Simple Yin Practices for Self Care
Happy New Year!! I hope you are having an awesome start to the new calendar year. ♥️
I wanted to start the year with a real awareness of where I can slow down and support my mental health this year. There is so much craziness happening in the world. I felt the pull to explore more Yin energy in my life. ✨
I've always been drawn to Yin, having taken my Yin Yoga teacher training. I thought I'd compile a list for myself of soft practices I can do in my every day life. This is that list, I thought I'd share it with you!
🌈 Let me know if you'd add anything to the list of if you implement any of it in your life!
Micro Yin Practices (5 Minutes or Less):
Pause and Sigh: Stop what you're doing, take a deep inhale, and exhale with an audible sigh. This releases tension and resets your nervous system.
Hand-to-Heart Connection: Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Breathe deeply and feel the rhythm of your breath and heartbeat.
Sensory Mindfulness: Close your eyes and focus on one sensory input—like the sound of birds, the texture of your clothes, or the smell of your surroundings.
Finger Tracing Meditation: Slowly trace the outline of one hand with the index finger of the other, breathing in as you move up a finger and out as you move down.
Candle Gazing: Light a candle and spend a few minutes focusing on its flame. Let your mind quiet as you absorb its warmth and movement.
Yin Ways of Moving Through the Day:
Slow Transitions: Take a breath between activities instead of rushing. A simple pause between emails, meetings, or chores can shift your energy.
Intentional Sipping: Drink tea or water with full awareness, noticing its temperature, texture, and how it feels in your body.
Silent Commuting: If you commute, turn off music or podcasts and ride in silence, observing the world without judgment.
Deliberate Touch: When touching objects—like washing dishes, folding clothes, or touching your phone—focus on their texture and feel.
Gentle Stretches in Line: While waiting in line or at a crosswalk, subtly stretch your neck, roll your shoulders, or sway your weight side to side.
Yin Approaches to Life:
Seek Stillness in Motion: Even while walking or moving, soften your pace, notice your breath, and observe the environment. Tune into your senses - the sounds around you, the scent in the air, the air on your skin.. etc.
Reframe “Productivity”: Celebrate rest and stillness as valuable, essential acts of care rather than wasted time. Big one for any workaholics among us.
Flow with Nature: Align daily rhythms with natural cycles, like eating more nourishing, warm meals in winter or waking with the sun. I've been making a lot of soups lately!
Let Go of Multi-Tasking: Focus on one thing at a time, whether it’s cooking, talking, or working.
Embrace Imperfection: Find beauty in imperfection (wabi-sabi). Acknowledge that rest, messiness, and stillness are part of the whole.
Yin Practices for Specific Moments:
In the Morning:
Soft Breathwork: Upon waking, practice "4-7-8" breathing: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. Can also try box breathing "4-4-4" or try some alternate nostril breathing.
Morning Gratitude Stretch: Stretch your arms overhead, and mentally name three things you’re grateful for. Continue to stretch body out, bonus to add in some humming.
Midday Reset:
5-Minute Recline: If you can, lie on the floor with legs up against a wall. This calms the nervous system and grounds the body.
Eye Palming: Rub your palms together vigorously, then place them over your eyes or heart for a moment of quiet warmth.
Evening Wind-Down:
Unplug Ritual: Dim the lights, turn off screens, and light a candle or lamp for your final 1-2 hours before bed.
Reflect with Water: Wash your hands or face slowly, imagining the water washing away the energy of the day.
Simple Ways to Slow Down (Yin Lens on Life):
Breathe in the Details: Whether it's watching steam rise from a mug, feeling the breeze on your skin, or noticing how sunlight filters through leaves, let small moments captivate you.
Ask Soft Questions: Instead of “What needs to get done?” ask, “What feels nourishing right now?”
Prioritize Space: Leave small gaps of unscheduled time in your calendar and allow yourself to do nothing.
Listen with Presence: In conversation, slow down your responses and truly hear what the other person is saying.
Move Like Water: Imagine yourself flowing like water through your day—smooth, adaptive, and gentle.
Hope these little rituals give you some ideas of how to bring rest into your day. It's been helping me a ton, especially with regulating my nervous system and dealing with the stressors of life!
Sending you so much love,
-Missy xo