Prepare for the transition from autumn to winter in a Yin yoga workshop to boost immunity and release sadness and grief.

YIN YOGA AUTUMN TO WINTER WORKSHOP FOR THE IMMUNE SYSTEM with DIANA OSBERG

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12TH | 1 - 3 PM | $35 EARLY BIRD, $40 DAY OF

In our two-hour workshop, we’ll prepare for the transition from autumn to winter, focusing on the lung and large intestine meridians (energy channels), which are related to sadness and grief and the metal element.

You’ll learn some practices to incorporate into your daily selfcare routine to boost your immune system and release old stagnant energy that no longer serves your greatest good.

We’ll work with the lung and large intestine meridians located in the chest/upper back, arms and shoulders to open, stimulate, balance, and clear these meridians to prepare for the winter season.

Autumn is the harvest season when we gather the fruits of the year and store them for the winter months. The trees lose their leaves, grass goes dormant, and earth’s landscape becomes barren and dry. It’s a time for reflection and stillness, a time to look back on where we’ve been and to prepare for what’s to come.

Grief is the emotion that is connected to autumn and to the lung and large intestine meridians. It’s common to feel sad and low on energy in the autumn, but low emotions and low energy can leave you open to getting sick.

The practice of Yin yoga makes us more resilient to stress and disease by strengthening our defenses. Yin yoga offers us an opportunity to turn inward, to rest in stillness, activate the parasympathetic nervous system and recuperate. It helps the body rest, digest, and recover from the busy-ness of the year. The more we can rest, the more we are able to harmonize our body and boost our immune system.

ABOUT THE LUNGS AND LARGE INTESTINES:

The lungs and large intestines and their corresponding meridians are closely related to each other and are important detox organs and energy pathways.

The lungs and lung meridian are the first line of defense for your immunity. Disease most often enters the body through the respiratory system. The free flow of energy through the lungs and lung meridian helps to keep the immune system strong, moves out pathogens, and promotes the release of sadness and grief, letting us feel more happiness and joy. Positive, higher energy emotions stimulate and strengthen the immune system. Focusing on happiness and gratitude can increase your immune cells by up to 50%!

The large intestines and large intestine meridian are the last line of defense for your immunity. They’re all about releasing, letting go of what’s no longer needed, including the emotion of grief. They’re key to the elimination of toxins and disease. When you can slow down and relieve tension, you can assist the digestion and elimination process through the large intestines and allow grief to pass out of the body.

ABOUT YIN YOGA:

Yin yoga combines Traditional Chinese Medicine, mindfulness, and modified Hatha yoga floor poses in a passive practice of placing gentle stress on the connective tissues to move energy and fluid through the tissues and stimulate healing at the cellular level.

The poses are held for 3-5 minutes, with the muscles relaxed, to slowly stretch the fascia and connective tissues around the muscles and joints. The intention is to increase circulation and flexibility in the joints and bones and to regulate the flow of energy. Yin poses open the energetic channels (meridians) to promote balance and move you into a meditative state.

A regular practice of Yin yoga elongates and lubricates the deep connective tissues and lessens the impact of aging on the pelvis, hips, lower back, and spine. This practice can release deep layers of trauma and stress held in your fascia and connective tissue and reduce joint stiffness, increase mobility, and quiet the mind and nervous system to promote a more centered, grounded, and energized sense of renewal.

Yin yoga supports a focused awareness by finding stillness at the edge of discomfort, resting with "what is" and learning to become open to and accepting of any sensations that may surface. The practice invites us into a felt experience in the physical body and helps us create space within a shape to shift us into a more relaxed mental and emotional state in the present moment.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

The workshop will include:

• Mindful breathing to recharge the body with qi/prana

• Acupressure massage and Qigong tapping to dissolve blocked energy and circulate fresh life force energy

• Yin yoga to stimulate blood and lymphatic flow, balance the nervous system, and release stagnant energy that manifests as lines of tension and stuck emotions

PROPS: Liberate Yourself provides yoga mats, blankets, meditation cushions, and blocks. You’re welcome to bring your own mat and props, if you’d like.

PLEASE NOTE: Class will be OUTSIDE in a lovely garden patio. It may be chilly, so DRESS IN LAYERS: yoga clothes, stretchy jacket/sweater, leggings/leg warmers, etc.

ABOUT DIANA OSBERG:

IN PERSON | Yin Yoga Autumn to Winter Workshop for the Immune System image

Diana Osberg is certified as a Yin and Restorative yoga and sound healing medicine teacher, focusing on Traditional Chinese Medicine meridians, nervous system response, anatomy, and alignment. She is trained in Sudarshan Kriya breathwork and Qigong and teaches mindful breathing, meditation, body tapping, and acupressure massage, is a wellness and mindfulness coach, and is founder of Inner Story Retreats.