The REBOUND feeling in YIN YOGA - what it is and how we can experience it
Yin Yoga is a type of Yoga that targets mainly the connective tissues, joints, ligaments, bones and stands for a slow, mindful and gentle practice, comprised mostly of supported floor poses either supine or prone, coupled with mindful transitions between each of these poses and a deeper final relaxation. The typical timing to hold each Yin posture is anywhere between 2 to 5 and even up 10 minutes, but there can also be variations on the timing depending on each class. However, the power and effect of a class, particularly an Yin class, lie in the transitions between the shapes, the in-between moments that are the doors to real presence and not solely in the postures themselves.
The Rebound feeling in Yin Yoga, a term developed by Paul Grilley, one of the founders of Yin Yoga as a slow conscious form of Yoga movement, describes the calming, peaceful effects after slowly coming out of a pose in stillness, the sensation of the connective tissues reconnecting, becoming less rigid or stiff and everything in the body settling back into place. When you first come out of a Yin Yoga pose, you will have the urge to move slowly and may even want to stretch or yawn or sigh. This sensation in the body of both fragility yet flowing energy is often referred to as the Rebound effect or the echo of the pose, a bridge between poses that carries forward their resonance and that can last from one minute to as long as it feels good.
In Yin Yoga we are working with more plastic and less elastic tissues of the body with the goal of compressing, stressing and ultimately hydrating and regenerating the body. After squeezing or compressing the tissues while holding the shapes, the tissues lose a lot of stagnant fluid on the physical level and the tension that we are carring unconsciously during the day on an energetic level and this can trigger an overall sense of relaxation or calm in the whole body. According to the principles of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), the Rebound phase is the time that we can observe Qi, life force circulating freely in the body, in the whole network of the tissues. More blood flow reaches the brain and the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for our states of rest and digest, gets activated.
We can incorporate various types of Rebound, depending also on the poses or shapes we are transitioning through. For example, a simple stretch of the legs and front part of the body can be a wonderful Rebound after shapes targeting especially the groin, inner thighs or hips such as Shoelace, Butterfly or Deer pose. Windshield Wipers is a great alternative as well or some smooth transitions from Downward Dog to Child's pose, especially if we have been targeting the spine area. Different sensations can arise in various parts of the body and can range from tingling, a sense of warmth, awareness, expansion. Sometimes, the best Rebound between shapes can be a mini-Shavasana, when one can fully engage with one own's inner energy and exploration of further inner sensations or a profound state of calmness. Also, these moments can induce a perfect setup for meditation or self-inquiry, a deeper investigation of our mental or spiritual layers. Allowing ourselves plenty of time in the Rebound phase of the practice helps us achieve that inner stillness of both body and mind. It is also a time that counteracts the social norm of always going for the next thing, never stopping, always striving for more. It is a precious reminder of the importance of learning to pause and breathe, not only when we are on the mat during the Yoga class, but also off the mat.
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