A wall Yin Practice.
Allow 40-45 minutes. If you are familiar with Yin Yoga and have been to a class, you will know props are commonly used. Yin is a style of yoga that really benefits from support. We use anything from blocks, bolsters, blankets… but we often forget about the wall! Here I will guide you through a practice using solely the wall. However if you do not have enough wall space, fear not! This can be adapted without a wall. Please remember to work with your own limitations and injuries and treat your body with care.
Let’s get into it.
Set up your free wall space, with your mat alongside, a blanket or two and perhaps blocks if you have. HERE’s a playlist I curated for your practice.
Come to sit with your right side of hip against the wall, with your knees bent. Begin to land on your back and swing your legs up the wall.
We begin with legs up the wall for 3-5 minutes, observing breath, body and mind, any emotions that may be present and then start to deepen the breath, lengthening the exhale.
{No wall: seated meditation or block under low back, legs in air}
Next taking legs into a diamond shape - butterfly, soles of feet together knees wide. Option to press tops of thighs away for first minute. Staying for a total of 4 minutes.
{No wall: Take butterfly reclined, or seated and rounding forwards}
Return to legs up the wall for 4 minutes. {No wall: block/bolster under hips, legs up}
From here, take the legs wide into a straddle, creating a V with legs (pic not shown) option to place a block under each thigh as support. Relax legs when you feel an appropriate level of stress to inner groin area. Linger here for 4 minutes before slowly moving legs closer together again and allow time for legs up wall to be a rebound. Find stillness and focus on the sensation as tissues rebound back.
{No wall: take seated straddle sitting on a blanket, option to come forward}
We then move into a wall squat. For most of us, we need to move back a little, creating space between wall & buttocks. Then bend knees, soles of feet on wall and wide. You may feel a slight compressing here to hips. Your sacrum should not be lifting off the floor, so move further back if you need more space. Pause here for 4 minutes. Before taking legs up wall to release as a rebound for 2 minutes.
{No wall: you can take a regular squat, but sitting on a block with palms together at chest, elbows to inner thigh or reclined butterfly if a squat is not for you.}
Lastly, we find pigeon. You may need to move away from the wall again. Left knee bends, sole of foot to wall then right ankle crosses left knee. Right knee moves away from you. Sensation should be felt around R hip and glute. Find the appropriate level of stress and pause for 4 minutes before switching sides. Legs up wall as rebound in between.
{No wall: Without is fine, still on back, loop hands around thigh or knee}
Rest/Meditation: Take savasana or a seated meditation. If you feel like resting some more, I have a recorded Yoga Nidra. Feel free to listen in savasana or bed!
I hope you enjoy this grounding practice. Jess x