FAQs

This is a selection of questions I am often asked. Other more detailed questions are dealt with in the Yin Yoga training courses.

Yin Yoga Teacher Training

The weekend concludes with a certificate of participation (for 25 hours for the basic training and for 18 hours for each of the development training courses.(Reading my book and working with my DVD are credited as non-contact hours). I am registered as a teacher with the Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 500), and the hours can therefore be credited with them.

Leider kann der Bildungsgutschein nicht mehr akzeptiert werden.

Please let me know before taking part whether you have any health limitations, so that I may offer you the best possible alternatives for your practice.

A single weekend is not sufficient to be able to understand the wide spectrum of Yin Yoga. If you really want to come to grips with it, I recommend taking several modules in order to gain sufficient background knowledge of the topic. As the teaching of Yin Yoga is not legally protected, there are currently no rules regarding at what point one may teach. My teacher Paul Grilley has therefore consciously decided not to support the commerce of yoga, but he expects practitioners to have the relevant background knowledge to be able to teach Yin Yoga responsibly. It should be taken into account that when practicing you remain in a position for several minutes. The individual anatomy of a person therefore plays an important role. The teacher should understand the effects a position may have, so that the person practicing can remain free of injuries. These are the foundations that I pass on to participants in my modules. I plug into Paul’s thinking and therefore offer my modules on an optional basis, which means you are not obliged to cover all modules and you may choose freely which ones you wish to follow. However, completion of Yin Yoga training is not recognized by the health insurance companies.

The cost per training weekend is €319 (this applies to the dates which are booked via my website). A portion of the training fees is donated to the child welfare organization “Plan” for their international projects. Partial payment is possible, provided that a deposit is paid. The cost in other studios may differ slightly from this.

Die Online-Ausbildung per Zoom ist nun fester Bestandteil in unserem Ausbildungsprogramm. Das heißt, du kannst bequem von zu Hause aus dabei sein und alles genauso mitbekommen als ob du live im Studio dabei wärst. Du brauchst dafür lediglich die kostenlose Zoom-App, die du dir vorher herunterladen musst, und eine stabile Internet-Verbindung. Kurz vor dem Termin erhältst du einen Link über den du dich einloggen kannst, um online dabei zu sein. Du hast auch auf diesem Weg die Möglichkeit, Fragen zu stellen und aktiv zu interagieren, je nach Modul machen wir online auch Gruppenarbeit. Deine Kamera kannst du wahlweise ausschalten, falls du von der Gruppe nicht gesehen werden möchtest.

Du bekommst dein Ausbildungs-Skript und dein Zertifikat per Mail zugeschickt. Übergangsweise wird diese Form der Ausbildung genauso von der Yoga Alliance anerkannt wie die Präsenz-Termine, das heißt, du wirst dir dein Zertifikat anrechnen lassen können.

Bitte lege dir für deine Praxis-Einheiten Hilfsmittel zurecht. Du benötigst zwei kleine Gästehandtücher, ein Bolster, zwei Blöcke und eine Decke. Wenn du das Modul 3 belegen möchtest, brauchst du zusätzlich eine Faszienrolle und zwei weiche Faszienbälle in einem Netz. Ich nutze selber entweder die kleine oder mittlere Größe der „Harmony Balls“ oder „Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls“. Alternativ kannst du mit zwei Tennisbällen in einem Socken improvisieren.

Es kommt immer wieder die Frage auf, warum das Online-Modul genauso viel kostet wie das Präsenz-Modul. Das möchte ich gerne erklären: Ich habe mir mein Wissen für sehr viel Geld angeeignet. Häufig waren dafür Reisen auf andere Kontinente notwendig. Du bekommst all das Wissen von mir vorbehaltlos weitergegeben für einen Bruchteil der Ausgaben, die ich selber hatte, egal ob live im Studio oder online. Ich bin online genauso für dich da wie im Studio. Es ist ebenso eine Live-Veranstaltung und du kannst genauso Fragen stellen wie sonst auch. Wenn du deine Kameras anschaltest, kann ich dich auch genauso sehen und dir Alternativen anbieten, falls ich das Gefühl habe, dass du Hilfe brauchst. Tatsächlich ist es sogar so, dass mir die Online-Variante noch mehr Arbeit macht als die Live-Variante. So habe ich dann z. B. immer eine Assistentin dabei, die sich um die ganze Technik kümmert und ebenso den Chat mitbetreut, falls mir etwas durchgehen sollte. Ich habe zudem nicht an meinen Ausgaben für das Equipment gespart, um dir als Teilnehmer die beste Qualität liefern zu können. Ich biete ein paar Tage nach der Online-Ausbildung nochmal eine zusätzliche Q & A-Stunde an, um noch offene Fragen zu beantworten. Von daher ist es in meinen Augen angemessen, den Preis genauso zu belassen. Ein zusätzlicher Vorteil für dich als Teilnehmer ist es auch, dass du keine Unkosten für Anreise und Übernachtung in Kauf nehmen musst und wir unabhängig sind von den Auflagen der Regierung und somit keine Termine aus diesen Gründen abgesagt werden müssen.

There is no examination in the classic sense. However, we do group work, which we discuss afterwards, so that I can check whether the content has been understood well. For example, this includes the meaningful creation of Yin Yoga sequences or working out alternative positions for participants with limitations.

For the basic module, we require the book “Yin Yoga – The Gentle Way to Inner Balance“ or “Be Healthy with Yin Yoga” as a work book. For the development modules, additional scripts will be handed out. For module 4, I recommend the book “Be Healthy with Yin Yoga” as a preparation.

The following applies for the courses which are booked via my website:

For cancellations within the 15 days prior to the start, a refund is no longer possible. However, the participant may nominate a replacement to take part in the training in their place. In this case, the participant is responsible for the replacement. For cancellations prior to 15 days, 90% of the training fee is refundable. Should it be possible for someone to move up from the waiting list, the participant will be offered an alternative later date. Should the training need to be cancelled for any reason, the fee will be refunded in full, or an alternative date offered. There is also an option to take out special seminar insurance (this serves only as information, and I do not partake in any arrangement of premiums). Please read the General Terms of Conditions (GTCs) carefully.

It is not absolutely essential to have completed yoga training, but you should practice yoga regularly if you would like to take part in the Yin Yoga courses. My book “Yin Yoga – The Gentle Way to Inner Balance” as well as the DVD of the same name provide a foundation for the basic training (alternatively also the new DVD “Yin Yoga – The Relaxed Way to Balance and Health”). This common background enables us to link directly to a basic knowledge and go into the content in more depth. The weekend workshops should be viewed as a supplement to a basic training for personal further development, and do not replace completion of a yoga training, which usually takes several years.

Die Zeiten für die Online-Kurse, die über meine Website gebucht werden, sind von 10:00 Uhr bis 17:30 Uhr geplant mit 90 Minuten Pause.

Für die anderen Standorte nimm bitte Kontakt über das Studio auf, bei dem du deine Anmeldung gebucht hast.

Yin Yoga in general

Yin Yoga is very gentle and passive to practice, but due to the long length of time the positions are held, the subsequent effect is very potent. I recommend holding a pose for 2-3 minutes to start with. If you do well at the exercises, you may also feel free to remain in them longer. If it is more demanding for you as a beginner, then simply reduce the time you hold them. As the exercises are held for several minutes there is no need to rush into the positions. Simply work with the help of gravity. As your body becomes softer and more supple due to the longer holding time, it may sink deeper into the position.

It is important that you feel good in your body at all times and that you do not develop ambitions to hold the individual positions. Instead, you need a great deal of mindfulness and respect for your body to be able to adapt all positions to your individual requirements. You will then learn to listen to your inner yoga teacher. This is the most important teacher you will meet when practicing.

Due to the passivity with which you go into the exercises, your back will round automatically. You may need to become accustomed to this to start with. In Yin Yoga, the point is that it is not the muscles but the surrounding and deeper layers of the body that are at the forefront, and these can be reached excellently in this way. It is very important never to tighten up in your passive position in the exercises. Give your body all the time it needs to open up, and pay attention to its relevant signals. You can use supports at any time if you feel that an exercise is too intensive or too challenging, so that you can always release muscular tension and remain as passive as possible in the position. Yoga blocks are ideal supports (alternatively, you can also use thick books), as are blankets, yoga rolls (or substitute with thick, rolled-up blankets), cushions or towels.

It is possible to start doing Yin Yoga without warming up in advance. The effect on the deeper layers can thereby be intensified. However, you must be cautious at all times in the exercises and respect your limits. To start with, only go as far into the exercise as allows you to have room to sink into it more over the time you are holding it. After coming out of the position, lie on your stomach or back for a while to feel the effect of the position and to bring the body back to neutral once again.

If you are not yet familiar with Yin Yoga, it is possible you will feel quite new physical sensations when releasing from the exercises. These perceptions show you that you have reached different layers than those you would reach in an active form of exercise. After releasing from the positions, the chi, your life energy, flows through your entire body. Be mindful of where you particularly feel this flow of energy and where you do not tend to feel it. Simply let your breath flow naturally at this time, unless you want to consciously direct it into a stretch.

Right after a Yin Yoga session you are often sensitive to outside stimuli. Allow yourself to rest for a while to feel the effect of the practice on your body and mind. Things you do afterwards might seem more intense than usual. After the session, drink plenty of water to support the detoxifying process that has been stimulated by the exercises.

Breathing can flow quite naturally during the exercises. The more relaxed you become in the passive exercises, the easier your breathing will be. If your breathing becomes very fast in the active Yang exercises and you have the feeling that you can no longer breathe deeply and evenly, then take time out for a little break, for example in child’s pose, until your breathing has calmed down. If the exercises are very new to you and you are having difficulty harmonizing your breathing with them, then first concentrate on carrying out the movements while continuing to breathe in a way that suits you. However, let your breathing flow with complete mindfulness. Be aware that you should not bring with you any thoughts of performance when practicing and that you should not measure yourself against anyone else in the session. I believe it is absolutely crucial to listen to the signals of your “inner yoga teacher” and to therefore respect the intelligence of your own body.

You will find all information on my books and DVDs here.

The topic of stretching has been under discussion for many years. I invite you to watch my YouTube channel where I express my own thoughts on it.

As I am currently very busy with my training modules and my activities as an author, my timetable unfortunately does not allow me to give individual lessons or regular weekly courses at present.

regret that I am currently unable to offer individual nutrition consultations on site due to time constraints. However, I can conduct consultations via Zoom. In my book Detox with Yin and Yang Yoga” there is a great deal of important information regarding healthy diet, tips for detoxing and a variety of recipes. You will also find information on the topic of diet on my YouTube channel.

In my book Health and Vitality with Fascia Massage I use “Yoga tune-up therapy balls.” I also find “harmony balls” super for fascia massage. There are many other fascia balls on the market in Germany; these are just the ones with which I personally have had the best experience.

In the book Detox with Yin and Yang Yoga I use a Blackroll, which is available for purchase online in a variety of firmness levels. I find the classic Pilates rolls just as good, however. These are often less expensive and also twice as long, so that they are better to lie on than the shorter Blackrolls. If you require several, they can be stacked better than the large Pilates rolls. It is really a personal decision as to what suits you best.

Yin Yoga, poses are usually held for 3-5 minutes when you have experience in order to feel the effect deeply. The effect is usually first felt after around 1.5 minutes. The positions can be held for longer if it feels good for you physically, or naturally you can also shorten the time you hold them. Once again, what is important here is to listen to the signals of your own body – the inner yoga teacher always has top priority! Please do not underestimate the effect of the exercises. It is true they are very gentle, but because of the length of time they are held, they are very effective.

It can be difficult to begin practicing meditation as we often make too many demands of ourselves. I would invite you to take a look at my YouTube channel, where I have posted a video on this topic.

In the first two editions of the book there is conflicting information on the meridians. In the third edition, page 18 the text under the header “Yin meridians” should be replaced with “Meridians of the lower body,” and on page 24, the text under the header “Yang meridians” should be replaced with “Meridians of the upper body.” I apologize profusely for this. The text has been corrected in the fourth edition. What is fundamental to practicing yoga is the approach to the exercise. Whether the meridians are allocated to Yin or Yang, in Yin Yoga it is about stimulating all meridians according to Yin, i.e. gently, passively and by stretching.

Yin Yoga practice can usually be tolerated very well during pregnancy if a few basic rules are followed. For all pregnant women it is important to only stretch gently and not to involve the stomach area if possible. The increased use of supports is therefore highly recommended. During pregnancy, the hormone relaxin ensures that the woman’s body is prepared for the upcoming birth making many women more flexible than usual during this time. However, there is a risk of injury if stretches are carried out too intensively. Care should also be taken with rotations, and they should only be carried out to the open side or in the thoracic spine. As with any yoga practice, it is particularly important for pregnant women to go inward and observe which positions feel good and which do not. The time spent holding them should also be tested out. It is usually sensible to maintain a shorter time of holding than before the pregnancy. When the stomach becomes too large and the weight too heavy with the advancement of the pregnancy, it is often no longer recommended for pregnant women to lie on their back. The back position can cause too much pressure on the vena cava, which is important in carrying the blood back to the heart. However, there are no generally valid rules for everyone. Give your full attention to the inner yoga teacher and above all trust what you do and respect the signals. If it feels good, then it is also doing your baby good.

After the pregnancy, contraction of the tissues and strengthening of the body are the priorities, so I would recommend practicing Yang to start with. Around 3 months after the birth you can begin Yin Yoga. If you already have experience with it, you may be able to start sooner, provided you do the positions gently and do not hold them for too long.

The aim of Yin exercises is to reach the deep layers of the body. If we want to bring the stretch to the fascia, we must remain very passive and refrain from tensing any muscles. The back should therefore be evenly flexed and rounded as much as possible in the exercises, and the pelvic floor should remain completely relaxed. The Yin exercises are very gentle yet very powerful in their effect. Thus it is important to remain mindful in the exercises so that you do not exaggerate them at the start.

The effect of Yin Yoga is greater the less the muscles are warmed up. It is therefore important to proceed very carefully and gently and not to actively tighten up in any way, so as to avoid injuries. You should never reach your limit from the outset, but only stretch as far as you feel you still have further scope to stretch and sink further into the exercises.

After releasing the positions it is wise to remain in a relaxed position for a few breaths, to feel the effect and allow the body to neutralize again. The chi, the life energy, flows intensively through the body after releasing the positions. With some practice and the necessary mindfulness, you will be able to clearly sense this feeling. This flow of energy may feel strange to you, as it is probably more apparent deep inside than during or after an active yoga sequence. However, do not let this unsettle you. As soon as your body has neutralized again, this feeling which may be reminiscent of fragility will ease. However, you can classify this perception as a positive signal as it indicates you that the effect of the exercises has reached the deep layers of your body. Nevertheless, if you are in pain after practicing, this is a clear sign that you have exercised too intensively or gone beyond your limit. Every time you practice yoga, whether it is active or passive, please be mindful and careful with yourself.

The Yang exercises place the focus on strengthening the muscles and energizing the body. The back muscles should be activated in the exercises to straighten the spine as much as possible. I also recommend working with the pelvic floor activated, as these muscles give stability and protect you from injuries.

It is important to differentiate between passive and active exercises, so that Yin exercises are carried out without using muscle strength and Yang ones using it. This is not a contradiction in itself but an ideal of complementation between the two, which has a positive and harmonizing effect on the entire body.

It is possible to mix Yin and Yang elements into one yoga unit. There is no perfect answer to which position is best placed in which part, as every option may bring with it a small limitation. We discuss these options in detail in the Yin Yoga basic training. In my Yin & Yang lessons, I usually prefer adding the Yin part to the Yang part. Indeed, in doing so, the effect on the fascia is lost somewhat, but it works very well energetically if you practice Yin Yoga before the meditation and final relaxation. However, there are a few things to note, such as the time of day or the energy in the group. For your own practice, you can simply decide intuitively, based on how you feel on a given day. Of course, it is also possible to practice Yin and Yang in two separate units, for example, on different days.

To finish the practice, it is recommended to turn to the left side of the body for a few breaths in order to activate the pingala or yang energy. But everybody can decide intuitively what feels best, of course.

According to Chinese medicine, the chi in the kidneys and spleen is responsible for hormone production, particularly progesterone and estrogen, and the liver also plays an important part. Therefore, during menopause, more Yin than Yang energy is usually required. Yin Yoga can also help strengthen the bones and it can mitigate hot flashes due to its cooling effect, so that it might be good to practice it daily during this time. In my book Be Healthy with Yin Yoga from the publisher Südwest Verlag, there is also a special sequence for menopause.

Diese Frage gehört nicht wirklich in die Kategorie Yin Yoga, aber da sie mir schon so oft gestellt worden ist, berichte ich dir hier gerne von meinen Erfahrungen.

Ich bin den ungewöhnlichen Weg gegangen, mein erstes Yin-Yoga-Buch schon komplett fertig geschrieben zu haben bevor ich es einem Verlag angeboten habe. Normalerweise reicht es, nur einen Teil fertig zu haben, den man dem Verlag in einem Exposé zukommen lassen kann. So hat man die Möglichkeit, mehr auf die Themenwünsche des Verlags eingehen zu können. Vorab sollte man aber sicher gehen, dass man es nur an Verlage schickt, die auch das entsprechende Genre anbieten. Wenn du also ein Yogabuch schreiben möchtest, wirst du von einem Verlag, der sich z. B. auf Reiseführer spezialisiert hat, mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit eine Absage bekommen. Du kannst in einem Buchladen stöbern und schauen, welche Verlage dein gewünschtes Genre anbieten oder du bestellst dir ein Buch, das sämtliche Verlage mit Kontaktdaten aufgelistet hat (leider erinnere ich mich nicht mehr an den Namen des Buchs, das ich mir selber gekauft hatte). Du nimmst am besten per Mail Kontakt auf und fragst, ob du ihnen dein Exposé zukommen lassen darfst. Die meisten Verlage haben auf ihren Websites auch nähere Infos dazu stehen, was ein Exposé beinhalten sollte und wie man sie kontaktieren kann. Wenn du eine Zusage bekommst, dann dauert es meist nochmal 1 – 2 Jahre bis das Werk tatsächlich fertig ist.

Wenn dir dieser Weg zu lang dauert, kannst du natürlich auch im Selbstverlag publizieren, was meist recht schnell geht. Das hat unter anderem den Vorteil, dass du mehr Gewinn für deine Bücher erzielen kannst.

Wenn du einmal ein erfolgreiches Buch geschrieben hast, dann ist der Weg zum zweiten Buch sehr viel leichter, da du dir schon einen Namen gemacht hast. Manchmal wird man sogar von Verlagen angefragt, ob man Lust hätte, für sie zu schreiben. Ich wünsche dir ganz viel Freude beim Schreiben!

I have tried out many yoga bolsters. Based on my personal experience, the rolls from Bausinger and Lotuscrafts are very good. I prefer kapok or cotton as a filling, as I personally find that grain fillings make too much noise when moving the bolsters. I have found that kapok or cotton holds its shape over time better than grain. Kapok is more stable and firmer than cotton.

Please view my YouTube channel for numerous videos that are certain to answer other questions you might have.

Ich möchte informiert werden, wenn Plätze frei werden. Wir werden dich informieren, wenn Plätze für dein Wunsch-Modul frei werden. Bitte hinterlasse deine E-Mail-Adresse und überprüfe sie nochmal.
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