Yin and Raja Yoga

In one of my favorite Vinyasa Flow classes (actually, all of them are favorites), we sometimes practice one or two Yin poses. I'm not really familiar with the philosophy of Yin yoga yet, but I think I can safely say that Yin poses emphasize stillness, as opposed to Yang poses (the stuff I normally do) which emphasize motion. Last week I tried Brandy Falcon's Yin class at Devi Yoga in Menlo Park. Brandy was out, but the substitute was very good. The whole experience felt new and a little mysterious. The studio felt like a calm moonlit walk when the night air surrounds you protectively. I am intrigued, and will take another Yin class this week.

On the weekend, I tried Tamara Perkins' Raja yoga class at 4th Street Yoga in Berkeley. I had no idea what to expect, except that the website titled the class "Gentle yoga". The sequencing of poses was interesting. We did some backbends early in the practice instead of at the end, but the instructions were mindful and it felt safe and comfortable. Instead of simply holdinga side bend, we moved in and out of it several times. Tamara pointed out that the majority of the benefits could be achieved though this motion, and that extreme physical flexibility need not be a prerequisite or goal. Other dynamic asanas included a twirling spinal twist and a fun chi-gathering exercise. Both had accompanying breath work. When I left the class, I wasn't sure what I'd take away from it. However, the next morning I found myself with time for three poses before heading to work, and I chose the twirling spinal twist, a dynamic Warrior I, and the chi-gathering exercise. I felt great all day, and did something similar again this morning. As I reflect on the class, I see how Tamara gave each pose enough time and consideration to reveal its stand-alone identity. Despite my enjoyment of flow classes, having the poses taught like this makes it easier to do just a little self-practice when I have desire but am short on time.