Teaching Yin Yoga at Sea - The Many Benefits of Yin

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Yin Yoga at Sea

I have just recently returned from a 27 day cruise as a fitness and yoga instructor. I haven't cruised since March and I have felt the "sense of calm" slipping away from me living in this stressful world that we now accept as the "norm". 

I have been very busy this year working on a yacht teaching fitness, guiding several tours as a tour manager and on cruise ships as a fitness and yoga instructor. I wanted to try some new adventures and move out of my comfort zone. Adding a little stress to your life can increase focus and stimulus which can support brain health. However adding unnecessary stress can bring negative energy to your body and mind such as exhaustion and anxiety. 

The goal is to find a good balance. Adding a little stress to keep the brain active and the body energetic and knowing when to say "no" and not overcommitting. 

Of course, this is not always as easy as it sounds. There is a continual worry that if you say "no" too many times you may not receive future offers of work but if you take on too much, then you may feel that you cannot offer 100% of yourself for each contract. There are other issues too such as missing friends and family, no routine to your daily life and putting your own self care to one side.

The Many Benefits of Yin Yoga - Teaching at Sea

I am first and foremost a fitness and class instructor but I do also enjoy teaching yoga especially to older adults as I feel both these activities should be accessible to everyone. Unfortunately, both fitness and yoga have become "fashionable" social media videos and posts making ordinary people feel they have to be some sort of elite athlete or have an over bendy body to feel they have achieved anything. 

I have been teaching gentle Hatha yoga sequences for many years in the holiday industry as well as local gyms and leisure centres. Generally these classes are helpful in teaching the positive aspects of stretching the muscles and using the breath. I stumbled across Yin yoga when I was studying 'Gentle Yoga for Older Adults'. The holding of poses is much longer than Yang yoga and the stretching goes deeper than just the superficial muscle. 

It was whilst I started teaching Yin Yoga again that I began to notice how much I have stopped my own 'self care' routine in order to take on new working contracts and commitments. Not just because I felt less flexibility in my joints and muscles but also by how 'busy' my mind was and how easily I was distracted by external factors during the practice! Yin Yoga is very slow and mindful. Your body is preparing for a meditative state during each pose to bring the body and mind to stillness. I struggled a little as I was teaching and allowed distractions to bother me. 

Click Here - Yin Yoga for Beginners

Most of the guests onboard were new to Yin Yoga so I decided to teach slow, beginners sequences so that they felt confident with yoga poses and realised that flexibility and mobility were not required in huge amounts to fully complete a sequence. 

Yin yoga teaches students to be patient with their bodies and it invites self exploration and mindfulness to both mind and body. Yin Yoga delves deep inside the muscle and connective tissue inviting flexibility and pliability whilst inducing mobility into the joints. 

There are many different sequences in Yin Yoga that help the mind, body and also internally such as the digestive system, the immune system and the nervous system. Yin can also help to calm the mind, lower blood pressure, and reduce anxiety and stress.  Health and Healing Benefits of Yin Yoga

Click here - Yin Yoga for Sleep and Relaxation

I think by far the guests enjoyed the relaxation and meditative slowness of the sequences. The best and positive response from the class was mostly the deep and uninterrupted sleep that the guests enjoyed each night, even when the sea was a bit bumpy. In fact one guest was so pleased to see me onboard as she knew she would enjoy a good sleep every night. This fills me with joy as sleep is so important for rejuvenation, regulation of the nervous system and reduction of stress and cortisol levels. 

Although I was teaching, I did find that I also slept better. I felt a little calmer as the days unfolded and I could feel my flexibility and mobility returning. Even as a teacher of many years and understanding that consistency is key........I still let my practice slip and I felt the consequences.

Click Here - Yin Yoga for Hips and Lower Back

I was very lucky to have a balcony whilst onboard. As I started to feel the benefits of Yin yoga and we sailed into the most beautiful turquoise seas, I felt this was the ideal place to practice my sequences. The background sound was the ocean waves and I could feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. A perfect atmosphere and ambience to practice a Yin yoga sequence each day. The backdrop was amazing and on all the cruises I have sailed, I don't think I have ever seen such calm seas and vibrant blues. I started to record some of the sequences and used this as a project whilst I was onboard. It takes time to film and edit videos but I found this quite soothing and relaxing. I enjoyed practicing, recording and publishing my seaview yoga videos.

Yin Yoga and Meditation

Yin Yoga and Meditation go hand in hand. The slow pace of Yin yoga, the stillness of the poses and the focus on the breath prepares both the mind and the body for calmness and inducing a meditative state.

You can Meditate as a practice. Some students enjoy just meditating and you can do this to help you become more focused and aware. Meditation helps to enhance a more positive mood, develop healthy sleeping patterns and increase our self-discipline.

Meditation can help many areas of your life from health issues to your mental health. There have been proven science-based health benefits from meditation practice if practiced regularly and consistently.
  • Stress and anxiety reduction
  • Enhances self-awareness and focus
  • Improves sleep
  • Decreases blood pressure
  • Helps to control pain
  • Reduce age-related memory loss

©HealthyForeverFitnessMotivation

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