Chan – Qi Wellness Yoga

Yin yoga requires muscles to be relaxed to elongate the connective tissue. Thus, knowing how to relax is important, and the best time to practice how to relax is in the Pentacle, the Yin yoga relaxation pose.

Even though relaxation can help us fall asleep, relaxation does not mean falling asleep without awareness. Rather, it’s a mindfulness practice to cultivate the art of letting go of control. We like to see things under our control. Unfortunately, most of the time, things are out of our control. For example, in study, work, relationships, and health conditions, we cannot achieve our desired results by just putting our efforts in. On the other hand, a relaxed mind can help us become aware of the situation and choose the appropriate action for the moment. Yin yoga, especially Pentacle pose, gives us time to practice relaxation and learn to see clearly what we can do. And even if we can’t do anything, we can at least learn to enjoy the present moment with a peaceful mind, as a Zen story tells us.

Once, a man was walking in the forest. Suddenly, a hungry tiger jumped out. He ran as far as he could to escape from the tiger. But then, in front of him was a cliff! Thinking that by jumping off the cliff he might have a chance to survive rather than being gripped by the tiger, the man swiftly jumped down. Luckily, he was caught by a tree that had ripe fruit. Just as he settled down, he heard some noise. Two mice were chewing at the root of the tree!

Hanging in mid air while a tiger was staring at him on top of the cliff and the mice were chewing the tree, the man knew there was no way to escape. Seeing that it was a dead end anyway, the man released himself from the desperation and noticed he was hungry. He picked a fruit and put it in his mouth. It was the best fruit ever! Just then, eager to fill its stomach, the hungry tiger jumped toward the man with a roar and fell off the cliff. And the two mice ran away in panic, hearing the roar of the tiger. Now that the tiger and mice were gone, the man carefully found his way up and continued his journey.

Cultivate the art of letting go of control and accept that we cannot control a lot of things. Relax by observing our body, our feelings, and our mind with conscious breathing to dwell in the present moment. Simply observe and accept the result, whether we like it or not. When you make a conscious decision to practice this, you will enjoy relaxation with awareness!