THE POWER OF THE PAUSE

Only recently did I discover yin yoga. Off course I had heard of it and even taken a class or two, but I also had lots of preconceived ideas and judgement about it.

Like with others things, my perspective shifted during the pandemic.

For the longest time I had this assumption that yin was for "lazy" people who

needed an excuse to nap supported by bolsters, blankets, blocks and cushions. I

didn’t consider it a true yoga practice. For me yoga meant flowing through

asanas, sitting in meditation, and practicing pranayama. I know, not a very yogic

mindset, but everything changed. It took a pandemic and confinement for me to

begin to see the richness of yin yoga and welcome it into my life.

I started practicing yin yoga after a dear friend suggested it as a perfect

complement to my yoga nidra and sound bath practices. Little did I know how

transformative it would be. The big revelation happened during a retreat in 2021.

Retreats were rare at the time. I was yearning to spend a few days practicing

yoga with like minded people and to be led into practices in person. I joined my

friend at a retreat held in a secluded area of Auvergne, organized by her teachers.

In yin yoga poses are held for an extended time; they invite a calming of the mind

through the stillness of the body, letting the muscles soften, restoring a deep

sense of serenity and balance.

That retreat was a turning point for me. I realised the tole of the last year and a

half of restrictions, how much tension I had unknowingly carried.

I could feel the release of the tension that I had carried on my shoulders

unbeknownst. My body, mind, and spirit were craving the pause that yin yoga

provided—a pause that allowed me to release and reset. My whole being needed

this profound sense of calm that can only come from a deep meditative practice.

What also changed was my perception of yin yoga itself: the seemingly simple

practice had more layers than I had thought. What I once dismissed as laziness

revealed itself to be a deeply meditative practice.

Staying five minutes in a shape without moving or fidgeting requires full

awareness of the breath, and presence of mind. It demands your whole attention

and surrender, no passing out!

In stillness you meet yourself

In stillness you surrender and let the physical body be still so that the mind can

finally slow down.

In stillness true healing can happen.Yin is a holistic practice and a great complement to a more dynamic yoga

practice (the yang!)

Since this revelatory experience last summer, I’ve dedicated myself to studying

yin yoga so I can share it with my students. I am a big believer that things happen

to you for a reason. It brings me so much joy to share the yin practices and to see

my students unravel and ripe the benefits of this slower, intentional practice.

These last few years have been very stressful for everyone at a certain level.

Working from home, being on a screen, juggling work and personal life, children

homeschooling….these challenges have affected our mental and physical well-

being. We forget too often the importance of slowing down, of simply being.

The yin and yang are interwoven in all aspects of our lives: night & day,

movement & stillness, contemplation & action, gross and subtle. When they are

balanced, we thrive. But in our fast-paced world, we become so focused on

getting things done that we often don’t allow ourselves to slow down and receive,

to simply be in the present moment.

One of the lessons of the last two years was to allow myself to slow down, to

pause and do more practices that support me. Since I started yoga I have always

done practices like yoga nidra, sound baths, meditation, but now they hold a

deeper meaning for me; they support me and help me find balance.

I hope this inspires you to embrace stillness in your own life, to listen to yourself

and make pauses in your day: take a walk in nature, have a bath, savour your tea

without checking your phone, call a friend just to hear their voice.

Pause, breathe, and ask yourself: What brings me joy and allows me to truly relax?

Listen to that answer.

Wishing you a beautiful day filled with moments of stillness and presence.