YIN YOGA!!
Relax…. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Being relaxed when you
are comfortably stretched out on your mat in a delicious savasana is one
thing. But finding a way to be relaxed
when you are not in the safe, soothing atmosphere of your yoga practice, when
you are actually physically uncomfortable – that’s another thing entirely!
I found this out recently when I went to the dentist. I have
nothing against dentists, I’m glad we have them. But I still don’t like
going! Recently I was there for a
regular cleaning. You know the routine,
they dig around and scrape and probe.
Granted, much easier than a root canal, but still not a comfortable or
fun event.
As I was trying not
to cringe at some of the digging around, I realized that this was the perfect
time to bring up some of my yin training: 1) notice the sensations without
judgment or value; 2) breathe slowly and deeply into the area; and 3) relax all
your muscles, trusting and knowing that everything will shift and change. It took me a few moments to get into the flow
of it, but I got into that place of slow steady breathing and relaxing all my
muscles, from the top of my head (and my mouth and face!) all the way down to
my toes.
And as I was quietly
settling into my yin zone, my dentist said, “Wow, you are so relaxed. Nice job.”
I didn’t feel like I did anything visible to anyone else. But he sure noticed a difference. I wonder if he has ever had anyone relaxed in
his chair…? So, to paraphrase a saying,
I think it was as good for him as it was for me.
Even better, he gave me the cleaning for free – I wonder if
the yin had anything to do with it?
