many are confused when they hear about Yin Yoga, because while Yoga is Indian, the concept of Yin and Yang is Toaist and Chinese in its origin. But, the fact is that Yin Yoga is a form of exercise, very similar to Hatha Yoga in India that was developed in China. Yin Yoga benefits point to the fact that it was perhaps one of the oldest form of yoga as it prepares the body for long stretches of meditation, which was the primary concern of yogis in the very beginning.

There is a very important difference between yin yoga and hatha yoga. While hatha yoga focuses on developing muscles by stretching them to their limit, yin yoga turns its attention to the connective tissues between the joints. So, while hatha yoga develops the muscles and the rest of the body for long meditative poses, yin yoga ensures that the joints are also fully capable of taking the strain without any discomfort. That is why a combination of yin yoga and hatha yoga can be very beneficial to anybody who is interested in developing his or her overall physical ability.

Yin Yoga focuses on ligaments and tendons in the joints and helps them to increase in their length and elasticity in the same way that hatha yoga works on the muscles. The ligaments in the joint are stretched and held at a stretch for a long period of time, before relaxing them. Over a period of time, this is what helps in increasing the length and elasticity of the ligaments of the joint. What also happens is that holding these poses also ensures that the fluid in the joints that helps unencumbered movement of the joint without any friction between the bones is also freely available and accessible to all parts of the joint.

Our muscles are far more elastic compared to our connective tissues. This means that our connective tissues take a lot longer to gain extra length and elasticity. That is why yin yoga benefits take longer to surface than hatha yoga benefits. But, this also dictates another big difference between hatha yoga and yin yoga. The poses in yin yoga are held for a much longer duration than hatha yoga poses. This is because shorter durations will not have the desired effect on the connective tissues as they are more rigid.

Also, yin yoga asanas are completely passive and do not require the physical vigor required in many other styles of yoga. There are no standing poses or inversions or backbends and twists in yin yoga. In fact, there are only 35 asanas in yin yoga. But, practicing these asanas along with hatha yoga regularly will ensure that you are as physically fit as possible.