top of page
Search
  • peaceloveyogauk
    • Sep 27, 2023
    • 5 min read

WHY IS YIN YOGA OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH ?




Carliann Langley, Peace Love Yoga



If you are reading this, you probably already love yin yoga, let’s get into the science of how it is going to keep you young

Connective tissues are the most widespread structure in your body. It provides form, support & protection, it connects everything, your connective tissues are like the web of the body, and although you may move one body part over here, the connective tissues are connecting it to other body parts over there.

When we do Yin Yoga, we are initiating a very positive impact into these connective tissues. Your connective tissues include your tendons, your ligaments, bones, cartilage, joints, and something called fascia, we refer to these as the yin tissues.

Fascia is a Latin word for a band or bandage. You can think about your fascia like a type of cling film, it is made of collagen, and collagen provides the strength within the fascia. It’s also made of elastin. And elastin, just like it sounds, provides elasticity to the tissues.

When you hold a Yin Yoga pose– you’re on the floor. You’re doing a deep therapeutic stretch. After you’ve held the pose for some time, there is a phase change that happens where you go from your superficial tissues to your deeper tissues, you go from your yang tissues and into the yin tissues, when you feel the melt, the lessening of resistance, then you start to get into that deeper fascia and you’re going to produce something called fibroblasts.

Fibroblasts are molecules, they are responding to the positive pressure that’s going into that deep fascia. They’re going to bounce back by making the fascia become stronger, more resilient, and more durable.

Why is that important?

Well, let’s look at the aging process. What typically happens as somebody gets older? And keep in mind, this can even start as early as your mid 30s. As we age, if we don’t have a practice like yin yoga, tissues become drier, stiffer, tighter, and things begin to atrophy because there is a lack of circulation within this deep fascial matrix.

The fibroblasts create something called hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is known as nature’s moisturiser and anything that has moisture and anything that is well hydrated is a sign that it’s alive, yep you’ve heard that word before, has Eva Longoria just popped in your mind, You’re worth it!

As we get older, we get drier and stiffer. The connective tissues begin to break down because the cells in those tissues are no longer getting nutrients, and, even worse, they’re not able to eliminate their toxins so all the toxicity begins to get lodged up within the connective tissues.

It’s like living in a city that can no longer eliminate its waste, things begin to break down. Things get sticky & stuck, YIN IS BECOMING UNSTUCK

In Yin fibroblasts get activated, which creates hyaluronic acid which begins to moisturize, to hydrate, to invoke circulation. Old cells can get washed away and new cells can be fed and created. And now you have life within the connective tissues of the body, the structure of the body that’s most extensive and holds everything together.

This is why we often say that Yin Yoga is like the fountain of youth, that it can slow down, and, in many cases, potentially even reverse the aging process. You can think about hydrating your fascia so that your tissues become less like leather and more like sponge, a sponge that again has hydration and resiliency to it.

Finally, Yin Yoga is also one of the most powerful ways that we can release stress and tension and allow the body to recover and rejuvenate so that we are balanced, whole and healthy, not just in body , but mind too.

Get that youthful glow with YIN YOGA


Whilst writing this blog, I was enjoying watching LIVE TO 100 on Netflix, have you watched it ?


I absolutely loved it, it brought joy and insight into how the most simple things really can unlock the key to health, happiness and longevity.


LIVE to 100 is all about BLUE ZONES, places in the world where there is a high number of centenarians (people that live to over 100 years old)

I made some personal notes from the show, I hope they bring some joy, hope and health info your life:

IKARIA - GREECE

FOOD: Raw honey, fresh seasonal herbs from the garden

MOOD: Love – nature your relationships with partner/ friends/ family

MOVE: Dance – have fun and joy


Nicoya – COSTA RICA

One of the poorest villages in the world, they have a very simple life and people live longer here than anywhere else in the world

FOOD: Root Veg, rice, pulses & corn

MOOD: PLAN DE VIDA – sense of purpose in life (a plan for the day, for life, the souls purpose to get up each day) & Faith

MOVE: Dance, slow down for the things that matter, friends, family & rest


SARDINIA – ITALY

Stress is a normal part of life , no matter where you live in the world, your culture, property or poverty, the key is to fin ACTIVE coping mechanisms to over come stress and trauma

FOOD: Sough dough bread (lowers absorption of sugars), greens, minestrone soup

MOOD: Faith & Hope – community, spend time with all ages, LOVE, care for elders, Serenity

MOVE: Natural movement for a lot of the waking day, walk & hill walks, studies have shown steepness of a village contributes to longevity, socialise with friends

Nothing in this blog is suggested as health advice in any way, just blue zone inspirations

LOMA LINDA – CALIFORNIA

FOOD: vegetarian, lots of fruit, nuts & legumes

MOOD: Less Hurry, Less worry – have faith, the religion doesn’t matter, have faith, find your tribe

MOVE: Stay active, volunteer in local community, rest on Sundays


OKINAWA – JAPAN

FOOD: asa seaweed to release heat from the body, tofu, vegetables, eat to only 89% full

MOOD: Laughter, have fun, don’t be angry, forgive, be kind, spend time with friends, IKIGAI – contribute to the world, have a sense of purpose is a major factor in the spiritual health of most centenarians, heal and celebrate over coming trauma, life is a treasure, live in the present (very much like meditation)

MOVE: sit on the floor (very yin esc), try to be have strength, balance & flexibility, gardening,


I would like to stress this article is not health advise just a passionate advocate of health, wellness and all things yin sharing some inspirational insights


Namaste


Carliann






77 views0 comments
bottom of page