Yoga for Healing – Part 3

Yoga For Healing - Part 3: YIN YOGA : Encouraging healing and better sleep.

With Yin Yoga being a much slower physical practice it naturally becomes something that is perfect in supporting restoration and rejuvenation. Holding shapes longer encourages a meditative state calming down the mind and relaxing the body which aids in promoting better sleep.

You can also create a relaxing external environment which can enhance your practice. Having a calming playlist if you prefer having music in the background, dimmed lighting and perhaps burning a scented candle or incense.  

Really allow yourselves to feel comfortable in your space, practising in something loose and have all the props you need to help you feel truly supported.

Combining a little bit of yogic influence (Indian philosophy) into Yin (Chinese philosophy), there are 5 Vayus which are known as ‘winds’. They can be viewed as different forms in how energy moves within the body and in knowing this we can also design a practice that focuses on the cultivation of specific energetics and the direction in which we wish to direct our prana / chi. For a more grounding practice the direction we would like to guide our energy is downwards. Downward energy supports grounding which in this case is known as Apana Vayu. 

At the same time incorporating acupressure points and shapes that help to support our kidney meridian which in Traditional Chinese Medicine is known to be where we store our energy. When our battery packs are full we have more energy to get on with our chores while overall feeling an increase in vitality.

As you practice you can also apply extra focus onto the breath. Ensuring your breath is slow, steady and deep and perhaps if it feels comfortable begin to extend slightly your exhales to activate your parasympathetic part of your nervous system.

If you have not heard of this term before, it is the rest and restore part of our nervous system. Its role is to eliminate stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) and stress from our cardiovascular and digestive systems while also supporting our immunity. Simply breathing consciously as mentioned above can really help us have better sleep, or if we are not going to sleep it allows us to receive the benefits of deep rest while being awake. 

Our days can leave our body feeling tight, contracted and stiff and as Yin does stretch and open up the body it helps us in creating more space. This sense of spaciousness can bring a lightness into the body and soul releasing any stress and tightness we might be holding onto. 

Another way to support better sleep is the incorporation of forward folds. This supports a downward facing flow of energy which is deeply grounding and restorative while also having this surrendering essence to it. Surrendering to the moment, the unknown, the shape or perhaps our thoughts and emotions that we might be experiencing. Learning to simply observe and befriend all parts of ourselves instead of avoiding or simply pushing aside, which can accumulate within our energetic body and mind making us more restless and challenging to sleep.

Another practice that is extremely supportive for promoting rest is Yoga Nidra. Yoga Nidra is traditionally done lying down and highly recommended using props to ensure you are as comfortable as you can be, using a blanket also to keep you warm. 

Yoga Nidra is normally around 15 mins making it the perfect practice to incorporate into your day if you find yourself being busy with no time for a longer nap. Yoga Nidra when translated means ‘Yogic Sleep’, it helps to cultivate a deeper awareness of ourselves and throughout a session you are also guided through a sequence of healing points located throughout the body. Awareness of these points leads the physical body to deeply relax. Guiding the mind to move helps to release any mind baggage, and if the mind is already restless it can help to exhaust some of that excess energy before then guiding it into a place of stillness.  

This practice will leave you feeling deeply nourished and whether you're off to bed or practicing throughout the day. You will feel ready for bed or at least rested to then continue with your day.

focused and tempts us into seeking so much outside of ourselves. The true medicine we seek is always within.

This deeply nourishing series includes practices from different lineages such as Yin yoga, Traditional Tantric Hatha and Yoga Nidra. We will also incorporate pranayama (breathwork), meditation, acupressure points and fascia release to complement each part of this bundle.

Francesca Secolonovo who will lead these sessions creates spaces that invite individuals to slow down. Francesca is a 660hour yoga teacher and student who offers Yin Yoga, Traditional Tantric Hatha, Yoga Nidra, Cacao Ceremonies and Sound Healing. She focuses on creating spaces that invite reflection and slowness as she deeply believes there is power to be found, deep realisations to be had and deep healing to be experienced within those spaces where we are invited to go in on ourselves.

Book an appointment with Christine HERE!
Link for our free class is HERE!

Here at the Center for Sacred Window Studies, we share voices from many perspectives and backgrounds. We believe that the sacred weeks post birth, and the experience of humanity is experienced in countless ways. We learn by listening to one another and honoring our stories. The views and opinions of our writers do not necessarily reflect the mission, viewpoints or opinions of the Center for Sacred Window Studies.