I want to dive right into what Yinimalism is. And how you can cultivate essentialism in your life.
But before I get there, I have to address where we are currently, today, in the beginning weeks of unprecedented times.
This isn’t another update about what I’m doing because of this pandemic, because the way I live my life is largely the same now. And the principles of Yinimalism apply even now.
But I’m also not going to ignore the elephant in the room and the big changes our culture is experiencing and adapting to.
We are respecting boundaries as a community like we never have before out of love for our fellow humans that are immunocompromised or at a higher risk for getting severely ill.
We’re doing it at great cost. Many people have lost their jobs and many small businesses have shut down, and we are only a few weeks in at the time I’m writing this. But as a culture, we have decided to choose love over fear. We have decided to keep each other healthy, and we can figure the details out later.
I want to acknowledge that also doesn’t mean you don’t feel fear or worry or uncertainty or any of the other big emotions and sensations. Of course those feelings arise and you should allow yourself the space to feel them. And you can still also feel the love of your community for setting and respecting boundaries. You can feel the love your pets give you now that you’re home with them more. As an introvert, you can feel the love of being able to have more quiet time. At least I am!
The way I just spoke about what you may be currently feeling, at a very high level, is just as applicable to a Yin practice as it is to the circumstances we’re in.
I’ve been practicing for over a decade and teaching almost half of a decade. Yin is the practice that has provided me the ability to confront all of my emotions, and realize none of them are good or bad. Some are more intense than others. But they’re all valuable to feel.
And once I was able to confront my emotions with mindfulness, instead of knee jerking reactions or trying to avoid them, I found clarity. A yoga and meditation practice is personal, and we all get something different out of them. I know some people have found the ability to be patient from a yin practice… I’m still working on that.
But what I have also found is that even though I’m not “good” at a lot of this practice it doesn’t matter. I still benefit from it even after practicing for over a decade.
Yin is the practice that almost 10 years ago led me to the perspective to quit my big corporate job - because I realized I wasn’t working because I loved what I did. I was working to buy more stuff. And it became very apparent very quickly that stuff really wasn’t making me happy. Fancy dinners to cute outfits, I was still unhappy and somehow in debt.
And once I quit my job, I had to learn how to live essentially and minimally. Because, no surprise here, yoga teachers generally aren’t making millions of dollars.
While I will write about Yin and use the language of this practice, it doesn’t mean you have to practice yin to get clarity. You don’t have to quit your job and be a yoga teacher, though I do think taking my training can give you more clarity and practices to get clear.
Because this is not a one and done practice and it is a highly personal choice. I would love to tell you to come do yoga once and you’ll be free of tension forever! But that’s not true.
It is the same when you clean out your closet. You can joy or no joy your closet once - but keeping it cleared out requires that you continue to evaluate what it’s in there.
What I invite you to do is to start to contemplate what is essential to you. What practices help you get clear?
Or maybe you’re looking for a new one because what you’ve been doing isn’t working.
As this new reality sets in of social distancing and high unemployment rates, we are being lovingly forced by our planet to change. To change how we consume, to change how we interact and to change how and where we work.
So here are a few small ways we can do that.
One of the resources I frequently turn to when I’m feeling overwhelmed, whether it’s cleaning out my closet or cleaning up the commitments on my calendar, are The Minimalists. If you’re interested in minimalism, they’re a great resource with a lot of free and valuable content.
And one of the practices I learned from them is to look at the things I bring into my home and ask myself: Does this bring me practical value? Or do I know this to be beautiful?
If I answer no, then it’s not worth bringing into my space.
We as a society have clearly said toilet paper is practical. But did we really need enough to make a toilet throne?
There are little things we say yes to all the time that add to the clutter, pandemic or not. Free t-shirts, extra pens, another candle or mascara. And if you use those things, that’s great. If not, it’s adding to the clutter. Little things add up to take up a lot of space and make a lot of clutter.
This clutter isn’t just physical space. It clouds your mental space as well. The piles of stuff that guilt you for not using them or get in your way in the morning while you try to find your favorite outfit. The Tupperware that spills out of your cabinet in the middle of an already chaotic morning, most of which don’t even have a lid that fits. That stuff adds to your mood, and it doesn’t have to.
The clutter on your phone is the same. Apps you don’t use that get in the way of you clicking on the one you actually picked up your phone for. What about the hundreds of pictures of your dog that make you look you’re stalking them, but that you’ll never use. It takes up storage space on your phone and in your brain.
This is a big project. This new way of living takes time to adjust to. It takes intention. And most of all, takes a lot of clarity.
Even as I’ve been evaluating my life from my stuff to friends to work commitments and have asked myself “Is this essential” I don’t have an easy, cut and dry answer. I have a system of values that inform my decision and I also allow my intuition to be involved in the process. I’ve relied on the minimalists for tips and tricks.
With all of those things to consider, the way that I cut through the clutter, the noise, the uncertainty and the overwhelm is the practice of Yin Yoga. This practice gives me the clarity I need to make a decision, helps me remove the mental clutter and also helps me relieve physical tension.
But most importantly, Yin reminds me that everything changes.
In just a few breathes, I can feel my body change in a pose. I can watch as some breaths are deeper and some are more shallow. I can feel tension drip out of my shoulders and sometimes feel it creep into my mind. And you will too.
I’ve been thinking a lot of a talk that Elizabeth Gilbert gave on her Instagram Live. And in short, she speaks about how afraid we as humans are to change. And how also how quickly adaptable we are to it.
Just two weeks ago we never would have believed that we would have to stand 6 feet apart from each other, even in a major city. And look at what we’ve already done.
What I hope for myself and each of you, is that you make these changes mindfully. That mindfulness gives you a bit of control back.
So as we change and shift our spending and travel patterns. As we stay at home more and have limited moments to connect with other humans, let’s do this mindfully. Let’s do it yinimally.
I’m leading a Yin teacher training virtually April 17-19 via zoom. You can sign up at HERE and when you go to check out, use code FUCOVID for $50
If you’re interested in minimalism specifically, you can use The Minimalists as a great starting point.
But I know that can also be overwhelming, so I take private clients to help you get clear. You can email me at yinimalist@gmail.com or just DM me on Instagram @Yinimalist