- Hi Bernie - Would love to have your thoughts
I am doing a Men Only Yin Workshop, No wall space available. As the men are notoriously tight in the hamstrings the seated forward bends are so challenging, even seating them on bolsters, they still do not move forward, in general, they are moving backward. I was wondering if long holds with belts would be an option, laying down and using the belt. I have not seen any Yin postures with belts for long holds. I wonder what your thoughts would be on this. Any suggestions for the workshop would be most welcome in particular for those tight hamstrings
warm wishes
daphne
I have noticed that a lot of older men seem to love Yin Yoga, so I hope your workshop does well.
In my second edition of The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga, I show several options for less flexible bodies. You may want to look over some of those photos. Belts are certainly good options. (Too bad you don't have walls available as they are great.) In general, since the hamstrings are tight, keep the legs bent to allow more hip flexion. For seated forward folds (Caterpillar) I like the option of bending the knees (a lot!) and even grabbing the elbows under the legs. As the students relax, they can straighten the legs little by little. (If you did have wall space, your students could sit with backs against the wall which would support them as they try to fold forward.) Another option is to do the work lying on the floor, with the hips lifted, bolster under the pelvis, legs in the air. A belt here could also be useful. (Again, if a wall was available, legs against the wall would be great.)
Finally, here is an article on using props in Yin Yoga, which includes a long video of Diana Batts showing these options.
Good luck!
Bernie