The Benefits of a Yin Practice

Although Yin yoga is radically different from the more movement based yoga flows many of us are used to, the two complement each other very well. Yin yoga offers you the chance to slow down your world and truly take a deeper look inside yourself while holding poses for three to ten minutes. The benefits of a yin practice are vast and personalized to each person, but we have outlined a few of our favorites below.

1. Increased flexibility (of the mind and body) & mobility. 

Yoga in general is known for helping with flexibility, but Yin yoga is especially good for this. The poses focus on deep stretching for extended amounts of time, and as one breathes through the pose we are allowed to connect with our internal landscape also known as interoception - our ability to perceive sensations inside the body. The physical benefits of increased flexibility and mobility come through the postures' ability to interface with our deep connective tissues - joints, ligaments, fascia and even our bones. We can re-establish new movement patterns that facilitate healing and provide protection to the joints. 

2. Fortifies tissues of the body and the mind. 

Yin yoga calms the nervous system, lengthens and hydrates tissues of the body, releases tightness and tension in the tissues and also improves our energetic flow of prana - our vital life force energy. Yin practices also leave you deeply relaxed as though you have just had a massage. This restoration of the tissues also revitalizes the mind and helps us tune in to our reality - the here and now rather than living in our thinking mind which promotes anxiety and stress. Yin practice offers an opportunity to release emotions that are often manifested in the body and as we continue to grow in our practice, we begin to realize that our energetic, physical, emotional and spiritual connections are really one in the same. 

3. Teaches perseverance. 

In this fast-paced world, taking three to ten minutes to stay still in a deep stretch and just breathe may seem more difficult than most of us would like to admit. But Yin yoga helps teach our minds and bodies perseverance and helps us focus our strength on breathing through it and embracing the (healthy) discomfort. In reality, as Bernie Clark says, "We don't use the body to get into the pose, we use the pose to get into the body". 

Ready to incorporate Yin yoga into your practice? Join our 10 hour Yin Yoga Training to deepen your understanding and practice of Yin - this training is open to students and teachers who want to enrich their yoga practice. All Levels Welcome! Sign up here!