Yin Yoga - Water Element

I just developed this Yin Series for the Water Element on Hvar Island in July 2015.

BEGIN THE SERIES ON THE BACK

SAVASANA (imagine you are floating in water)

It is essential to life.  Our bodies are 3/4 water our planet is 3/4 water.  We are essentially bags of water/It is wet, fluid and takes the shape of whatever contains it.

The Tao Te Ching says "Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it.

The key words for water are fluidity and flow.  It is the most feminine of the 5 elements.

The tao is often called the watercourse way.

The color of water is blue (sometimes moving towards black)

The season of water is winter.  It is about closing and storing. 

The organs of water are the kidneys and bladder
The kidneys which protect and nourish.  When the water turns everything in nature goes to sleep.

FETAL POSITION (roll to fetal position on each side)

Water is about courage and will.  It can make its way around any obstacle.  It can erode mountains.

Water people are characterized by: creativity, sensitivity, persuasion, effectiveness, desirous.  They value family and social contact

A balanced water personality is: quiet, private, calm, reflective, solitary, self-sufficient, introspective, easy-going, imaginative, curious, highly observant, willful, patient, cautious, sensible, persevering, mystical, philosophical, contemplative, wise, serene and deep.

HAPPY BABY (move from fetal position to happy baby and happy baby to fetal position)

ONE LEGGED - HAPPY BABY - Both Sides

Fear is the emotion associated with the water element,  Fear is useful because it helps us stay alert.  Water people do not let fear block their creativity.

WALL FROG

(missing photo)

We can disturb the water element by pushing to far, overworking and overcommitting, over analyzing, consuming too many chemical stimulants.


Water imbalances lead to stiffness, tightness, joint pain, back pain urinary, bladder and prostate problems.   Our bones and joints are nourished by water. With a water imbalance we can become forgetful, fearful and depressed and move towards addiction.

MOVING BRIDGE

The planet of water is mercury.  The direction is North.  The climate is cold.

SUPPORTED BRIDGE

The time associated with water is 3 to 7pm. 3 to 5pm for the bladder and 5 to 7pm for the Kidneys.  A person with imbalance may finds these times when they have the lowest energy, or irritable or anxious.

SUPPORTED FISH POSE

The flavor associate with water is salty

The kidney meridian - this yin flows from the arch of the sole of the foot, behind the ankle, up the inner leg and through the abdomen to the top of the breastbone.  Internally it branches through the kidneys, liver, diaphragm, lungs, heart and throat and connects with the pericardium meridian,

The bladder meridian - this yang meridian is the longest meridian and has the most acu-points.  It flows from the inner eye, around the head and down the back if the neck where it splits into two parallel channels running down along each side of the spine, buttocks and the backs of the thighs.  The pathways converge behind the knee, and the meridian continues down the back of the lower leg and around the ankle to the tip of the little toe, where it connects with the kidney meridian.  The internal branches run through the brain, kidneys and bladder
(if there are a lot of Flexible people in the class BUTTTERFLY SHRIMP pose can be offered which is a wide legged PLOUGH/SNAIL POSE)

MOVE TO PRONE

PRONE SAVASANA (Hands behind neck interlaced)

The orifices governed by water are the genitals, the urethra and the anus

CROCODILE POSE (hands and palms under chin)

FLAPPING FISH POSE

The sense governed by water is the ears.  The fluid associated with water is saliva.

SEAL POSE

The sound associated with water is groaning.  The external physical manifestation of water element on the body is the hair on the head.

PRONE FROG

MOVE TO SITTING

FROG (Paulie Zink Style)
(missing photo)

CROSS LEGGED FROG (often called Shoelace Pose)

The parts of the body governed by water are the bone and the bone marrow.

1/2 Tortoise (Bikram Style)

The smell associated with water is putrid.

Excessive water energy can make one frozen, frigid, aggressive, have feelings of inadequacy,

Symptoms of excessive water are: fear, shyness, blaming others, aggression, stubbornness, willfulness, hard-heartedness, feelings of inadequacy, emotional withdrawal, suspiciousness and paranoia, eccentric behavior, problems with urination, kidney stones and back pain

Deficient water symptoms: loss of motivation, apathy, feeling disconnected, stagnation, lack of compassion, lack of vitality, lack of joy for living, problems with urination, osteoporosis, chronic back paoin

TURTLE (Paulie Zink Style)

SWAN - SLEEPING SWAN - SWIMMING SWAN

Foods associated with water are: dates, beans, peas, pork, fish and leeks.  Number is 6.  Sound is that of the 25 stringed lute.

CAMEL

The spiritual resources governed by water are will power and ambition

STANDING

SEAHORSE

The power granted by water is the capacity to create trembling.

WATERPUMP

STANDING QI GONG FLOWS - from Red Dragonfly Qi Gong

WATER ROLLS (palms up and down bending the body back and forth arms to the side)

WATER WAVES (arms up and down in front , expressive hands

WATER FLOWS (like a water wheel)

WATER YIELDS (side to side arms and hands)

WATER CLEARS (up and over the head cleaning the face)


Water Mantras:

I am resilient and tender

I am straightforward and sensitive to others

I am both comfortable alone and with others

I am courageous and yielding

I am both serious and fin

I am fluid

I am


Thanx to:

Lori A. Furbush - elemental moves and red dragonfly chi gong

Dianne M. Connely - traditional acupuncture; the law of the five elements

Paulie Zink