Yin Yoga 101: Everything You Need to Know About This Deep, Meditative Practice

A lot of the yoga practiced in studios across the U.S. is what’s known as “yang” styles of yoga—vigorous, fast-paced classes like vinyasa, power, and Ashtanga. But there’s another equally important style that’s completely opposite: yin yoga. Below is our guide to everything yin, from its numerous health benefits to how you can practice it at home. Consider it your yin yoga crash course, if you will.

Here, the goal isn’t to move through postures freely--postures could be held for three to five minutes, or even 20 minutes at a time. A yin practitioner is trying to access the deeper tissues, and many of the postures focus on areas that encompass a joint (such as the hips, sacrum, and spine, to name a few). 

Yes, there are plenty of physical health benefits to practicing yin yoga, but there are plenty of mental health ones, too. Below are some of the most popular, from stretching your connective tissue to reducing stress and anxiety.

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.

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.

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.

That calm you feel after a yin class is very real—studies have found yin yoga to have a significant impact on lowering stress and anxiety and reducing the risk of depression1. 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).

Another tip: Yin yoga is also a great place to make use of props for added support or lengthening. (After all, the more your bones are supported, the more your muscles can release.) Blocks can be used under your knees in a forward fold, for instance, while a bolster or rolled-up blanket can be placed under your seat during butterfly to ease tight hips.

Yin yoga is also for anyone who is dealing with injuries or a chronic condition like arthritis or osteoporosis as this style in particular is a more restorative practice than other forms of exercise. Yin can also be a great starting point for anyone interested in meditation as it has such an internal focus.

Yin yoga isn’t your typical sweaty, intense vinyasa flow. But that doesn’t make it any less of a workout—give it a try the next time you’re in an exercise rut to experience its many physical and mental health benefits for yourself.