Enjoy a warming Winter slow flow and Yin practice.
Winter slow flow: Warm up the body, and sink deeply into your practice with this 45min yoga sequence. Have some props handy, if you don't have blocks or a bolster use some tins, cushions, pillows and grab a warm blanket to cover yourself at the end of the practice.
Yin practice: the winter is the most “yin” time of year. It’s a time when the natural world slows down and the days are generally darker. This yin yoga sequence for the winter emphasizes forward folding which helps one to turn inward.
It also targets the Kidney and Urinary Bladder meridians in Chinese medicine. Kidney meridians flows up the interior and centre of the body, and the Urinary Bladder flows from the eyes over the head down the entire back of the body. Meridians are considered channels where Qi or the basic life force of the body flows.
Physically, the Kidneys are located at the lower back just behind the lower ribs. They filter the blood and regulate the fluids. The Bladder is located just behind the pubic bone. It stores and eliminates urine.
Energetically, the Kidneys are the root of all other yin and yang in the body. They are responsible for birth, growth, reproduction, and development. The Kidneys house our essence/life force (Jing). This essence is easily taxed with stress and naturally declines with age. The Kidneys also maintain a balance of fluids in the body.
In Chinese Medicine, the health of these organs is extremely important for the maintenance of deep energy and stamina. When the Kidneys are depleted there can be reproductive issues, fatigue, early aging, or developmental problems.
The Kidney and Bladder meridians are related to the winter and so targeting these channels helps to create balance in the wintertime and boosts ones energy 'storehouse'.
Here's a wonderful practice by Dr Truth Robinson.
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