Taoist Yoga emphasizes the critical difference between the Yin and Yang tissues of the body.

Students will learn how to analyze a Yoga posture to determine which joints are involved and which are limiting the range of motion. In particular we will focus on the five movements of the hip and the six movements of the spine that need to be addressed in any Yoga practice. We will develop a Yin practice, which emphasizes holding Yin (floor) postures up to five minutes. This type of practice is new to most students of Yoga, and it is a wonderful complement to the more muscular styles of asana practice.

Although our bodies are complex a few basic anatomical ideas, once understood, can vastly improve the efficiency and results of our Yoga practice. By learning to recognize the anatomy of movement and its relation to the flow of energy in our bodies we can recover the original intention of physical Yoga practice which is the harmonizing of one’s own prana and the effortless extension of one’s meditation practice.

Paul Grilley was featured in the August 2001 issue of Yoga Journal. He has been teaching Yoga since 1980 and has recently written a book entitled “Yin Yoga”. Paul practices Yoga postures in the style of Paulie Zink, and his presentation of Yoga philosophy is patterned after his teacher, Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama-a Yogi and scientist from Tokyo, Japan. This philosophy integrates the Taoist Meridian and Acupuncture theories of China with the Yogic and Tantric theories of India. Paul lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife Suzee.

Open Yoga and Chakra Meditation: Chi (prana) is the energy that animates the body, Meridians are the channels in
which Chi flows, and Chakras are spiritual centers in the brain and spine that control the flow of Chi. The fundamental premise of Hatha Yoga, Tantra Yoga and Taoism is that these energies need to be brought under the Yogi's control if the mind is to be calmed and the Self revealed.