The Yin Yoga Kit: The Practice of Quiet Power (Boxed Set) [Paperback]

Biff Mithoefer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2006

An introduction to the practice of Yin Yoga that emphasizes its meditative roots and provides balance to our modern, yang lifestyles

• Offers an alternative to the outwardly oriented yang-style yoga practices in use today

• Contains a deck of posture cards that assists users in designing a personalized practice and a 75-minute audio CD with a guided routine led by the author

Yin Yoga is known as the quiet yoga. Many of the most popular forms of yoga, such as Ashtanga and Power Yoga, are fundamentally yang in nature, based on rhythmic movements of the muscles and focused on the need for change and attainment. Yin Yoga, in contrast, does not concentrate on the muscles but on connective tissue and bones, the parts of our body that are closest to our core and critical to our physical well-being and range of motion. The postures are all practiced on the floor and each is held for a lengthy period, usually three to five minutes. This intense non-movement allows us to experience the poses in a deeper way that enables the muscles to relax, the nerves to calm, and the surrounding connective tissue to remain healthy and supple. This meditative approach is more akin to those found in the earliest Hatha Yoga traditions.

In The Yin Yoga Kit Biff Mithoefer presents 14 poses used in Yin Yoga and explains each posture’s benefits, including which chakras and meridians will be most positively affected. The individual posture cards included illustrate the poses, provide advanced and modified variations, and assist users in designing a personalized practice sequence. The 75-minute CD contains a sample guided routine narrated by the author, with each pose presented on a separate track so listeners can rearrange them or shorten the routine as needed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Biff Mithoefer has created the most useful written material available for exploring Yin Yoga. Much more than an asana book, The Yin Yoga Kit teaches energetic principles, mental disciplines, and patient mindfulness. I highly recommend it!”
(Paul Grilley, author of Yin Yoga: Outline of A Quiet Practice )

“Yoga and qigong are much more alike than they are different, causing many practitioners to say, ‘Chinese yoga is Indian qigong.’ The Yin Yoga Kit serves as a bridge between the two disciplines. It is like a mountain trail between China and India, probably through Tibet.”
(Roger Jahnke, O.M.D., director of the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi, author of The Healer Within and The Healing Promise of Qi )

"What makes The Yin Yoga Kit so great is the combination of the booklet, the durable double-sided cards AND the CD, all of which add to this well-rounded routine for both beginners and those who have long sought a yoga program that does more than just focus on muscle groups. This is a comprehensive package that would make a great and beneficial gift for a friend, or, even better, for yourself."
(Marie D. Jones, Curled Up with a Good Book, Oct 2006 )

". . . a perfect companion for a nurturing yoga practice."
(Greg Capitolo, Yoga +, Oct 2006 )

" . . . a perfect recommendation for anyone intersted in learning Yin Yoga. It's great for those who are not comfortable joining and paying for yoga classes and the kit allows you to work at your own pace and in the comfort of your home." (
Nora Caterino, healthynewage.com, Feb 2009 )

"Yin Yoga is a gentle practice that brings yoga back to its internal meditative roots, teaching you to relax." (
Share Guide, Issue 102, Mar/Apr 2009 )

“I love this kit, as well as this gentle and beautiful practice. It didn’t take long to incorporate these poses into my daily yoga workout, and they’re easy enough for anyone to do, even during the heat of the day. . . Highly Recommended.”
(Patricia Snodgrass, FacingNorth.net, October 2011 )

From the Back Cover

YOGA / EXERCISE 

“Biff Mithoefer has created the most useful written material available for exploring Yin Yoga. Much more than an asana book, The Yin Yoga Kit teaches energetic principles, mental disciplines, and patient mindfulness. I highly recommend it!”
--PAUL GRILLEY, author of Yin Yoga: Outline of A Quiet Practice

“Yoga and qigong are much more alike than they are different, causing many practitioners to say, ‘Chinese yoga is Indian qigong.’ The Yin Yoga Kit serves as a bridge between the two disciplines. It is like a mountain trail between China and India, probably through Tibet.”
--ROGER JAHNKE, O.M.D., director of the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi, author of The Healer Within and The Healing Promise of Qi

Yin Yoga is known as the quiet yoga. Many of the most popular forms of yoga are fundamentally yang in nature, based on rhythmic movements of the muscles and focused on the need for change and attainment. Yin Yoga, in contrast, concentrates on connective tissue and bones, the parts of our body that are closest to our core and critical to our physical well-being and range of motion. The postures are all practiced on the floor and each is held for a lengthy period, usually three to five minutes. This intense non-movement allows the muscles to relax and the deep connective tissue to be gently stretched, encouraging the free flow of energy throughout the body. Above all, Yin Yoga is a gentle practice that brings yoga back to its internal meditative roots, teaching us to relax and accept ourselves just as we are.

In The Yin Yoga Kit, Biff Mithoefer presents 14 postures used in Yin Yoga and explains the benefits of each, including which meridians and chakras will be most positively affected. The full-color posture cards included illustrate the poses for those who are very flexible--and those who are not--and assist users in designing a personalized practice. The 75-minute CD contains a guided routine narrated by the author, with each pose presented on a separate track so listeners can rearrange them or shorten the routine as needed.

BIFF MITHOEFER teaches Yin Yoga at Omega Institute, Nosara Institute in Costa Rica, and throughout the United States. He lives in Dorset, Vermont.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Healing Arts Press (July 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594771162
• ISBN-13: 978-1594771163
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive Yin Yoga Experience, September 16, 2006

By 

YogaKat "YogaKat" (Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Yin Yoga Kit: The Practice of Quiet Power (Boxed Set) (Paperback)

I've been practicing with Paul Grilley's Yin Yoga DVD for some time now and decided to get this kit...Glad I did!

You get a CD that includes a 1-hour Yin Yoga practice. I like the sequence and there is a 1-minute Savasana after each of the 9 postures which is very nice to get in touch with your Qi (chi). Each Yin Yoga posture is held for 5 minutes. There is a final relaxation and Metta meditation. I like Biff Mithoefer's voice/instructions and he doesn't talk too much.

Here are the postures on the CD:
Half Butterfly ( 2 sides)
Seal
Frog
Shoelace (2 sides)
Saddle
Spinal Twist (2 sides)

The only thing I don't like is that Seal is placed during the beginning of practice, but since I can load this on my iPod it's easy to change the sequence how I want.

You also get a Yin Yoga book which I like very much. It is easy reading and easy to understand. There is discussion on Yin and Yang, Qi, the Taoist meridian system, the Tantric chakra system, and describes each of the postures and their associated meridian that are stimulated.

You also get 14 posture cards. They are double-sided, heavy duty, plastic coasted. They include a photo and desciption of the posture on one side and variations and meridians stimulated on the other. At the end of the book are some sample practices and you can arrange the cards in the order of the specific practice that suits you for the day. On the CD is a 5-minute timer so you can create your own individual practice with the cards and the timer.

I practice Yin yoga several days a week. I recommend practicing gentle yoga like this in the morning. If you can get up an hour early it will help with your daily life once you get used to the regular, daily practice.

This is a great price on Amazon and I think well worth the money for both beginners and people that are already familiar with Yin Yoga. Please check my other yoga and meditation reviews on Amazon along with Paul Grilley's Yin Yoga DVD (another good one that I recommend). Namaste'

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginners, February 7, 2007

By 

Bookworm "GolfMom3" (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Yin Yoga Kit: The Practice of Quiet Power (Boxed Set) (Paperback)

The kit contains a book in which the author discusses in a general overview the anatomy of yoga, as well as meridians, etc. That was helpful. There is also a small floor chart that I could set down on the floor in front of me while I did yoga. That too was helpful. The book contains many poses for clearing meridians and to address various health issues. However, I am not at a point in my understanding to know what meridian needs to be unblocked. As far as the poses themselves, I found them to be very elementary and uncomplicated. They are good for a beginner and they are also good when a person has limited time and wants to do a smaller session. However, I prefer Paul Grilley's yin yoga sessions because they are more complex. Overall, I liked the kit very much.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Yin of Yoga, November 20, 2006

By 

Marcus Rose "chicagoyogaguy" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Yin Yoga Kit: The Practice of Quiet Power (Boxed Set) (Paperback)

I started out practicing Yin Yoga with Paul Grilley's book, Yin Yoga: Outline of a Quiet Practice. I found this kit to be a great "next step." The CD is very helpful, because there is a built in timer at the end of the CD. This way, you can experience the five-minute meditative postures without worrying about watching a clock or wondering how long you've been in the pose. Yin Yoga is great because it is gentle, serene, and contemplative by nature. Many people are tempted to seek out the fitness benefits of yoga only. Yin Yoga is a great way to find the meditative roots of yogic practice.