Yin Yoga is a slower and more meditative form of yoga where you hold postures for 2-5+ mins each. In Hatha or Vinyasa yoga, there’s a stronger focus on alignment, strength, and dynamic movement. Yin Yoga focuses on opening the joints and stretching the fascia and ligaments to help connect the body.
By holding the postures for extended periods of time, you can settle in and bring your awareness to the area you’re stretching. Through focused attention, slow breathing, and intentional relaxation of the body, the tension begins to release. Depending on how tight you are, this will usually start with the larger muscles in an area. Over time, you’ll be able to place your mind more fully into the body and release progressively deeper layers of tension.
Make sure to balance these practices out with some strength building. You can stretch the body all day, but without building strength into those newly released areas, they’ll be weak and the tension will eventually reappear.
Yin Yoga Guided Videos
The physiological sigh is a technique popularized by neuroscientist Andrew Huberman. You start with a deep breath filling the lungs, then a second shorter breath, followed by a long, slow exhale through the mouth. This breathing pattern helps our body regulate stress and oxygen levels, and it can quickly shift the nervous system from a state of fight or flight to calm. A slight variation of this practice, which is how I was taught, involves adding a third breath to help fill out and expand the lungs before the long exhale. This practice should be done for about 5-10 minutes to get the full benefits.
Yin Yoga: Stretch the Mindful Way - Kassandra Reinhardt
“Yin yoga offer remedies to the stresses of your busy yang life. Each restorative pose targets your deeper fascia and connective tissues, helping you experience increased flexibility and improved joint health.”
The Complete Guide To Yin Yoga - Bernie Clark
“This second edition of the best selling The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga provides an in-depth look at the philosophy and practice of Yin Yoga with illustrated sections on how to practice Yin Yoga, including detailed descriptions and photographs of over 30 Yin Yoga asanas.”
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