yin Yoga

Yin is yoga for the joints, in the same way that a more active (yang) yoga practice works the muscles. It is a complimentary form of yoga that can profoundly enhance, though should not replace, a yang-style practice. Yin yoga has three basic tenets: coming into stillness, holding for time, and working at an appropriate edge.

Yin is a deeply intuitive practice with minimal prescriptions for alignment. Thus, practitioners of highly prescriptive styles of yoga (Iyengar, Astanga, etc.) may find the practice more challenging in the beginning—though certainly no less rewarding.

Yogini: Emily Frank
Photographer: Jamie G. Brown

Image© ThreeOms and Jamie G. Brown. All rights reserved.

• Coming into stillness: Yin is, by nature, one of the most meditative forms of asana yoga. As we often experience in savasana, holding still in a physical shape has a calming effect on the mind. Although the sensations created in a Yin practice are often quite intense, they provide an ideal opportunity to work with concentration and breath. From a physiological perspective, the muscles must be completely relaxed in order for the connective tissues to be appropriately stressed. For this reason, Yin is best practiced in a cooler environment, and before, rather than after, other forms of muscular exercise.

• Holding for time: Yin yoga targets the ligaments and connective tissues of the body, which tend to be denser and less fluid filled than other types of tissue (i.e., muscle)—and thus have a more limited range of motion. The goal of the practice is to strengthen or “grow” these tissues, which in turn will enhance flexibility at the joint sites. Whereas muscles are strengthened via rhythmic and repetitive motion—short bursts of energy, in other words—connective tissues are strengthened via constant, appropriate stress for longer periods of time. In a class setting, you can expect to hold postures for 3-5 minutes each. In your home practice, certain postures may be held anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes at a time.

• Working at an appropriate edge: This concept will be different for each practitioner, as every body has its own unique bone structure. Generally speaking, “appropriate edge” refers to the first place that the tissue meets resistance. In a forward fold, for example, it is the place where you cannot move any further into a posture without active muscular engagement. The practitioner’s edge will be marked by a broad, dull, or diffuse aching sensation. This is perfectly normal, safe, and appropriate. If the sensation you find is sharp, electric pain, you have gone past your edge and should immediately back off. Note that it is common for one’s edge to shift during the course of a practice—another virtue of holding for time. After a few minutes in a posture, you will likely find yourself in a deeper variation than where you started.

The astute practitioner may observe that Yin poses bear a strong resemblance to the asanas in any given yang style practice. It is important to understand that nothing is inherently yin or yang. Each posture, and indeed the entire physical body, has characteristics of both. To emphasize the point, Yin poses are generally referred to by a different, less formal naming system than their familiar Sanskrit equivalents. The purpose of this naming system is to remind the practitioner to approach the posture in a passive, relaxed manner.

For taxonomic purposes, yin and yang energies can be characterized as follows:

Internal
Deep
Cool
Still
Slow
Quiet
Soft
Earth
Forward folds

External
Surface/Superficial
Warm
Active
Fast
Loud
Heavy
Sky
Back bends

Yin yoga brings up intense physical sensations, which are often accompanied by strong emotional responses. At times the practice may feel more masochistic than therapeutic. So why do it?

• Detoxification: Yin yoga stimulates the tissues, which allows the blood and lymphatic system to clear away toxins more efficiently. Becoming less toxic is a very good thing.

• Hydration: The stimulation (stress) that Yin yoga places on tissues lubricates the joints, which enhances flexibility. Nutrients and wastes also pass through the body more freely when the connective tissues are well hydrated. (See Detoxification, above)

• Prevention of bone degeneration: The stress created by Yin yoga postures increases the production of osteoblasts, which in turn increases bone strength and density. Very simply stated, Yin makes bones stronger. Wait until the Dairy Council hears about this…

• Fixation: Joints have a tendency to fixate, or stick together. If the fixation isn’t released, the joints may eventually become immobilized and fuse together. Yin yoga provides this release—often with a series of “pops” that feel as satisfying as they sound.

• Preservation of spinal integrity: Many Yin poses provide postural correction for lordotic and kyphotic spines. (See forthcoming Anatomy section)