Yin Yoga Postures To Conquer Fear

In this article, we will give you yin yoga postures that you can do at home to conquer fear.

Recognize Your Fear and Stress

Fear is considered a negative emotion that arises with the threat of harm. It can be triggered by physical, emotional, or psychological. Positively, fear is keeping us safe as it mobilizes us to cope with potential danger. Negatively, fear can be the cause of stress that keeps us feeling trapped which prevents us from doing things we’d like to. To avoid this happening to our life, we need to conquer fear.

First, we need to realize that in every moment of our lives, we have a choice to be constrained by fear or to live freely. Second, we need to choose to live freely. And for that, we demand inner wisdom to be expressed. After we conquer the fear, we can listen to our heart’s desire which leads to mindful decision making that makes a happy life.

Start The Journey With Yin Yoga

To be able to recognize and welcome fear, one needs to understand itself. The journey toward the inner self we can get through yoga.  The practice to control the fluctuation of the mind. One good example is Yin Yoga.

Yin yoga is a practice that combines yoga concepts from India and the concept of Daoism and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here the practitioners holding several poses for 3 or more minutes. The goal of holding postures is to create acupressure from postures that work with the meridian line to release the blockage in the energy channel. Holding for a long period of time is to enter a meditative state from which realization or liberation arises.

Yin Yoga Sequence to Reduce Fear & Grow Wisdom

Special Yin Yoga sequence to reduce fear and to grow wisdom is by activating the Kidney and Urinary Bladder meridian lines as they are the house of fear and wisdom. The flow includes forward bends, backends, and stimulate the inner groins area. We can enhance the energy flow on these lines with our breath and attention.

The element that covered in this sequence is the water element. This element in the ancient yoga tradition represents the energy of the second chakra, sometimes known as the sacral chakra or Svadhisthana. It is the power of discovery, partnerships, to relate to others, the creative exploration of life and relationships, sexuality, and the power of choice.  The 2nd of 7th human rights is the right to feel.

Opening Session

Opening meditation (3-5minutes)

Follow these step by step instructions :

1. Sit straight as comfortable as you can.
2. Connect with your breath. Inhale and exhale through your nostrils with equal breathing patterns.
3. Watch your thoughts.
4. Notice where the mind is travel.
5. Bring your awareness to the present moment
6. Count mentally your breathing pattern
7. Set your intention

 

Backbend Postures to activate Kidney Meridian Line

1.Sphinx pose (5 minutes)

Getting into the pose :

1. Lie down on your belly.
2. Put your elbows under the shoulders.
3. Propping yourself up.

Contraindication :

1. Avoid if you have a bad back.
2. Keep your belly away from the floor if you are pregnant.
3. Any sharp pain sensation.

Counter pose :

1. Relax on the stomach,
2. Turn head to one side
3. Draw the knee up beside you on the floor for one minute

2.Half Saddle (2 minutes each side)

Getting into the pose :

1. From tabletop position, sit back on the floor with the right knee bent and right leg extended.
2. Put your heel beside your sitting bone.
3. Sit on the block to create space for the knee.
4. Lean back by step back your hand to lower your upper body to the floor, or to the bolster. You should feel the stretch on the front thigh (quadricep) and your hip flexor with no pain on the lower back.
5. Adjust your self as comfortable as no pain in the ankle, knee, hip, and lower back joint.

Contraindication :

1. If any sharp pain on the knee, ankle, lower back, you must come out.

Counter pose :

1. Come out from the pose with your preferrable safest way
2. Bring yourself up using hands
3. Slide to the side
4. Lie on your back with no props, or take child pose for a minute
5. Continue to the left side

 

Forward Bend Postures to activate Kidney Meridian Line

1.Caterpillar (5 minutes)Getting into the pose :

Sit straight with your leg extended in front of you (using a cushion if needed).  Fold forward over the legs, allowing your back to round.

Contraindication :

1. If any sharp pain on knee,  hips, lower back, you must adjust to find your sweet spot.
2. Bend your knees and use a bolster underneath the trunk above the thigh if the hamstrings are too tight
3. If the neck feels tired, you can rest your head on the block or bolster.

Counter pose :

1. Come out from the pose
2. Set your trunk to a normal position
3. Put the bolster behind you
4. Lie on the bolster
5. Enjoy a gentle backbend for 1 minute

Open Hips Postures To Stimulate Urinary Bladder Meridian Line

1.Half Butterfly (3 minutes each side)

Getting into the pose :

1. Sit straight with leg extended in front of you
2. From a seated position, bend your right knee onto your chest
3. Externally rotate your right hip
4. Put this leg on the floor
5. If it is too intense, you can put a block under this thigh.
6. Abduct your left leg away from the center as far as you feel comfortable.
7. Set up the trunk.
8. Revolve your body towards the right
9. Bend over toward the left.
10. Rest your left arm on the floor, or on the bolster.
11. Hang your head or rest it on to your hand to protect neck strain.
12. Enjoy the nice stretch on your lower back area.

Contraindication :

1. If any sharp pain on knee,  hips, lower back, you must adjust to find your sweet spot.

Counter pose :

1. Come out from the pose
2. Set your trunk & legs to normal position, then the legs
3. Shake that hips by doing windshield wipers side to side
4. Continue to the other side

2.Straddle (3 minutes to the middle)

Getting into the pose :

1. Sit straight with leg extended in front of you.
2. Spread your legs as far as possible
3. sit on a cushion to elevate hips.
4. Fold forward
5. Rest your weight into your hands, or arms, depending on your flexibility.

Contraindication :

If you have any lower back issues, keep the back straight and bend from the hips, not from the spine.

Counter pose :

Come out from the pose slowly to your seated position. Bring your legs to the midline, and you can bend the legs to do windshield wipers.

 

Twist Posture To Balance The Practice

1.Reclining Twist (Twisted Roots) (4 minutes each side)

Getting into the pose :

1. Lying on your back
2. Bend your knees
3. Open the legs mat distance apart
4. Bring the left leg up
5. Wrap around the right leg
6. Drop legs to the right as far as you feel comfortable
7. Put a block or bolster underneath the legs if your knees not on the floor, you can
8. Feel the nice stretch on your trunk, outer legs area (IT band)

Contraindication :

1. Put your arms as comfortable as you feel, to prevent tingling sensation or pain inside the shoulders joint.

Counter pose :

1. Come out from the pose
2. Put your trunk to a normal position
3. Uncrossed the leg
4. Hug the knees to chest for 1 minute.

The Closing Session

Shavasana.

Follow these steps to relax the body :

1. Lying supine on your mat
2. Close your eyes
3. Visualize your body is relaxing from the toes to the crown of the head.
4. Breathe slow, long, and deep through the nostrils
5. Create an ocean sound on your throat (ujjayi breathing) for 2 minutes.
6. Calm the mind by practicing nonjudgment
7. Observes your feeling
8. Practice nonjudgment
9. Set your intention
10. Absorb the positive energy, you have made from this practice
11. Recharge your energy level
12. Get ready to go back to the daily routine

Conclusion

Thank you for your time reading and conducting this yoga session. Please repeat these positive affirmations silently in your mind. “I have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, I’ve granted the ability to change the things I can change, I own wisdom to know the difference.”  If you can acknowledge your fear, the wisdom will grow, if you can be with your anger, kindness will blossom, may this practice give us health, and happiness.

Learn more in our Yin Yoga & Meditation with Almitra Putri at Ashtari Yoga Kuta Lombok. Find her schedule on www.ashtari.yoga

Namaste,