What I Wish You Knew About Yin Yoga

As a yin yoga teacher since 2013 these are a few things I wish everyone knew about it 😁

1. Yin isn’t about getting to the deepest stretch possible. It’s about going slow enough to really feel what’s happening in your body and stopping where you feel about a 6/10 sensation. Staying tuned in to your body so you know exactly when your tissues invite you to take it a little deeper.

2. The props actually assist you in relaxing into the shape, they allow your muscles to relax more which ultimately allows the practice to be about the connective tissues.

3. Yin yoga is an intentional, specific practice/style of yoga asana. Each shape has a target area that is accessed safely and mindfully. Although the poses are the same as in your other yoga classes-the intention is different.

4. In yin yoga the shapes are held passively for several minutes at a time with your muscles as relaxed as possible. This is how the fascia, tendons, ligaments, joints and bones are nourished. If we exert lots of effort or are moving around a lot the muscles take up the stress and then it becomes a deep stretching session. Not yin.

5. Us teachers want you to practice in such a way that works for YOUR body. We all vary anatomically -the shapes of our bones, the variations in our body types, past or current injuries all play a part in how your body looks in a pose.
​
I’m always happy to answer questions-so feel free to ask!!
Happy yinning everyone!

---