Different ancient traditions first talked about the concept of ‘an energy system’ in the body thousands of years ago. Indian yogis called it Prana, while Chinese Daoists called it Qi or Chi. Often translated as ‘vital life force’ or ‘life energy’, this Prana or Chi is the force that makes up and binds together all things in the universe.
Just as Prana moves through energy channels called Nadis in the Indian Yogi tradition, in the Chinese tradition Chi moves through a network of energy pathways, known as Meridians. |
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Confused…?
If all this talk of ‘energy’ and Chi feels a little intangible ...it is! This is because there’s no English definition that truly captures Chi. In this way, it’s a bit like love - it’s a sensation, a vibration, a feeling, a force...you know it’s there, it's all-encompassing, but at the same time it’s difficult to truly pin down. |
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So what is chi and where are the meridians?
Beneath our skin lies one of the richest sensory organs in our body: fascia. This gelatinous matrix of interconnective tissue wraps and glues everything together - like a huge, wet spider web. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine our fascia contains 12 meridians. Each meridian is connected to an internal organ, which in turn is said to house specific emotions, like anger, fear, happiness, love, worry, etc.
But how does Yin Yoga help?
When we hold Yin yoga poses, this applies pressure to our fascia, which temporarily squeezes the water out of the tissue. When we release the pose, this allows the energy or chi to flow freely again - in effect, ‘flushing away’ the stagnant chi which can lead to emotional build up, and reviving deficient chi.
So, if you’re going through an emotionally challenging period, you may want to focus your Yin Yoga practice on the organs and meridians that are associated with that emotion. You can read more about how to do this in Masha’s enlightening article below, plus classes, articles and a brand new teacher training!
Stay well,
Love EkhartYoga x |
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Available for 2 weeks. |
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José de Groot | Yin Yang Yoga
Connect with your energy flow and enhance your upper body strength. |
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| | José de Groot | Talk, Yin Yoga
José explains the correlation between fascia, meridians and chi and how Yin yoga poses affect them. |
| | Anat Geiger | Yin Yoga
This class stimulates the liver and gall bladder meridians, making you softer, calmer and more connected. |
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| | Marcel van de Vis Heil | Yin Yoga
In this class we move from Indian summer to Autumn, working on all 4 meridians corresponding to these seasons. |
| | Marcel van de Vis Heil | Yin Yang Yoga
In this class we prepare for Spring, charging the Liver and Gallbladder meridians. |
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Esther Ekhart addresses the myth of control and shares three self-care practices to help us relax into uncertainty.
Read more |
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A look at the 12 main meridians, what happens when they’re out of balance, and how you can work with them in your yoga practice for emotional wellbeing.
Read more |
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| | Back by popular demand, José de Groot has created a new Yin Yoga and Meridians Teacher Training. Using Traditional Chinese Medicine and Meridian Theory as a foundation, José shows us how the practice of Yin Yoga can be applied as a holistic health tool.
For this week only, we're offering a 20% discount on each or both of José's Yin Yoga courses! Just use the code EARLYBIRD20 at checkout.
Valid until October 13th 2020.
Learn more |
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| TEC 2020 is offering free access to world-class teachers, while delivering practical Embodiment tools in times of turmoil, with a supportive global community. Get your free ticket here |
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