I just discovered that I am totally confused as to which week number we are in our session. I think it is week 5... But is it?

Last week we focused on "how much is too much" - that's one of those super important questions to ask yourself as you move through your practice.

Please remember that everything I say - how far, how much, how long - is just a suggestion. The rest is your interpretation of that suggestion, and your decision as to how that suggestion fits your particular body on that particular day.

I know this could be a challenge in a group class environment.

I will do my best to remind you to fit the practice loosely over the shape of your body....

During the first one of my two yin trainings, we were encouraged to go move as far / deep into the pose as we could and hold there for a great length of time. One of my least fond memories (and a great A-HA moment!) was spending 30 minutes in a pigeon pose while listening to a lecture. Many of the students (in fact, I think, most of us) have struggled to get out of pose or stand up on our own at the end of the lecture. And by the end of this 10-day long training many of us had brutal flare ups in hips and low back.

By contrast, my second yin teacher had a way different mantra - and he kept chanting it as moved from pose to pose:

Please remember this mantra!

1. Ballistic stretching: this method uses jumping / fast moving actions to stretch target muscle groups. If you have ever gone to a fast-paced yoga class, you have experienced this ballistic stretching, especially as you've moved through the Sun Salutations series.

2. Facilitated stretching: also known as "PNF" or proprioceptive neurmuscular facilitation, this type of stretching involves briefly contracting the muscle targeted for stretch. You might have experienced this on a massage table, when your therapist places you in a stretch position, and then asks you to press against his or her hand, or the table.

3. Passive stretching (you will recognize this as our yin practice:) this type of stretching involves the use of body weight, gravity, props and opposing muscle groups to create a stretch. The body is placed into the position of stretch and held there for a long period of time to allow the stretch receptors to "acclimate'. This type of stretching affects particular parts of our connective tissue - the "fascia."

More on fascia next week!