The theme in our Yin classes this week was the nervous system. When people ask me about the benefits of Yin Yoga, I often talk about the physical side of the practice – holding postures for longer periods can help improve the health of our joints, gently stress our ligaments and tendons, and encourage hydration and adaptability within our fascia. But there is another benefit that is just as important, especially in the world we live in today – Yin gives our nervous system an opportunity to slow down.
What is the nervous system?
If you imagine your body as a house, the nervous system is the electrical wiring that connects everything together. It’s a vast network of nerves carrying messages between your brain and the rest of your body. Every second of every day it’s asking two simple questions:
- What’s happening?
- How should I respond?
It does this automatically, without us even thinking about it.
Two modes we all experience
For simplicity, it’s helpful to think of the nervous system as having two main modes:
- Fight or flight – this is our action mode. It helps us meet deadlines, solve problems, concentrate and respond to stressful situations. It’s incredibly useful — but many of us spend far more time here than our bodies were designed for.
- Rest and digest – this is where the body slows down. Our breathing becomes easier, our muscles soften, digestion improves and the body can focus on recovery and repair.
Neither mode is better than the other, we need both. The goal isn’t to stay relaxed all the time, it’s to move comfortably between the two.
Why modern life makes this difficult
Our nervous system evolved to respond to short bursts of challenge. Today, however, many of us experience a different kind of stress which is often constant, such as:
- Emails
- Notifications
- Traffic
- Busy calendars
- Constant decision-making
- Never-ending to-do lists
None of these are emergencies, but together they can leave us feeling as though we’re constantly “switched on.”
It’s no wonder so many people describe having a busy mind or finding it difficult to truly relax.
How Yin yoga helps
Yin creates the ideal conditions for the nervous system to shift towards its rest-and-digest mode. We move slowly, we stay in each posture for several minutes, we breathe deeply and we’re supported by the floor, our props and the stillness around us. Gradually, the brain begins to recognise that, in this moment, there is nothing it needs to react to. It starts to receive a simple message:
“You’re safe, you can soften now.”
In Yin, we’re not forcing ourselves to relax – we’re simply creating the conditions where relaxation becomes more likely.
“I’m just not very good at relaxing!”
I have a couple of friends who would massively benefit from doing a Yin class but when I’ve invited them to try it, they’ve said “Oh, I would be a nightmare – I find it too hard to relax!”
But relaxation isn’t a talent — it’s a skill we have to develop. If we spend most of our week practising being busy and frantic, it’s only natural that our nervous system becomes very good at staying busy. Every Yin class is an opportunity to practice something different – to become more familiar with stillness, to notice the breath and to experience what it feels like when the body doesn’t have to be preparing for the next thing.
Over time, many people find it becomes easier to access this calmer state — not just during yoga, but in everyday life too. We are effectively training our bodies and minds how to find calmness.
Come and try it for yourself
If you’d like to experience the calming benefits of Yin Yoga for yourself, I’d love to welcome you to one of my Yin classes:
- Tuesdays 5.30pm
- Thursdays 7.00pm
Classes are suitable for all levels and can be booked online.
Best wishes
Michelle x
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