2 questions about Yin yoga

Yin yoga has been around for centuries, but it’s not nearly as well known as Bikram or Ashtanga yoga. It’s a very quiet, meditative form of yoga. Journalist Fleur Baxmeier spoke with two trainers about what Yin yoga can do for you and why it’s so popular right now.

• Where does yin yoga come from?
  Yin and yang are two opposing forces. Yin represents stillness, femininity and water, while yang stands for action, virility and fire. The one cannot exist without the other. Many yoga forms that we know, such as Ashtanga or Bikram, are yang: nice and active, full of movement. “The opposite of that is Yin yoga, a meditative form that, like other forms of yoga, is centuries old,” says Yin yoga trainer Inge Peters. Ancient writings like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, say more about this quieter form than the more active variant. But because “being active” seemed to better fit our stimulation-driven lives, Yin yoga fell into oblivion. Yin yoga teacher Paul Grilley resurrected it in America back in 1980, and now you see it popping up all over the place. It’s also called yoga for lazy people, because it’s done mainly lying down or seated.