Yin Yoga: Principles and Practice

161 Pages·2012·1.84 MB·English

by  Paul Grilley

p “People are thirsty for a way to slow down. Paul Grilley’s Yin Yoga can
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u help people find a place of peace and quiet within themselves. Grilley brings
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g understanding, experience, and lighthearted humility to all his teaching.
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i I highly recommend this book.” Biff Mithoefer, author of The Yin Yoga Kit
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Yoga
yin
Principles
& Practice
Yoga/ Eastern Philosophy/ Health
$15.95
10th AnniversArY edition
y
While yoga practiced in the West is mostly yang or muscular in
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nature, the lesser known yin aspect of yoga is vital for a balanced n
approach to physical and mental health. The main differences Y
o
between a yin and a yang yoga practice are that yin postures should be
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done with the muscles relaxed and be held a long time. Paul Grilley’s
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Yin Yoga describes how to practice postures in a yin way. As Grilley
describes, yin yoga is specifically designed to address the tissues dis-
P
cussed in the Modern Meridian Theory, which states that the meridians of r
i
acupuncture theory are currents flowing through the connective tissues of n
the body. c
i
In addition, yin yoga better prepares people for meditation. For yoga p
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practitioners looking for something beyond physical postures, Yin Yoga e
s
addresses the deeper spiritual dimensions of yoga, with helpful sections

on chakras, breathing exercises, and meditation. &

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“Anyone who thinks that yin yoga sounds wimpy should gaze hard at a
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the photographs in this book, which illustrate some pretty challenging t
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poses. Grilley’s technique offers a unique blend of yoga meditation c
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and Taoist principles.” Publishers Weekly
USD $15.95/GBP £10.20/CAD $15.95
White Cloud Press
www.whitecloudpress.com
Ashland, Oregon
paul grilley
Yoga
yin
Principles
& Practice

Yoga
yin
Principles
& Practice
th
10 AnniversArY edition
paul grilley
White Cloud Press
Ashland, oregon
Copyright © 2012 by Paul Grilley. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in
any manner whatsoever without written permission
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles and reviews.
Inquiries should be addressed to:
White Cloud Press
PO Box 3400, Ashland, Oregon 97520.
Website: www.whitecloudpress.com
Book Design: Confluence Book Services
Photography: Bruce Bayard
Illustrations: Ann DiSalvo
First edition: 2002
12 13 14 15 16 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Grilley, Paul, 1958-
Yin yoga : principles and practice / Paul Grilley. --
10th anniversary ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-935952-70-1 (pbk.)
1. Yin yoga. I. Title.
B132.Y6G678 2012
613.7'046--dc23
2012027786
Contents
Foreward ix
Prologue xi
1 Ancient science of Yoga 1
2 Yin and Yang Yoga 12
3 How to Practice Yin Yoga 19
4 designing Your Practice 30

5 An outline of Yin Yoga Postures 37
6 sitting 90
7 Chakra theory 100

8 Bandha Practices to Awaken shakti 111
9 Pranayama Practices 122
10 Meditation 126
Bibliography 131
Appendix 139
About the Author 141

[

This book is dedicated to my teachers,
dr. Garry Parker, who taught me anatomy,
Paulie Zink, who taught me taoist Yoga,
dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, whose work demonstrates
the unity of taoist and tantric practice.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my beautiful wife Suzee for posing and
for the countless hours of discussion, Ann DiSalvo and Bruce
Bayard for their artwork, Steve Sendar and Christy Collins of
White Cloud Press for their support, and most especially Steve
Scholl of White Cloud Press, who insisted this book be created
in spite of my hesitations, I owe him a great debt.
viii
Yin Yoga
Foreword
It has been ten years of study, teaching, and practice since the
first edition of this book, much of which is reflected in this sec-
ond edition. I have expanded the psychological and theoretical
descriptions of yin yoga and have tried to better prepare the
student about what to expect when practicing. The meditation
section has been completely rewritten and the practices elabo-
rated in systematic detail. I have tried to show that controlling
one’s chi is the thread that leads from physical to emotional and
spiritual development.
Whatever form of yoga the reader prefers, I hope she finds
the outline of principles presented here useful to her future
studies.
ix
Foreword