Stop Forcing Your Stretch: How Exhaling Unlocks Flexibility | Yin Yoga The Spirit of Yoga — hosted by Burkhard

Do you pull harder and still feel tight?

What if flexibility depends less on muscle and more on your nervous system?

How could a long exhale change your stretching?

In this solo episode, Burkhard explores why many limits in stretching come from chronic background contraction—tension shaped by stress, fear, cold, and habit. Through the lens of yin yoga, yoga for flexibility, and mindful stretching, he explains how safety, relaxation, and the pause after exhalation invite the nervous system to release its “brakes,” allowing muscles to lengthen without force.

You’ll learn:

• Why “tight” often isn’t short muscle fibers but protective tone
• How exhaling and a brief post-exhale pause calm the system (Yoga Sutras I.34–35)
• Practical cues for yin-style, contemplative holds that build trust and range
• How to create a safe environment so letting go feels possible

Mini practice:

1. Choose a simple pose you can hold.
2. Breathe out slowly; pause 2–3 seconds.
3. Notice softening before you deepen the shape.
4. Repeat for several cycles with relaxed face, jaw, and belly.

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In this episode of The Spirit of Yoga, we explore the journey of Sim, a dedicated yoga teacher who began her path in Bali with a 200-hour yoga teacher training. Now, years later, she’s back in paradise, continuing her journey through our 300-hour online yoga teacher training and deepening her practice with Yin Yoga.

Sim shares how her unique background in Traditional Chinese Medicine and her family’s healing traditions have shaped her approach to teaching. We dive into her process of creating an authentic Yin Yoga practice and how she plans to offer real Yin Yoga to her community, in contrast to the slower vinyasa classes often mislabeled as “Yin.”

Throughout the episode, Sim reflects on the power of Yin Yoga as a form of heart-centered healing and how she’s manifesting her purpose to help others in today’s fast-paced world. Tune in to hear her insights and experience the deep, restorative power of Yin Yoga firsthand.

If you're considering becoming a Yin Yoga teacher or simply looking for inspiration, this episode is for you.

► Join our 200-Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/200hr-yoga-teacher-training-online

► Join our 300-Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/300-hour-online-teacher-training

► Join our 80-Hour Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/80-hr-online-yin-yoga-teacher-training

► Join our 80-Hour Meditation Online Yoga Teacher Training

https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/80-hr-online-meditation-teacher-training

► Join our 80-Hour Advanced Hatha & Pranayama Online Yoga Teacher Training

https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/80-hr-online-hatha-and-pranayama

► Let's connect:

Website: https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/

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How do you stop complaining and start growing?

Can gratitude truly transform your mindset in the face of challenges?

In this episode of The Spirit of Yoga, host Burkhard and guest Nithya Priyan dive deep into the yogic journey of shifting from projecting and blaming to embracing gratitude. They explore the power of pratyahara, one of the eight limbs of yoga, and how internalizing our awareness can help us turn challenges into opportunities for growth and detachment. Join us for an insightful conversation on how yoga philosophy can guide us toward a more peaceful, centered life.

► Join our 200-Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/200hr-yoga-teacher-training-online

► Join our 300-Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/300-hour-online-teacher-training

► Join our 80-Hour Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/80-hr-online-yin-yoga-teacher-training

► Join our 80-Hour Meditation Online Yoga Teacher Training

https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/80-hr-online-meditation-teacher-training

► Join our 80-Hour Advanced Hatha & Pranayama Online Yoga Teacher Training

https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/80-hr-online-hatha-and-pranayama

► Let's connect:

Website: https://www.akashayogaacademy.com/

https://www.instagram.com/akashayogaacademy/