be skeptical

When you practice Yin Yoga you will gain/maintain the natural mobility that your body has.
When you practice being still for minutes while you’re in the pose you will gain inward focus.
When you practice your breath you will feel relaxed.

Does it really?

Just reading these sentences or listening to somebody tell you this doesn't mean it is true. In fact, I think it is good to be skeptical about what you hear and read. You have a body. You have the power to pay attention to your body and its response. So why not experiment with your own body and actually experience if what you read and hear is true?

When I first started practicing Yoga, I was told to not jam and compress my lumbar spine. I was told not to lock my elbows because they hyperextend and I can injure them. I believed this information I heard and read and always protected myself by engaging my abdominal muscles or keeping a micro-bend in my elbows.

So when I heard my teacher Paul Grilley say it is okay to compress my lower back and lock my elbows while I’m in a Yin Yoga pose for minutes at a time, it blew my yoga mind.

“What? That is going against the rules!!”

At first, it felt very unnatural and scary to relax my spine and lock my elbows for minutes in Seal pose. But as I practiced this over and over and over and over… it started to feel better, it started to feel good, and now my body craves Seal pose everyday.

I have been practicing Yin Yoga very consistently for at least eight years now and my body has never felt better. My back feels great, my arms feel healthy, and I actually FEEL the benefits of this practice that I read about and hear about. This is what keeps me wanting to practice. The actual benefits that I FEEL.

When I teach Yoga, I often say “don’t trust what I’m saying” because you have a body. You have body awareness. So experiment and experience for yourself and check if what I am saying is true for you and your body.

What do YOU feel?