yin yoga & elements: part 1

Why Yin Yoga to Transform?

Yin is a profound, internal practice, which develops interior awareness, harmonises the flow of energy within the body and practiced regularly, provides a bridge towards meaningful meditation. 

As a transformation technique, its structured, functional approach provides a practical framework to bring into balance our weak or over compensated energies and supports deeper awareness into the realization of the essential Self.          

Yin & Elements (Part 1 – harmonising) Overview 

Distinct from the Essences of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this course focuses on the Elements of the ancient Tantric Chakra model. As such, we will focus on the lower four energetic centres, addressing; Earth, Water, Fire and Air. 

Grounding in the practices of Yin Yoga and using other disciplines of Chakra meditation, breath-work & pranayama, our journey will weave together yogic practices, Eastern philosophy and Western transpersonal psychology. 

Each day we will focus on an element, working to harmonise it’s out of balance essences. As part of this process, we will assess its natural constitution and further relate it to Tantra’s transpersonal philosophy and the Cognitive Typology model of Carl G. Jung. Both these models compatibly map an elements orientation, behaviour, qualities and shadow aspects. 

Note: As a special feature of this Part 1 experience, our approach will be to examine how each element can become; over-active, malignant (destructive), fixated upon or over-compensated through the mind-body field. 

Therefore, as part of our journey we will understand how having too much or mis-using an element can disrupt our equilibrium, causing imbalances of orientation, emotions, perception, our relationships and the circumstances of our lives.

Elemental Psychology: 

Students will be introduced to how each Element orients itself, within a synergy of Tantra’s Elemental philosophy, and the Cognitive Typology model of transpersonal psychologist Carl G. Jung. As part of this, we will unpack how each element can operate as superior and inferior functions, as well as secondary and tertiary essences. We will further examine how elements express themselves as shadow aspects of the psyche and in so doing work to bring our repressed unconscious elements, conscious. 

Expect to have your elemental worlds awakened, as we learn how each element over-activates and how to bring about its balance and harmonisation. 

Course Practice Components:

Yin Yoga Practices: Each Yin practice will have an elemental theme from which we will build Yin sequences around strengthening and harmonizing our individual Elemental constitutions.  Practices will be taught Functionally, related to a Target Area approach, while observing the sensations of each element in each posture.   

By watching and listening to our experience in a Yin Yoga practice, we can appreciate the expression of our elemental qualities, supporting our understanding of our own related constitution. Such insight can guide us to where we are over compensated or are deficient in our essences, and can thus provide a road map towards their harmony and balance.

A practical example: Over extremes in reaction, agitation, controlling behaviours and somatic dis-regulation of temperature, suggest over activation of the Element of Fire. Through the practice of Yin, this Element can be balanced & harmonised with the distribution of energy away from the solar plexus, movement down the flanks, towards the heart and arms and down to the lower body. Furthermore the complimentary activation of a weak Earth energy can assist in much needed structure and reality testing and much needed grounding and stability. 

Elemental Anatomy: To assist our practicing and teaching of Yin, there will be the theoretical anatomy framework and comparative range of motion highlights.  This awakens our understanding that our practicing and teaching approach should relate to our individual needs and abilities. Students will then be equipped to appreciate skeletal variation, supporting a refinement of their practicing and teaching methods, drawing them back to an interiorization of their yoga experience.

Combined with Meridian theory and how to use the Yin Yoga practice to work with our elemental constitution, this will give new tools and techniques towards a therapeutic approach of the practice.

Chakra Meditation & Breathing:

Chakra meditation is known in spiritual to be an advanced practice. Similarly breathing/ pranayama practices can be challenging. Students will be held through the progressive practices and supported with their arising phenomena, working towards its full embodiment, emerging synthesis and eventual integration.

Why This Course?

We all have characteristics and orientations as part of our Elemental constitution. 

This course will provide a map of where each student resonates, and is isolated from, their own optimal state- as relates to these ingredients. 

By understanding the inherent nature of the Tantric Elements, we can move towards relating them to ourselves and to our where we have imbalances in our lives and relationships. By accessing this insight through the Yin Yoga practice, what is operating within our unconscious now becomes visible. Through practice and awareness we can now start to move towards harmony and balance within the Elemental Selves. 

Who is this course for?

This course would benefit dedicated practitioners and teachers of all styles of yoga. Students and teachers who have had at least 1 year experience will find the content particularly appropriate. Students should have some Yin Yoga experience in practicing and/or teaching and a developing interest in transpersonal psychology and Yogic philosophy. 

Benefits of taking this course?

• Students will understand experientially a Functional approach practicing and teaching Yin Yoga. 
• Students will be given a comprehensive breakdown of the Yin Yoga poses and practices, as they relate to Elemental themes and guidelines. 
• Students will be given tools and techniques on how to teach Yin Yoga safely and skilfully.
• Students will be given structural anatomy bone-by-bone comparisons of skeletal variation in accordance with the laws of tension and compression. 
• Students will be given a framework of Elemental Psychology supported by the Cognitive Typology model of Depth Psychologist Carl G. Jung
• You will understand fully how students’ different Elemental essence affects their practice in terms of what maybe appropriate and optimal.
• Students will awaken to their own Elemental constitutions and be given approaches and techniques on how to work to towards its balance and harmonisation.