What is Yin?
In East Asian Medicine, Yin is dark, night, the moon, femininity, cold, water, interior/internal, inward, stillness, and softness. A beautiful space to be in. Then there is Yin’s partner;Yang. Yang is fire, daylight, the sun, masculinity, warm/hot, exterior/external, outward, movement, and hard. There cannot be one without the other.
However, taking a second to think about our lives and how we maneuver throughout the day, which side do we usually tend to be on? Yang. So how can we bring more Yin into our daily lives to bring in more flow? Especially during such a Yin time'; winter.
When I have asked others what yin means to them personally, beings shared lovely words such as going inward, slowness, connection, self care and softness.
For me, Yin is a vital part of my daily practices and helps me navigate throughout the day. Starting by having an alarm that gradually gets brighter and plays sweet water or bird sounds and then taking my time getting out of bed, maybe taking a few stretches to help wake the body. I try not to go straight toward picking up my phone (I know… challenging!), and making a yummy warm beverage to sip on while I sit on a comfy cushion, close my eyes, and ever so slowly breathe. Making the transition into more Yang activities a bit sweeter and easier.
As we move through this Yin time of winter, I invite you to think about what Yin means to you and how you can move more into a Yin state and bring a little more Yin into everything you do.
Can you take a moment to close the eyes and breathe? To bring your body more into a relaxed state, and notice if the body is feeling wound up and tense… how can you bring in the softness of Yin with every breath.
Can you make the space you are working/studying in cozy and comfortable to support the body and mind’s relaxed state a bit more?
Maybe take a few minutes to sit in a few stretches before bed to slow the mind and relax the body to make it easier to fall asleep
Can the exercise you partake in today be a bit more Yin by simply walking, doing a gentle yoga flow, trying qi going or tai chi?
How do you feel when you incorporate this sweet slowness into your schedule?
