Yin Yoga & Anatomy

The styles of yoga that have become most popular today- Power, Ashtanga, Vinyasa- are yang in nature.  Yin yoga is complementary to yang yoga.  While yang yoga is vigorus and refreshing, yin yoga is calming and soothing.  Yang yoga is dynamic and rhythmic, and yin yoga is still and quiet.  Balancing yin and yang is essential in every aspect of life, and this balance may be rooted in a yoga practice.  Yang tends to be overemphasized in the modern world; however, we need to balance competitition and kindness, ambition and gratitude, action and contemplation.  A yin yoga practice can encourage this harmonious quality in life.  

The Yin Yoga and Anatomy Certification Course will teach students about the importance of yin yoga for both the physical and the energetic body.  The course is designed for both yoga teachers and students, as it will offer instruction on building a personal yin yoga practice, as well as of analysis of human anatomy and energy to encourage a safe and effective practice for self and others.  The three parts of this course may be taken in any order.

Jee Young Moon has been practicing and teaching yoga for a decade.  She began practicing in 2000 to help her body recover from knee surgery and chronic back pain.  Her teacher in Seoul, Jong-Geon Kim, was a qi-gong master that integrated Korean and Taoist ideas into his yoga with an emphasis on gi and the danjeon.  Jee began teaching in 2002 with a healed body and an interest in the roots of yoga practice and philosophy.  Read more about Jee 

"I met Sarah a few years after I had begun yin yoga practice. Until then I didn't have an understanding about yin yoga practice. She taught me kindness to my body and mindfulness in my thoughts through yin yoga which is the very meaning of the yin yoga. I met Paul and Suzzie through Sarah and have been studying with them ever since. Not to mention his knowledge about human anatomy, what I more importantly have been learning from him is consistency in studying and practicing as a student, and humbleness and sincerity as a teacher. It is certainly a bliss for me to meet them in my journey.." ~ Jee Moon

This is the first of the three-part course and is particularly good for those new to yin yoga, but have some experience practicing other yoga styles.  In part 1, students will learn about the human skeletal structure and its relation to yoga poses.  We will concentrate specifically on the femur and hip joint. Understanding the skeleton in yoga poses is key to improving one's practice, encouraging efficiency and safety.  Each day wil include a two-hour yin yoga practice. 

Topics include:  the concept of yin-yang balance, yin tissues vs. yang tissues, the theory of exercise, 14 segments of motion, the layers of joints, tension and compression, architecture of muscles, fascia introduction, the femur and hip joint, and more.

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As bipedal moving creatures, the spine is the most important structure in our bodies.  In this course, students will spend time understanding the design and functions of the spine and the tissues around it as related to the yin and yang concept of human anatomy and yoga poses.  Each day will include a two-hour yin/yang practice. 

Topics include:  14 segments of motion, the spine, the sacrum, the architecture of bone, friction vs fixation, TLF, fascia intensive, counterbalance, orientation, and more. 

In the Taoist tradition, energy in the human body is called 'chi,' the paths though which chi flows are 'meridians,' and the energy center that regulates the energy is 'danjeon'. Tantric yogis in ancient India gave these concepts different names, but used a similar system.  In this course, students will learn the science of the human body's energy system and come to a deeper understanding of the function of yoga poses within it.  Each day will include a two-hour yin and meditation practice.  

Topics: details to come.

Scheduled in 2013

Part 1: The Femur 
June 21-23, 2013

Part 3: Yin Yoga and Meridians 
October 18-20, 2013

(Parts 1, 2, & 3 may be taken in any order)

Weekend breakdown:
Friday 5-9pm  (4hrs)
Saturday  1-7pm  (6 hrs) 
Sunday 10-4pm (6hrs)

Hours breakdown:
16 classroom hours
2 homework hours
Total of 18 CEUs with Yoga Alliance

Location:
UB Yoga: Dogtown
1220 Tamm Ave
St Louis, MO 63139 

Questions? email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Part I: The Femur and Hip Joint
June 21-23, 2013
$270
$250 Early Bird price until April 30, 2013
REGISTER NOW

Part 2:  The Spine 
2014 dates to be announced

Part 3: Meridians and Chakras  
October 18-20, 2013
$270
$250 Early Bird Price before September 1, 2013
Registration will be open late spring 2013

Required Reading for all parts of the course:
Insight Yoga by Sarah Powers  [$15]
(Please read before class and bring it with you that weekend)

Required Reading for Part 3 only:
Yin Yoga: Principles and Practice  by Paul Grilley [$8]

Optional:
The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga: The Philosophy and Practice of Yin Yoga by Bernie Clark [$10]
Yin Yoga: The Foundations of a Quiet Practice by Paul Grilley [$30]
Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley by Paul Grilley [$36]
The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine by Ted Kaptchuk [$10]
The Endless Web: Fascial Anatomy and Physical Reality by R. Louis Shultz and Rosemary Faitis [$13]
Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists - Thomas Myers [$55]

About Jee Moon >

About Yin Yoga >