Take time to decompress. Relieve stress. Reduce anxiety. Face the challenges and joys of life with steadiness and grace. That is what A Journey Into Yin Yoga will help you do.
Join world-renowned yoga instructor Travis Eliot as he guides you through this contemporary and effective approach for strengthening your mind, body, and spirit. You will learn about the origins and practice of yin yoga, a passive approach in which poses are held for a few minutes to target the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and lower spine. You will slowly and mindfully transition between poses as you gently allow those tissues to stretch, facilitating better circulation and joint health and improving flexibility. Throughout, you will learn the benefits, contraindications, alignment points, and modifications so you can adjust the poses to your needs and body type.
Eliot also explains eight breathing techniques and eight meditation practices for improved focus, reduced stress, and enhanced clarity. Ten ready-to-use sequences allow you to target specific goals, including better sleep, spine flexibility, and healthy hips, knees, and shoulders.
A Journey Into Yin Yoga presents 46 yin yoga poses with stunning photos and detailed instruction, along with inspiring quotes, stories, and interviews from celebrities, doctors, and athletes. You will be inspired to discover your unique path to improved mental and physical strength and balance.
Highlights
Journey Into Yin Yoga
by Travis Eliot
Published by Human Kinetics
**ALL International Purchases MUST be ordered directly through the publisher HERE**
Quotes
“Journey Into Yin Yoga” is a must read for any serious yoga student!”
“Travis Eliot’s special delivery of the practice of Yin yoga has added a quality and dimension to our yoga community that’s irreplaceable!”
“Travis Eliot is All-Star in the yoga world!”
“Travis Eliot has a really inspiring balance of insightful wisdom, dynamic encouragement and a fun sense of humor. The importance of real dudes embracing Yin practice for our well rounded well being can’t be overstated. Travis’s classes bring it with genuine love and offer a practice that is healing, inspiring and effective. Bros, get your Yin Up!”
“Travis Eliot is one of the most honest and authentic teachers I’ve ever known. His teachings of Yin Yoga are both knowledgable and accessible to our modern world of yoga, but with a respect and humility that honours the traditions. Travis doesn’t just teach the practice, he embodies it, which to me, is one of the greatest qualities of a teacher. In the age of fast & strong dynamic yoga classes, Travis is helping to lead the way that Yin is in, and that there is so much more value to our every day lives when we just slow down.”
“Yin Yoga with Travis is a game changer! It’s like I’ve discovered the fountain of youth. I’ve never felt better!”
“Travis Eliot is like a yogi poet… bathing your connective tissue with prana as he wisely guides you deeply into the geometry of the asana. His wisdom teaching is rich in classical yogic philosophy with modern day usefulness. His class will stretch not only your muscles…. but your mind and heart as well. Go take his Yin Yoga class immediately!”
“Travis Eliot’s vast knowledge of Yin and the science behind it, comes through his personal dedication and passion. I highly recommend ‘Journey into Yin Yoga!’”
“Travis Eliot’s teachings and classes are the most engaging I’ve taken and go much deeper than most yoga teachings out there. I’ve grown to love the Yin practice and it’s become a huge part of my life as a way to restore my body and mind. Travis’ experience is quickly shown through his vast knowledge and mastery of the Yin yoga practice and every class is truly immersive in both physical and spiritual experience.”
“Yin has been life changing for me, however I give the initial credit to Travis Eliot. He has this innovative ability to guide students to deeply hear the voice of yin and to taste and see the ever lasting life changing qualities of Yin. I am eternally grateful for his unique ability to guide all of us on this yin journey.”
“Travis Eliot’s “Journey Into Yin Yoga” elevates the science and practice of yin to a new level. Increased information demonstrating the importance of vagus nerve stimulation in controlling inflammation and lowering stress levels makes this a vital book for our times. Whether you are a regular practitioner of yoga, run marathons, do both or are a couch potato the information and poses in the book are accessible to you and are a must have for a healthy life!”
Contents
List of Yin Yoga Poses
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Interview: A.J. Pollock
Chapter 1. The Origins of Yoga
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
Traditional Paths of Yoga
Modern History of Yin Yoga
Interview: Govind Das
Chapter 2. The Essence of the Tao
Taoism
Chi
Yin and Yang
Finding the Tao (Part 1)
The Yin Yang Symbol
The Five Elements
Finding the Tao (Part 2)
Interview: Stic
Chapter 3. The Subtle Anatomy of Yoga
The Five Koshas
Prana Vayus
The Three Gunas
The Seven Chakras
A Story of the Chakras
Master of Nature
Interview: Adam Griffin
Chapter 4. The Science of Yin Yoga
The Cell
Connective Tissue
Tendon
Ligament
Bone
Cartilage
Joints
Fascia
Collagen
Fibroblast
Elastin
Deep Fascia Functions
The Spine
No Pain/No Gain
Three Types of Stress
Muscle and Connective Tissue
Three Laws of a Yin Yoga Pose
Yin Yoga Defined
The Science of the Hold
Synovial Fluid and Hyaluronic Acid
Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic Nervous System
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Human Brain Wave Patterns
The Yin and Yang of the Autonomic Nervous System
Yin and Athletic Performance
Yin Yoga and Pregnancy
Interview: Desi Bartlett
Yin Yoga Pregnancy Sequence
When Not to Yin
Interview: Dr. Jeremy Brook
Chapter 5. The Poses of Yin Yoga
Interview: Flo Master
Chapter 6. Pranayama and Meditation
Pranayama
The Four Factors of Pranayama
Anatomy of Breathing
Prana Vayus and Pranayama
The Three Bandhas
Pranayama Exercises
Nadis
The Pituitary Gland
The Pineal Gland
Breathing and Life Span
Pranayama Practice Tips
Meditation
Common Excuses Not to Meditate
Meditation Practice Tips
Meditation Practices
Benefits of Meditation
Interview: Matt Kahrs
Chapter 7. Developing a Personal Practice
Practice Space
Yin Yoga Props and Tools
Yin and Restorative Yoga
Good Pain Versus Bad Pain (Revisited)
How Often and Long to Practice
Incorporating Pranayama and Meditation
Yang Sequences
Mountain Pose Series
Sun Salutations A
Sun Salutations B
Warrior Dance Flow
Yin Sequences
Yin 1: Ultimate
Yin 2: Flexible Spine
Yin 3: Healthy Hips
Yin 4: Sleep Well
Yin 5: Splits
Yin 6: Complete Package
Interview: Dana Byerlee
Chapter 8. Inspiration and Final Thoughts
Interview: Bryan Kest
The Reality of Impermanence
Pause and Freedom
Seeing the Light
Letting Go
Feeding the Wolf
The Gift of Space
An Unexpected Gift
A Final Message
Bows of Gratitude
To Lauren Eckstrom, my wife, who loves and inspires me every day. Thank you for keeping me on course when 85 pages were lost into the mysterious void of the digital world.
To Tiffany Cruikshank for contributing the foreword and being a mega inspiration in the yoga world.
To Etan Boritzer, a friend, who selflessly guided me into the intricate world of book publishing.
To Michelle Maloney, my acquisitions editor, who believed in this book from day one.
To Laura Pulliam, my developmental editor, who helped shape my manuscript so that it would flow like the Tao.
To Patricia Pena, my photographer, for your cinematic eye.
To Bryan Kest, Govind Das, Stic, A.J. Pollock, Dr. Jeremy Brook, Dr. Adam Griffin, Dr. Michael Galitzer, Flo Master, Desi Bartlett, Matt Kahrs, and Dana Byerlee for sharing their knowledge and inspiration.
To the pioneers and senior teachers of yin yoga, Master Cho, Paulie Zink, Paul Grilley, Sarah Powers, and Bernie Clark.
To my meditation and dharma teachers, Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach.
To my mom, Charlotte Smith, for planting the seeds of awakening at an early age.
To my dad, John Smith, for teaching me that anything is possible. To my kids, Lantana and Bodhi, for teaching me about true love.
To the lady who hit me with her car and sent me down this path; if it hadn’t been for you, this book wouldn’t exist.