Yin Yoga, vital for a balanced approach to physical and mental health.

Yin is a slow, soothing, and meditative style of yoga that targets the deep connective tissues, bones, joints, fascia, and ligaments in the body. It also focuses on stretching and stimulating different acupressure points from Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In Yin Yoga, we hold mostly passive poses for about two to five minutes to work into our connective tissues.

The more we work our fascial system and deep tissues, the less dense and tight our bodies become as we age. Movement and stretching hydrate fascia and literally help slow the aging process.

Lengthening extremely tight tissues can be an uncomfortable practice, but using this time to focus on breathing is a large part of Yin Yoga and also one of the many Yin Yoga benefits. Typically when we experience discomfort, our bodies naturally become tense and we use our fight-or-flight response. Yin Yoga teaches us to reroute the mind and slow the heart rate when we experience discomfort.

A leading teacher in Yin Yoga, Bernie Clark says: “Yin Yoga is not meant to be comfortable; it will take you well outside your comfort zone. Much of the benefit of the practice will come from staying in this zone of discomfort, despite the mind’s urgent pleas to leave.”

Eventually, your mind will remain relaxed throughout your entire practice and you will be able to release the tension and more easily stretch your connective tissues.

Lengthens connective tissue.
Think of your fascia like shrink wrap around your muscles and bones. When this connective tissue is underused, it becomes less elastic which can lead to aches and stiffness. “If you gently stretch connective tissue by holding a yin pose for a long time, the body will respond by making them a little longer and stronger—which is exactly what you want,” Paul Grilley a registered yoga teacher, explains.
Improves flexibility and joint mobility.
Elastic fascia and mobile joints lead to better flexibility, which is one of the key benefits to a regular yin yoga practice. Because fascia needs at least 120 seconds of sustained stretching to actually affect its elasticity, Yin is one of the most effective ways at improving your flexibility and releasing tension in tight spots thanks to its long holds.
Reduces stress and anxiety.
That calm you feel after a Yin class is very real—studies have found Yin Yoga to have a significant impact on lowering stressand anxiety and reducing the risk of depression. Plus, it activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which calms your body and slows your heart rate (rather than the autonomic nervous system, which triggers your fight-or-flight response).
Stimulates the meridians (energy channels) bringing balance to the organs in the body.
Boosts your circulation.
By breathing into each pose and targeting your deeper tissues and ligaments, you bring more oxygen into your body and to your muscles. This helps increase your blood flow and circulation.

We often use props in Yin Yoga, please visit the Restorative Yoga page for a list of household objects you can use to help you in your practice.

PRANADI
Yin Yoga Class

Yin Yoga Friday evening 7-8.15pm at Crank Studios Morley. Please visit our schedule page to book.

Beginners welcome to all.

"You need to experience this to really know what Yin Yoga is all about. After you have experienced it, even just once, you will realize that you have been doing only half of the asana practice."
Bernie Clark

Please sign up to our newsletter :-)

Amanda Meadows (Dip.Ayurveda)
Yoga Teacher | Ayurvedic Massage Therapist
Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant | Clinical Somatics Educator

Gomersal, West Yorkshire | amanda@pranadi.co.uk | Tel. 07411 548052

Connect: