Guest blog by Claire Black

During lockdown I had the exciting opportunity to study online with Bernie Clark and completed 50 hours of Yin Yoga teacher training.Bernie has written several books on Yin Yoga that are essential reading for anyone interested in the practice, these include The Complete Guide To Yin Yoga (the familiar green book beloved by all Yinsters!!). He is also the creator of www.yinyoga.com – the home page of Yin Yoga (if it’s Yin it’s in).

Bernie is an extremely generous teacher and my head is full to bursting with new ideas, perspectives and information that I can’t wait to add to my own practice and to share with others!However like the practice itself the message from Bernie is simple – who is flying the plane? Let me explain. Bernie takes a functional rather than an aesthetic approach to Yin practice, focusing on how the pose feels and not how it looks. When we drop the idea of achieving the perfect pose/alignment and turn the focus inwards then we can genuinely experience what it feels like to practice yoga in our own bodies.So what does this have to do with flying a plane!?

Bernie uses this analogy to show us that while our yoga teacher(s) and all the people who support and advise us are on the ground (our ground crew), they are not on the plane with us. They provide the flying lessons but it’s up to us to take the controls and learn to fly the plane ourselves, to take responsibility for our own yoga practice.In other words, it's perfectly ok to seek advice and information from others but the most powerful source of wisdom is within us and from our own direct experience. Listen to your ground crew but keep your hands firmly on the controls.Enjoy your flight!

Join Yin Yoga Classes with Claire

You can experience Yin Yoga and learn to fly your own plane with Claire at our Online Yin Yoga Pop Up Classes every month!
Here are the dates for her upcoming 2020 sessions:

• Sunday 6 September

• Sunday 4 October

• Sunday 8 November

• Sunday 13 December

Claire's pop up classes start at 3pm and finish 4.30pm. For more details and to book your place click here.

Yin Yoga Resources

Books by Bernie Clark:

• Yin Sights

• The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga

• Your Body, Your Yoga

• Your Spine, Your Yoga

Blogs by Claire:

Why Yin Yoga class? We asked Claire for you...