There are three main tenets that help nourish the joints in a yoga pose. The first is to come into the chosen shape to an appropriate edge. This is means coming into poses nonaggressively and sensitively, allowing the breath to remain slow and unlabored so we can detect the appreciate depth of sensation that we feel we can tolerate. If we attempt to take on too much intensity too soon, our inner state—or mood of resistance—will actually hinder the chi flow, causing more energetic disruptions. If, on the other hand, we do not exert enough tension, avoiding any strong sensations, we do not allow these areas to expand into their full ranges of motion and it is the pulling and pressure that excites the chi flow into them.
这里有三个用来帮助在瑜伽体式中滋养关节的主要原则。第一个（原则）是，体式进入（的程度）可以选择不同的位置，（在不同的位置中）找到一个合适的界限。这个意思是，以非暴力（不带有攻击性和侵略性）和聆听的方式进入体式，让呼吸可以保持缓慢和放松，这样可以发现一个我们感觉能够接受的适当的深度知觉。如果试图（让体式）进行得太剧烈太迅速，我们内在的状态——情绪上的抵抗——将必然阻碍“气”（能量）的流动，因为更多积极的能量会被打断。另一方面，如果没有足够的张力，回避任何深度的知觉，我们将无法让这些区域得到充分的伸展和锻炼，并且适当的推动和压力，能够让“气”运行到这些区域。
If we are working on an area that is fragile, injured, or hypermobile, we need to do two things. First, we should merely suggest the shape, coming into the pose just enough to stimulate chi flow without any feeling of strain. Second, we need to remain highly focused on the sensations promoted by the pose, thereby refining our meditative attention, while relaxing the rigidity around the painful joint. Of course, we may also need to use props; allowing for modifications and variations to support damaged or destabilized areas. These adjustments are greatly enhanced by the assistance of a skilled teacher in the beginning, but they are also shown in many of the pose variations in this book.
如果在被伸展的部位感觉到虚弱、伤痛或经常想要移动，我们需要做两件事。首先，仅需要对体式的程度作出建议，体式只需要进入到足够促进“气”运行的程度，而不感到任何的紧张。第二，当僵硬的关节被放松，我们需要在体式中保持高度集中的注意力，聆听身体深部的知觉，从而提炼并净化深层的思想。当然，我可能也需要用到一些支持工具；用调整和变化（的体式）来支持受过伤或不稳定的区域。刚开始的时候，让助教或经验成熟的教师（帮助你）做这些调整，会得到很大的进步，除此之外，本书也展示了许多姿势的变化方式。
The second tenet to help nourish the joints is to become still and muscularly soft, allowing gravity to have us. Whenever we move, the chi flows more predominantly in the muscles and fasciae. During a Yin practice, we intend to pool chi in the bones and joints, which requires that we diminish movement and settle into the pose. Of course, there will be times when we feel our tissues moistening and naturally drop deeper into a pose. At other times, we may concede that we too far too soon and need to back off. These kinds of adjustments are certainly appropriate. We may also feel our legs falling asleep at times and want to come out to massage the area and bring it back to life before returning to the pose.
第二个能够帮助滋养关节的原则是，保持静止并让肌肉柔软放松，让重力来帮助我们。不论何时，当我们运动身体，“气”的流动会在肌肉和筋膜上更加显著。在阴瑜伽的练习中，我们想要“气”汇聚在骨骼与关节上，这就需要减少（身体的）动作，并安静的停留在体式中。当然，这需要一些时间，让我们的组织变得柔软，并在一个体式中自然的深入。在某些时候，我们可能会强迫自己走得太远太急，这时就需要（让身体从体式中）出来一些。这种适当的调整肯定是必要的。在另一些时候，我们还可能感觉腿部失去知觉，并且想要（从体式中）解放出来，给（失去知觉的）区域发出讯息，在体式还原前带着这些（沉睡的）区域恢复过来。
The lengthy postural steadiness allows us to develop yin qualities of surrender and observance, a willingness to feel a greater tolerance for uncomfortable experience. After doing many Yin poses strung together, I have found that a feeling commonly develops that is similar to the effect of a long acupuncture session. My body begins to feel a heightened sense of clarity and restfulness. My acupuncturist liked to call this “acu-bliss.”
较长时间的稳固的体式，让我们发展舍弃与洞察力等阴性的品质，学会乐于接受和包容痛苦的经历。我发现在做完一连串阴瑜伽体式之后，感觉通常像是做了一次很长时间的针灸治疗。我身体中清晰与宁静的感受被开始提升。我的针灸师喜欢把这叫做“针刺快感”（通过针灸刺激穴位带来的舒适感）。
The third tenet is to hold each pose for a while so as to fully nourish the meridians. As with acupuncture, where the acupuncturist does not put the needles in only to take them right back out, we want to coax the chi into particular pathways, helping to engorge the respective organs with refined energy. This takes some time and patience. I like to set a timer so that I can let go of wondering how long it has been, freeing my mind to connect to the present moment more easily. For brand-new beginners to this practice, I suggest one to three minutes in each pose, although five minutes is what I teach and practice most often. I find that it is just becoming challenging for people at three minutes, and the extra two-minute intensity can be a wonderful training ground for cultivating a broader capacity to stay with unpleasant sensations(as long as it does not feel risky).
第三个原则是，在每个体式中保持一会，好让经络得到充分的滋养。就好像针灸中，那些没有被针灸师用针插入的位置，就没有任何被刺激的感觉，我们希望引导“气”进入到特殊的路径中，帮助各个脏腑器官借由积极的能量得到充足的新鲜血液。这需要花费一些时间与耐心。我喜欢设定一个计时器，那样我能（在练习中）知道要停留上多长时间，把自己的思想（从时间问题上）解放出来，（让意识）更容易和（练习时的）美好时刻连接在一起。对于刚开始接触这种练习形式的初学者，我建议他们在每个体式中停留1-3分钟，尽管我经常教授和练习的是每个体式停留5分钟。我发现对这些人来说，停留3分钟的时间是一个挑战，而两分多钟时间的强度，对宽容的停留在体式产生的刺激中则会是一次美妙的旅程（在不危险的条件下停留尽量长的时间）。
Once we understand why and how to set up a pose and have chosen one to settle into, our first anchor of attention can become the breath in the center of our body. I find that a slow Ujjayi breath allows the mind to drop into quietude best , while also assisting the energetic equilibrium(see page I02).Pranayama is a direct way to influence the distribution of chi and can be practiced formally sometimes during the Yin poses in a very effective way. (I will discuss this in more detail in the next section.)
当我们理解了为何与如何构建一个体式，并且选择了一个体式在其中安心的停留，我们注意力的第一个归属便是缘于我们身体中心的呼吸。我发现缓慢的乌佳依呼吸（喉呼吸）能让意识沉浸在最宁静的状态中，同时也有助于平衡精力（见第I02页）。呼吸法是影响“气”的分布的最直接的方法，并且在某些时候正式的使用在阴瑜伽体式的练习中，使练习更加有效。（在下一节中我将更多的探讨这方面细节。）
The steady breath rhythm acts as a barometer for how skillfully we are practicing, and if we pay careful attention, it allows us to refine our ability to detect any tendency toward overaggression or pushing our body too far. When the soft sound, which is similar to waves building under the ocean floor, becomes jagged, forced, or interrupted, it is time to back off from the physical intensity in order to reconnect with the inner waves of breath flow.
稳固的呼吸节奏，就好像我们练习技巧的晴雨表，如果仔细的关注（呼吸），能够提高我们的能力，发现（练习时）过多的野心或身体走的太远的趋势。当那（呼吸）轻柔的声音，变得好像大海底部即将掀起的巨浪，不平整，勉强或断断续续，为了重新找回呼吸流动时产生的内在波动，这时我们需要从紧张的身体中出来一些。
Once we are aligned with our unhindered breath rhythms, we can settle deeper into our observing nature. Since the poses themselves do not require constant thought, we can turn our attention to the subtler aspects of experience.
当找到不受阻碍的呼吸节奏时，我们可以自然的安稳的深入我们（对身体与意识）的观察。由于体式并不会表达自己真实的想法，我们可以转而关注那些练习中产生的细微的表面变化。
