Focus On Yin
LSD Yoga, Long, Slow & Deep
LSD Yoga, Long, Slow & Deep
A YIN YOGA INTERVIEW WITH VICTOR CHNG
LUCAS ROCKWOOD [reprinted from namaskar magazine, January 2009]
LUCAS ROCKWOOD [reprinted from namaskar magazine, January 2009]
LUCAS: I understand Yin Yoga helped you overcome a hamstring injury. Can you tell us about that process?
VICTOR: I injured my right hamstring while being adjusted from behind in Janusirsasana. Back in those days, the teaching quality was very low, and teachers were not in tune with their students. When I first met Paul Grilley [Yin Yoga founder], he told me to work in a "yin way". He told me to engage softly and not to go as deeply as I usually would. There was a lot of head and heart struggle for me initially; however, I also learned to let go of my own practice. After a year of Yin Yoga, I was completely healed.
LUCAS: The Yin Yoga approach is so different from all other popular styles of yoga today. Postures are held for two, three, or even five minutes with no muscle contraction and it's very quiet practice. Can you tell us how this practice came about and what the goal is?
VICTOR: Paul Grilley comes from a martial arts background where students commonly put the body in traction, especially the legs. In yoga, to hold a pose for a long time like that, it's just not possible while the muscles are contracting actively; therefore, relaxation becomes the natural way to practice.
To achieve greater flexibility is to affect the connective tissues, such as deep fascia surrounding the joints and in-between muscular layers. In order to affect the fascia, we need to relax the body, let go of the external layers to allow inner layers to glide. To work purely at the muscular level usually doesn't produce desired results. You can easily lose your flexibility after one cold shower! Therefore, Yin Yoga allows you to gain flexibility from within the body.
Yin also has a therapeutic effect on the body. The practice is passive and quieting. It encourages the parasympathetic nervous system to take over and reduces our ”fight-or-flight” nature. Yin Yoga stimulates the deep meridians and acts like self-acupuncture.
LUCAS: In the past 10-15 years, the mainstream yoga movement has been a largely "yang-style" movement with an emphasis on Bikram, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa. Classes tend to be fast-paced, dynamic, hot and sweaty. Yin breaks from this trend. So are yang-style practices bad?
VICTOR: In Paul Grilley's teaching, he never wants to make any style of yoga bad or obsolete. He sees Yin as complementary to whatever style of yoga you are practicing now; however, most styles of yoga today are dynamic in nature. By definition, if a practice is Yang in nature, it will be good for strengthening and stamina building. This has great health benefits, but with a yang practice alone, you'll never be balanced physically or mentally. Yin becomes the quieting practice that’s needed. That's why many people who are practicing Ashtanga Yoga, Power, Vinyasa, or Bikram Yoga are now doing Yin Yoga too!
LUCAS: Many students get very frustrated with blocked hips, tight hamstrings, and stiff backs. How much can we change our bodies, and how much is genetics playing a role in our ability/ inability to do a posture?
VICTOR: There are many things which we do not understand about this miraculous body; however, I think that doshas do affect the level of flexibility. For example, Kapha types tend to have thick, short bones and more buldy body types. Therefore. Kapha people may experience more tightening in the body-especially around the lower back an hops. Vata types tend to have more space within the body, but they often feel tight after intense stretching. Pitta is more proportionate and flexible, but not in the mind. So you see, all doshas benefit from Yin Yoga. It's all about achieving more balance.
LUCAS: you teach workshops and teacher training courses in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Nepal and even Bhutan. Do you find that Yin Yoga is appreciated by people from all backgrounds? Is this particular practice something that anyone can benefit from?
VICTOR: I thing all levels of students need Yin Yoga in their practice. This is especially true for people who have never done yoga. It is a very claming and slow practice which everyone can follow-and people are starting to appreciate quieting practice! Who doesn't want more peace? More relaxation? Interestingly, Yin Yoga is also very challenging which again comes back to the theme of "balance"
LUCAS: You've studied directly with Paul Grilley. Paul has had a huge influence on yoga in the past five years in particular. Can you tell us about your experience with him as a teacher?
VICTOR: Paul has a great impact on students not by providing them with dogmatic views; instead, he appeals to their logical and intellectual tendencies and allows students to form their own conclusions. I find his teaching highly liberating. He allows me to explore a wider dimension of the practice. For example, I include Yoga Nidra as part of my Yin Yoga teaching. This is something I find very natural after a Yin practice, and it has great benefits for deep relaxation.
VICTOR: I injured my right hamstring while being adjusted from behind in Janusirsasana. Back in those days, the teaching quality was very low, and teachers were not in tune with their students. When I first met Paul Grilley [Yin Yoga founder], he told me to work in a "yin way". He told me to engage softly and not to go as deeply as I usually would. There was a lot of head and heart struggle for me initially; however, I also learned to let go of my own practice. After a year of Yin Yoga, I was completely healed.
LUCAS: The Yin Yoga approach is so different from all other popular styles of yoga today. Postures are held for two, three, or even five minutes with no muscle contraction and it's very quiet practice. Can you tell us how this practice came about and what the goal is?
VICTOR: Paul Grilley comes from a martial arts background where students commonly put the body in traction, especially the legs. In yoga, to hold a pose for a long time like that, it's just not possible while the muscles are contracting actively; therefore, relaxation becomes the natural way to practice.
To achieve greater flexibility is to affect the connective tissues, such as deep fascia surrounding the joints and in-between muscular layers. In order to affect the fascia, we need to relax the body, let go of the external layers to allow inner layers to glide. To work purely at the muscular level usually doesn't produce desired results. You can easily lose your flexibility after one cold shower! Therefore, Yin Yoga allows you to gain flexibility from within the body.
Yin also has a therapeutic effect on the body. The practice is passive and quieting. It encourages the parasympathetic nervous system to take over and reduces our ”fight-or-flight” nature. Yin Yoga stimulates the deep meridians and acts like self-acupuncture.
LUCAS: In the past 10-15 years, the mainstream yoga movement has been a largely "yang-style" movement with an emphasis on Bikram, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa. Classes tend to be fast-paced, dynamic, hot and sweaty. Yin breaks from this trend. So are yang-style practices bad?
VICTOR: In Paul Grilley's teaching, he never wants to make any style of yoga bad or obsolete. He sees Yin as complementary to whatever style of yoga you are practicing now; however, most styles of yoga today are dynamic in nature. By definition, if a practice is Yang in nature, it will be good for strengthening and stamina building. This has great health benefits, but with a yang practice alone, you'll never be balanced physically or mentally. Yin becomes the quieting practice that’s needed. That's why many people who are practicing Ashtanga Yoga, Power, Vinyasa, or Bikram Yoga are now doing Yin Yoga too!
LUCAS: Many students get very frustrated with blocked hips, tight hamstrings, and stiff backs. How much can we change our bodies, and how much is genetics playing a role in our ability/ inability to do a posture?
VICTOR: There are many things which we do not understand about this miraculous body; however, I think that doshas do affect the level of flexibility. For example, Kapha types tend to have thick, short bones and more buldy body types. Therefore. Kapha people may experience more tightening in the body-especially around the lower back an hops. Vata types tend to have more space within the body, but they often feel tight after intense stretching. Pitta is more proportionate and flexible, but not in the mind. So you see, all doshas benefit from Yin Yoga. It's all about achieving more balance.
LUCAS: you teach workshops and teacher training courses in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Nepal and even Bhutan. Do you find that Yin Yoga is appreciated by people from all backgrounds? Is this particular practice something that anyone can benefit from?
VICTOR: I thing all levels of students need Yin Yoga in their practice. This is especially true for people who have never done yoga. It is a very claming and slow practice which everyone can follow-and people are starting to appreciate quieting practice! Who doesn't want more peace? More relaxation? Interestingly, Yin Yoga is also very challenging which again comes back to the theme of "balance"
LUCAS: You've studied directly with Paul Grilley. Paul has had a huge influence on yoga in the past five years in particular. Can you tell us about your experience with him as a teacher?
VICTOR: Paul has a great impact on students not by providing them with dogmatic views; instead, he appeals to their logical and intellectual tendencies and allows students to form their own conclusions. I find his teaching highly liberating. He allows me to explore a wider dimension of the practice. For example, I include Yoga Nidra as part of my Yin Yoga teaching. This is something I find very natural after a Yin practice, and it has great benefits for deep relaxation.
Victor is one of the most-experienced Yin Yoga teachers an teacher trainers in Asia, and a long-time, direct student of Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers. He leads training, workshops, and retreats on Yin Yoga throughout Asia, and also founded the largest yoga portal in Asia: http://www.yogainasia.com/
Lucas is a yoga teacher, health crusader, and writer who organizes some of Asia’s most-popular yoga teacher training courses. He also is the founder and owner of YOGABODY Naturals, a yoga nutritional supplement company based in the U.S. http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/
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