The Yin and Yang of Yoga

In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin and yang is used to describe polar opposites or how seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn.  Yin is the stable, unmoving, hidden, aspect of things while Yang is the moving, changing, revealing aspect of things.  Both always coexist and we are always aware of the other.

A regular Yin practice keeps the hips, back, ankles, knees, and shoulders strong and mobile.  It’s amazing how good and limber you will feel after a Yin class.  When your back and hips feel youthful, YOU feel great!

Now, the reason I want to talk about Yin and Yang
is to discuss why I love Yin yoga classes.

There is a great definition from the book, Yin Yoga by Paul Grilley.  He writes, “…When we move and bend our joints doing Yoga postures, both muscles and connective tissue are being stretched.  The muscles are Yang because they are soft and elastic, the connective tissue is Yin because it is stiff and inelastic.  To illustrate the different elasticity of these two tissues imagine the carving of a turkey.  The actual “meat” of the drumstick is muscle, the ‘gristle’ at the joint which must be cut through or snapped off is connective tissue.”

The postures in Yin yoga and the length of time in which each is held gently stretches and rehabilitates the connective tissues that form the joints.  The connective tissue doesn’t respond to quick stretches as muscles can.  Because connective tissue is tough and fibrous it must be stretched slowly and carefully.  In order to focus on the connective tissue and not on the muscle, the muscles need to be relaxed while in the Yin poses.  The connective tissues will not be able to take the stretch while the muscles are tense.

So, this sounds pretty easy right?  Go to an hour Yin class and hold a number of postures for around 3 minutes each.  Now, depending on your flexibility this can actually be pretty difficult in certain poses.  However, the great thing about all and any kind of yoga is that you only go into a pose to wherever your limit is, so really no pose should be painful, just take yourself to your own personal edge.  When the hour class is up you will be walking on a cloud the rest of the day.  Really!

Have you ever tried a Yin class?  If so, how did you feel after?


Namaste
Lori

The Story of Ranger Jay

Last November, when I began planning a bike adventure through Death Valley, I was having a huge problem trying to coordinate the bike and tent rentals for the team. It was proving difficult to rent gear for our 4-day adventure.


I called the Death Valley Visitor Center for advice. The person who answered the phone identified himself as Ranger Jay. I told him about the difficulties I was experiencing along with the travel dates. He said he would meet me at the airport with everything I needed—tent and camping supplies. He even suggested that we stay at his house, which would be unoccupied for a number of days. He was picking up a friend at the same time we were arriving in Vegas. I asked how much I owed him and he said nothing. He was going to give us the equipment at no charge.

I was in disbelief. Was this some kind of con? I was in a jam so I just went with it. Our departing flight was delayed so I missed my meeting with Ranger Jay. However, when we landed I had a voicemail. It was Ranger Jay and he said he would meet us in the morning with all the equipment we would need to camp in Death Valley. I honestly did not believe it was real. I thought I was going to be the victim of a scam or that this was some sort of prank.

The next morning I met up with Ranger Jay and extended my hand to formally meet this generous stranger. He told me he didn’t do handshakes, only hugs. We then proceeded to unload his car of all the camping gear we would need for the adventure: tents, mats, sleeping bags—the works. He even threw in a bag of apples that happened to be in his car.

We took some pictures with Ranger Jay, thanked him profusely, headed to rent bikes, and ultimately traveled on to Death Valley. The time we spent there was truly amazing. The gigantic mesquite sand dunes make you feel like you are lost in the Sahara desert. The view from Zabriskie Point leaves you wondering if you have entered a cartoon. Devil’s golf course is a place that has to be seen to understand how it got its name. After a couple of days in Death Valley I wandered into the visitor’s center to purchase a couple of souvenirs. I met some other rangers and decided to ask them if they knew Ranger Jay. It was immediately apparent that Ranger Jay had an interesting life story.

He had once been a professional but had lost his passion for a conventional life. He decided to walk across the country. Along the way he mostly stayed in national parks and said he couldn’t have done it without receiving help from people along the way. That’s why he will always go the extra mile for anybody who he encounters. He specifically chose to become a park ranger so he could educate as many people as possible about the benefits of visiting national parks. As we were leaving the park I saw him swearing in some Junior Rangers. I just thought to myself that this guy is the real deal.

Traveling experiences like this are exactly why Endgame Adventures feels so passionately about giving back to the community. Anytime we take a group of kids on an adventure we set aside some time to help out the local community in whatever way possible. Lending a fellow traveler a helping hand is rewarding for everyone involved and Ranger Jay reminded me of that during my trip to Death Valley.

The Benefits of Yoga

From lowering blood pressure to increasing pain tolerance, a regular yoga practice can lead to the following health benefits.

Blood Pressure: A consistent yoga practice decreases blood pressure through better circulation and oxygenation of the body. Any inversion pose and pranyama (breathing through the nose with full inhales and exhales of equal length) have been known to lower blood pressure.

Pulse Rate: A slower pulse rate indicates that your heart is strong enough to pump more blood with fewer beats. Regularly practicing yoga provides a lower pulse rate.

Circulation: By transporting nutrients and oxygen throughout your body, yoga practice provides healthier organs, skin and brain function.

Respiratory: Like the circulatory system, a lower respiratory rate indicates that the lungs are working more efficiently. Yoga decreases the respiratory rate through a combination of controlled breathing exercises and better fitness.

Cardiovascular Endurance: A combination of lower heart rate and improved oxygenation to the body (both benefits of yoga) results in higher cardiovascular endurance.

Organs: Yoga practice massages internal organs, thus improving the ability of the body to prevent disease. Additionally, an experienced yoga practitioner becomes better attuned to her/his body to know at first sign if something isn’t functioning properly, thereby allowing for quicker response to head off disease.

Gastrointestinal: Functions have been shown to improve in both men and women who practice yoga. 

Metabolism: Having a balanced metabolism results in maintaining a healthy weight and controlling hunger. Consistent yoga practice helps find the balance and creates a more efficient metabolism.

A healthy mind and body will make your adventures that much more enjoyable so get started on your yoga today!

Namaste ~ Lori