This week, our Yin classes explored the theme of listening. One of the things I have learned from practising Yin is that it gives us space to notice. Unlike our flow practice where we are moving more quickly from one posture to the next, Yin asks us to stay, to pause long enough to observe what is happening in the body, the breath and the mind. And often, what we discover on the mat can teach us some important lessons off the mat too.
Listening to the breath
We began by paying attention to the breath. Not trying to change it or ‘breathe correctly’, but simply noticing it. Where did the breath feel easy and flowing? Where did it feel restricted or shallow? The breath is often one of the first indicators that something is going on internally. Stress, overwhelm and anxiety can show up in the breath long before we are consciously aware of them.
Off the mat, I encouraged students to notice their breathing patterns during everyday moments. What happens to your breath when you’re stressed or rushing? Equally, what happens when you feel calm and relaxed? Something as simple as taking one conscious breath (or sometimes quite a few!) before replying to a message or email that has irritated you can completely change how you respond.
Listening to sensation
We then explored listening to sensation. We spent time noticing sensations in the body – was the feeling dull, sharp, tight, warm, pulsing? I also invited students to notice the almost immediate urge many of us have to move as soon as discomfort appears – I often feel this urge in postures (especially with my knees and limited hip opening!) and have to remind myself to stay still for a moment longer and observe what happens before I react.
Off the mat, this might look like becoming more curious about the body’s signals rather than automatically overriding them. A headache, bloatedness, tension or fatigue and we often automatically reach for the painkillers or caffeine, or just continue to push through and ignore it. Instead, pause and ask: “What might my body be trying to tell me?” Maybe we need more water, more sleep, less screen time, fresh air or a little less of a food that doesn’t sit well with us. Listening doesn’t always mean something is wrong, it just invites us to pay attention and maybe make a change or two.
Listening to fatigue
In Dragonfly pose, we explored fatigue. I invited people to notice the sensations in the hamstrings, inner legs and lower back. Had they gone slightly too far? Were the small muscles along the spine beginning to get tired? Rather than pushing further, could they back off by just 10% and notice how the posture changed, perhaps bringing in a bolster or support for the head.
Off the mat, many of us only rest once we’ve reached complete exhaustion. We wait until burnout or illness forces us to stop. But what if rest became something preventative rather than reactive? Maybe an early night instead of another hour scrolling, or a walk without headphones to give the mind a break from constant stimulation and content consumption. Maybe it’s simply recognising tiredness before it becomes exhaustion.
Listening to boundaries
Banana pose gave us an opportunity to explore boundaries. Personally, I reach my edge in this posture quite quickly – I don’t need to force myself deeper into the shape to feel the effects. While I offered options to intensify the posture — crossing one foot over the other or holding onto the wrists — I also asked a different question: do you actually need to go further? Is where you are already enough?
Off the mat, boundaries can be much harder to recognise. How often do we say yes when we really want to say no? How often do we tolerate things that secretly frustrate or drain us? Sometimes listening means recognising when someone has overstepped a boundary and having the confidence to make that boundary clearer (eeek, easier said than done I know!).
Listening to intuition
We also explored listening to intuition. Intuition can feel difficult to explain, yet most of us have experienced moments where we already knew the answer deep down before asking everyone else for reassurance. In Yin, intuition can be practised through learning to trust our own experience in the body. Does something feel supportive or too much? Do we need to stay, soften or back away slightly?
Off the mat, intuition is often a feeling that something isn’t quite right. I encouraged students to notice how often they already know the answer before seeking validation from other people.
Listening without fixing
Finally, we explored listening without immediately fixing. One of the most powerful lessons Yin can teach us is the ability to pause before reacting. Sometimes a posture initially feels uncomfortable and the instinct is to immediately fidget or escape it. But often, if we stay for a few breaths, it might soften. Not always — and it’s always important to recognise the different between discomfort and pain — but often the discomfort changes once we stop resisting it.
Off the mat, we can apply this same practice to difficult situations and conversations. We don’t always need to rush into fixing mode. And when someone we care about is struggling, perhaps what they need most is not solutions, but someone willing to truly listen.
Yin teaches us the value of that pause, the value of observation before reaction and the value of listening. Perhaps that is one of the greatest lessons the practice offers us — not becoming better at pushing through life, but becoming better at listening to it.
See you soon in the cabin!
Michelle x
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