Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga is an ancient system of Hatha Yoga specifically focused on strengthening and stretching the deep tissues around the hips and lower spine in order to improve one's ability to comfortably meditate for prolonged periods.

Yin Yoga focuses on floor postures. Asanas are never rushed - poses are relaxed and intentionally held for longer stretches of time. When appropriate, Yin yoga has also been used for physical rehabilitation.

Most forms of yoga today are dynamic, active practices designed to work only half of our body, the muscular half, the “yang” tissues. Yin Yoga allows us to work the other half, the deeper “yin” tissues of our ligaments, joints, deep fascial networks, and even our bones. all of our tissues are important and need to be exercised so that we can achieve optimal health and vitality.

exercise our joints?! isn’t that dangerous? Yes and no. it depends on how we do it; we can exercise our joints safely if we do so intelligently. if done incorrectly, we can definitely hurt ourselves, but we can say that about any form of exercise.

Saying that Yin Yoga is the other half, that it works the deeper tissues of the body, is just the beginning of defining what Yin Yoga is all about. We need to look at the definitions of the underlying principles of yin and yoga to look at the intention behind engaging in a yoga practice, and to explore the benefits and methodologies used in a Yin Yoga practice.

Yin Yoga Defined

Our goal in life is not to become perfect: our goal is to become whole. 

There are many reasons for beginning a yoga practice; obtaining optimum physical health is just one. Many people are drawn to yoga to help reduce the effects of stress in their lives. others wish to deepen their meditation practices or to simply become more present in their daily lives. as we will discover, yoga in general and Yin Yoga in particular provides physical, mental, emotional, and energetic benefits and, for some, spiritual. Which benefits you enjoy will depend greatly upon your intention when you practice.

how you practice is just as important as what you do in your practice. There is a yin aspect to life and a yang aspect. There is a yin way to practice yoga and a yang way that go beyond the actual movements and postures employed in a yoga session. Yin is yielding, allowing, and nourishing. even within an active, sweaty yang practice we can adopt a yin sensitivity that will help us gain much more from our yoga practice. even within an active yang lifestyle, we can adopt a yin awareness and acceptance that will help us gain contentment in our lives.

Yin Yoga can have the same goals and objectives as any other school of yoga. What we do will be different but how we do it will be the biggest difference. Why we do yoga really comes down to our own unique, particular intentions. Knowing the benefits of the Yin Yoga style will help you clarify intentions for your practice.