Style Spotlight: Yin with Maygon
Our style spotlight this month is on Yin with Maygon and our longtime student Carrie McAdams. Read on to hear their thoughts on the amazing slow and deep yin experience.
In conversation Maygon:
In your own words, how would describe the style of your class?
Yin is about yielding to the body, mind, and breath. It is deep stretching that gets to the layers of connective tissue: fascia, blood, bones, organs that we are unable to access any other way. It is a practice of stillness in shapes, while breathing gives us moments to be curious about our bodies, sensing and noticing the nuance of intensity, aches, or anything that may arise.
What do you like about teaching this style?
I LOVE teaching yin because I meet myself on the mat every time I plan or teach. Our bodies don't act the same every day, so being willing to work with that and through that is a real thing. We all need the cooling, calming of the CNS (Central Nervous System), but it can be hard to make time for our own self care. I love that students show up, and my favorite thing to do is to ask how they're feeling after.
What do you like about practicing this style?
It keeps me mentally focused. I think everyone knows dragon (lunge) is not my fave shape because it's hard, but that doesn't mean I won't do it. In the most challenging moments, it comes back to scanning the body, being mentally willing to stick with it without hardening, and breathing. I feel like I learn something new about myself every time I practice.
Why do you think students should practice this style?
I gave a little away already, but this class gives you mat time to slow down and be. How is your breath? How is your body? How is your mind/heart/emotions? How are you? By having the awareness of how we are at a specific moment in time, this allows us to show up more authentically and honestly. Ideally, maybe even responding better in difficult situations where the normal human response is impatience, anger, frustration, etc. We are all human, and it is going to happen, but this practice is a self care space for watching the growth of the body and the person as they sit with themselves. The wonderful part is the calming and cooling that happens because we slow down. Yin is either love at first try or not, but wherever you are on the spectrum of that, I encourage you to come again.
In conversation with Carrie:
How would you describe this style of class?
My favorite description of yin is: it's getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Some days the discomfort from holding a pose is tight muscles or facia and other days it is just being still that can be uncomfortable. But I find it's always exactly what I needed.
Why do you practice this style?
The main reason I practice yin is for balance. I have a pretty typical crazy life with work and family. Yin allows me to be present in the moment.