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Yin Yoga

Sweetbriar
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Yin Yoga
Esther, I was wondering if you thought yin yoga was beneficial or if you thought there were any drawbacks to practicing it.  Thanks.
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Sorry, I don't know enough to give you a well-balanced answer.
Sweetbriar
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I appreciate your honesty.  :)
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I should add, I think all yoga has a lot that is beneficial in it. I also think that the traditional practices arose in a context that is very different from what we have in modern industrial societies, so these practices need to be modified to be optimal or even safe. For example, I think most people in modern industrial chair-sitting societies are better off not sitting cross-legged on the floor without support. If modified, most yoga poses can be done in a fashion that is entirely healthy, rather than healthy in some ways and unhealthy in others.
Sweetbriar
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I'm beginning to realize that more and more.  I just started yoga teacher certification training about a month ago and in fact we touched on this very thing in an anatomy workshop today.  I have to tell you Esther I took your book along and several people were interested.  The yoga therapist/chiropracter was showing us what he called lumbar stabilization yesteray which is very similar to your engaging the rib anchor.  He had asked me to bring your book in as he was not familiar with your work. Yin has become very popular in my area and we will be working with it as well in teacher training.  I've had so much success incorporating your ideas I just don't want to mess anything up as I venture further into new territories.  ;D
joey
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Thank you for asking this question. My ongoing lower back problem flared up terribly in November to a point that I was hospitalised and spent a week off work. It is my L5/S1. I was so lucky to come across this wonderful book and have had great success with my posture and have been totally pain free for over 6 weeks, and can play golf without any problems (unbelievable). However, I went back to my first yoga session last week and have had a niggle ever since. I've passed the book to my instructor, but to be honest, I can't see how I can do half of the practice anymore. Upward and downward dog transition just isn't something I feel comfortable with now. My instructor tells me I'm not moving correctly and that's what's causing the problem, but to be honest, with the condition of my lower back, I'm wondering if it is just yoga itself that isn't good for me. After years of pilates, I started yoga mid last year up to 2 sessions a week until my back ended up in the worst shape ever. I enjoy yoga, but do you think I'm better off just giving it up and finding something else instead? And once again, thanks so much for your wonderful book. (Have you noticed a spike in sales to Australia, at least 3 or 4 people I know have also purchased it and love it as much as I do - let the revolution begin, hope you make it downunder some day ;D )
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I spent a year in Canberra 24 years ago and loved it! I'd love to visit again. We have noticed spiked sales in Australia, so I'm hopeful! It's not yoga that is the problem, it's how you do it...
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Hi,
I'm a Gokhale Method teacher who used to be a Yin Yoga teacher. I can tell you that after teaching Yin Yoga for many years, I started to have back issues. The problem being that, in yin yoga, you are encourage to bend over and hold poses for many minutes at a time. What that does is overstretching the ligaments and potentially increasing the curves in your spine. I used to see my chiro once a month for my back issues and he once told me: "I don't know what it is with you Yin Yoga people but many come here for back problems."
When I told him I was going to take the Gokhale Method training he was very positive about it.
Truth is, I have no more back issues and haven't seen him once in the last 3 years!

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