Yin Yoga Teacher Training coarse

The wisdom of ancient Chinese philosophy states that all things in the universe have
opposing energies: yin and yang. The common symbol taijitu illustrates this concept with a
black-and-white circle with a spiral pattern inside, representing how these contrasting
energies are always intertwined and flowing into each other. The yang, or white side of the
symbol, often represents brightness, masculinity, rigidity, and mobility, while the yin, or
black side, represents darkness, femininity, softness, and immobility. These two qualities
always coexist. One cannot exist without the other. Yin cannot exist without yang, yang
cannot exist without yin.

“Yin and yang can be described as two variables; they are either on the opposite ends of a
cycle, like the seasons of the year, or opposites on a continuum of energy or matter. The
opposition is relative and can only be understood through relationships between the two. For
example: water is yin relative to steam but yang relative to ice. Nothing is totally yin or yang.
Just as a state of total yin is reached, yang starts to grow. This is evident in the Yin Yoga
practice, since after you have gotten deep into relaxation and mental stillness in a Yin Yoga
pose, the blood circulation increases and you can start to feel heat inside. They constantly
transform into each other, just as there can be no energy without matter and no day without
light. The classics state that yin creates yang and yang activates yin. This manifests in yoga
practice when your breath brings stillness to the mind and you start to flow through the poses.
You experience inner heat rather than extensive sweat (that cools your body). This way the
metabolism and circulation increases, and your body is able to burn toxins and impurities
better.

Yin can be described as stable, immobile, feminine, passive, cold, and downward moving.
Yang is depicted as changing, mobile, masculine, active, hot, and upward moving. In nature,
a mountain could be described as yin; the ocean, as yang. Within the body, the relatively stiff
connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, fascia) is yin, while the pliant and mobile muscles and
blood are yang. Applied to yoga, a passive practice is yin, whereas most of today’s Hatha
yoga practices are yang; they actively engage the muscles and build heat in the body.

YIN & YANG IN YOGA

The terms yin and yang in yoga can help to differentiate yoga styles according to the physical
depth of the practice.

Yin Yoga targets yin tissues, which are the deeper, denser, and more static structures.
Whereas yang yoga styles address yang tissues, which are the more superficial, elastic, and
flexible structures. Yin Yoga works with connective tissues, ligaments, bones, and joints.
Yang yoga focuses mainly on muscles. Yin and yang structures need to be taken care of and
exercised in different ways. Muscles (yang tissues) need to be rhythmically and repetitively
moved as they are elastic. Muscles respond to movement and do require a certain amount of
stress for healthy maintenance or for growth. Yin tissues, being more plastic, require gentle
but long-held pressure. To best maintain the body structure, it is recommended to use the
appropriate movement for the corresponding structure. Repetitive bouncing movements for
yin tissues may lead to injury, and extended static muscular contraction is also potentially
damaging. Yang exercises include running, cycling, swimming, dancing, and many of the
popular styles of yoga such as Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Power Yoga, to name a few.

Sometimes joints can create a feeling of discomfort in the body even though the muscular
structures and strength of the body are perfectly healthy. Lack of stretching makes the
connective tissues shorten and shrink, which leads to a loss of spaciousness in the body.
Healthy joints, on the contrary, result in a sense of lightness and flexibility, and of feeling
good in one’s own skin. Muscle atrophy can sometimes limit our physical expression, but the
joints (think of knees, lower back, shoulders, etc.) are a more common source of pain and
injury.

Therefore, from solely a physical perspective, yang movement needs to be complemented by

yin movement. Long-held stretching of connective tissues and joints (more yin) is required to
complete yang forms of yoga and yang forms of muscular exercise.

When comparing Yin Yoga and Yang Yoga, it can be helpful to contemplate each in its
essence to compare.

YANG YOGA

 Most of the popular schools of yoga in both the East and the West are yang styles of
practice.
 Active forms of practice that create heat in the body using repetitive motion.
 The movements are usually faster-paced and the holds shorter.
 The main target area is the muscles.

YIN YOGA

 A less popular form of yoga practice

 Passive practice – body still and static and relaxed
  There is little to no movement within the practice.
 The sequence consists of relatively few floor postures
 Long-held postures
 The main target area is the ligaments, joints and bones

IS YIN YOGA A NEW STYLE OF YOGA?

The practice of holding yoga poses for long periods of time has always been a significant
part of traditional yoga practice, both in the Hatha yoga tradition of India and in the Taoist
yoga tradition of the greater China area. Some regard Yin Yoga to be the oldest form of
Hatha yoga, since it is an effective method of physical and energetic conditioning for
prolonged meditation, which was the principal concern of ancient yogic practitioners. In
classical Hatha yoga, some asana were described as Raj asana—seated and reclined
meditative poses held passively for longer periods of time.

Patanjali exclaimed roughly 2000 years ago that a pose should be stable with both ease and
comfort ( स्थिरसु खमासनम् ). That comfort was considered a prerequisite for the revelation of
non-dual states of consciousness. Long holdings have most likely been practiced in some
form in yoga for thousands of years.

Hatha yoga has had longer holding poses since roughly the 10th century, or arguably
long before that. Hatha yoga is in fact a mix of longer held seated asanas that invite
contemplation and stillness, combined with more active poses that strengthen the
body and increase health and well-being. It is only with the expansion of yoga in the
20th century that the yang aspect began to dominate in the field of yoga.

In short, yin yoga is nothing new, but it has a very powerful and beautiful place in the
context of modern yoga, balancing practices that tend to be more yang in their
expression.

WHAT IS NEW ABOUT YIN YOGA?

 The exclusive practice of long held floor postures

 The blending of different eastern esoteric traditions like hatha yoga, Taoism,
Traditional Chinese Medicine, and mindfulness.
 The name

THE HISTORY OF YIN YOGA

Like other traditions, Yin Yoga has its own unique history and origins. Here are some of the
key figures and their contributions to the modern tradition of Yin Yoga.

PAUL GRILLEY

The key figure in the popularization of contemporary Yin Yoga is Paul Grilley. He started off
as a student of yoga and an enthusiastic student of anatomy. His yoga exploration was
inspired by the book Autobiography of a Yogi, and he went on to study many classic and
popular styles of yoga, from Ashtanga to Bikram and beyond. Later in his journey, he met
someone named Paulie Zink, who would dramatically change the way that Paul would
practice and eventually aid in the creation of contemporary Yin Yoga.

Paul first saw Zink on TV and was impressed with his enormous flexibility of body and
gracefulness of movement. Grilley then sought out Zink to study directly with him.

At that time, Zink was teaching a specific form of martial arts, Monkey Kung Fu, which
included what was called Taoist Yoga. Taoist yoga was based on the spontaneous movements
and meditations on animals and on the elements. There was both a yin and yang part of the
practice.

Grilley fell in love with the long-held floor poses that were so different from the yoga world
he had experienced thus far. The practice had enormous effects on his body and mind, and he
was won over to this style of practice.

After studying for a while with Zink, Grilley began to teach his own version of Taoist Yoga,
focused on the yin aspect only. Long-held floor poses are taught in a silent or at least
contemplative environment.

Later in the 1990s, Grilley met with Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, who helped him understand
more about subtle anatomy. With this new understanding, Grilley could explain why yin yoga
was so effective.

Dr. Motoyama was a very interesting character with a diverse background, including yoga
experience, many academic degrees, a student of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and a highly
respected Shinto priest.

He was investigating chakras and meridians at two research institutes, one in Japan and one
in the USA, to contribute to the understanding of subtle energy.

With this understanding of subtle anatomy, Grilley was able to comprehend and implement
Taoist Meridian Theory to complete the practice of Yin Yoga.

PAUL GRILLEY’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD OF YOGA

 A functional approach to yoga: an individualization of practice honoring the

uniqueness of the physiology. No posture expresses the same in two different bodies.
 A great collection of bones on his website to study the variety of the skeleton and its
effects on the range of movement.
 The popularization of Yin Yoga as we know it today
 A great resource book entitled Yin Yoga

SARAH POWERS

Sarah Powers was a college teacher and student of Paul Grilley, teaching at the same
yoga studio. She was inspired by Vipassana Meditation and Mindfulness. Her attempt
was to utilize asana as a preparation for longer meditation. Her discovery was that
working with Yin Yoga had a much more profound effect on extending her
meditations than her yang practices had.
 After studying for some time with Grilley, she began to also teach Yin Yoga. She was
the first person to introduce the name Yin Yoga. Grilley later adopted the name and
even changed the title of his book from Taoist Yoga to Yin Yoga.

YIN YOGA AND MIND

Most people get stuck in habitual thought patterns, ways of responding to and acting on
events around them, and identification with mental and emotional content. Yin Yoga is a
more mindful practice where one can look at and relate to reality and understand one’s
relationship to it. Paying attention to something can be done in several ways.

Being consciously present means paying attention in the present moment, noticing what is
happening both inside and outside when it occurs, and noting thoughts, feelings, and physical
sensations without judging or evaluating any part of the experience contained in the present.
It is to live your life without being controlled by memories of the past or projections of the
future. Life is always here and now.

Through a more mindful practice like Yin Yoga, we can learn to live with both “pleasant
and unpleasant experiences, both gain and loss. Without trying to get rid of or deny difficult
experiences, we learn to be open to vulnerabilities without averting the direct experience of
them. Through conscious attention, we investigate for ourselves the liberating opportunity to
stop struggling with pain, criticism, shame, and loss. We attain curiosity and acceptance and
learn to relate to all of life’s experiences, without categorizing them as good or bad. They are
simply experiences that come and go.

The first step to attaining a more relaxed and neutral (sattvic) mindset is to learn how to
quiet the vrittis—the restlessness of the mind through the practice of yoga in relation to
meditation. To perceive meditation we need to understand the relationship between Mind and
Spirit. Spirit is experienced when our consciousness is not fragmented by mind.

The vrittis can be understood as waves on a lake or an ocean. The waves come from the
wind blowing (the underlying turbulence behind our thoughts; the unconscious). If we can
stop the wind from blowing (calm the unconscious) then the lake becomes calm and reflects
the sky and stars (spirit). If the lake is wild, you cannot see anything. This is why a daily
practice is so utterly important. The daily yoga and meditation Sadhana trains the brain and
nervous system to stay present without reacting to everything around you. You train the brain
like you train a muscle. The more you practice, the more skilled you will become. From a
yogic point of view, it is very necessary for a yogi to connect to spirit every day. Then if
there is a storm, you will still remember how it was before the storm and what’s behind the
clouds, and you won’t fall over from your reactions, which will make you crazy. These
thought patterns (vrittis) are mastered (nirodhah: regulated, coordinated, controlled, stilled,
quieted) through practice (abhyasa) and non-attachment (vairagya) to the results (abhyāsa-
vairāgya-ābhyāṁ tan-nirodhaḥ). —Yoga Sutra: 1:12

To be a yogi, you just have to practice yoga regularly. The yoga will do the rest. Becoming
a yogi doesn’t mean giving up the old you and becoming someone else. However, things that
are not serving you well may fall away. As you practice yoga, you move toward the more
intuitive, less fragile you. On the other hand, being a yogi doesn’t mean you don’t have
problems; you just have more tools for dealing with them. Yoga provides kaivalya, or space
around your experience that allows you to have perspective regarding your problems and
what to do about them.

“Sah tu dirgha kala nairantaira satkara asevitah dridha bhumih. When that practice is done for
a long time, without a break, and with sincere devotion, then the practice becomes a firmly
rooted, stable, and solid foundation. —Yoga Sutra: 1.14

From a tantric point of view, our consciousness, citta, has two functions: the lower mind
and the higher mind.

THE LOWER MIND

The lower mind is composed of our five bodily senses, or Indriyas (touch, smell, taste,
vision, and sound), and our intellect, Buddhi. Together they form our reactions. Buddhi,
together with memory (Smrti), the I-ness or sense of self (Ahamkara), and perception
(Manas), creates the yogi’s strength and motivation to move through Dukha (pain and
unfulfilled desire), Avidya (ignorance), Maya (illusion), and Asmita (ego) to reach the higher
mind.

THE HIGHER MIND

The higher mind consists of the Atman, the soul derived from spirit. This is the essence of
being connected to spirit, and once you reach this state of consciousness you discover insight
—the ability to let go and be guided by spirit, your intelligence.

Yin Yoga is a fantastic practice to connect to the subtle body and the higher mind. Yin Yoga
is very much a yoga practice for the nervous system and the brain in that it reduces tension
and stress, and balances the mind to reach our higher self.”

BENEITS OF YIN YOGA

On a physical level, Yin enhances the natural range of motion in the joints. By
keeping your muscles soft, you release deep layers of connective tissue, creating more
ease in any style of yoga and in seated meditation. On an energetic level, Yin
enhances the flow of prana (life force) in the tissues around the joints, where energy
often stagnates. The practice is often likened to doing an acupuncture session on
yourself: Sequences are often geared toward strengthening certain energy channels
(called nadis in yoga or meridians in Chinese medicine), which ultimately support the
organs, immune system, and emotional well-being.

And then there are the mental benefits: Holding poses for three to five minutes often
brings up discomfort. Yin conditions you to stay with the intense sensations that arise,
rather than quickly moving into the next pose. It trains you to become more
comfortable with discomfort instead of becoming alarmed. It combines meditation
and asana into a very deep practice.

Yin yoga teaches you how to really listen, you don’t get the opportunity to go in and
out, jump around and find a distracted version of stillness within your practice. Yin is
such a great compliment to other styles and your own personal life, because it brings
 long periods of time in an uncomfortable position, which then asks you to learn to
“be” to “accept what is” in that given moment. Something we can all benefit from.

THE METHODOLOGY OF YIN YOGA

Since we hold the poses longer in Yin Yoga—breathing and keeping still—blood, nutrients,
oxygen, and tissue fluids circulate to dry and compact tissue with poor circulation. At the
same time, there is a purging of toxins and increased lymphatic circulation, while fluid
accumulation decreases. When there is balance in the circulation of the connective tissue, the
body is healthier and the immune system improves.

Yin Yoga techniques increase the blood flow, sending it right out to the very tips of one’s
limbs, relaxing one’s muscles.

Western medical research is now quite clear that connective tissue zones are connected to
the autonomous nervous system. If you experience strong mental or physical stress that
results in muscles becoming tense, you become dizzy or cold, you experience worse
digestion, and so on, Yin Yoga can help you release tension at a rate appropriate to the
individual. You could say that Yin Yoga is yoga for our joints and that Yang Yoga is yoga
for our muscles. Yin Yoga balances the active and dynamic lifestyle and yoga practice we
already have. With Yin Yoga, one can get more range of motion (ROM) in their joints and
open them to a healthy limit. The range of motion in the joints are affected by tension that
can come from too much hard exercise, unbalanced breathing and diet, and also from
unbalanced compression that usually arrives due to too much sitting, poor posture, and stress.

Yogic philosophy states that prana flows through our joints, so if we want more prana to
circulate in our systems, we need to create space in all aspects of our being—in our joints as
well as in our spirits. When we can relax and unwind, the circulation increases and our inner
and outer balance comes more into place.

There are two principles that differentiate yin practice from more yang approaches to yoga:
holding poses for at least several minutes (working toward stillness) and stretching the
connective tissue around a joint. To do the latter, the overlying muscles must be relaxed. If
the muscles are tense, the connective tissue won’t experience the proper stretch.

It is important to aim for varying poses so you move the spine in all its directions to affect
the fascia in the legs, pelvis, and spine. The different planes of movement are flexion
(forward bends), extension (backbends), lateral flexion (side leaning), and rotation.

YIN AND YANG COMPARED

Many forms of hatha yoga today are dynamic and active practices designed to work the
muscular tissues, the “yang” tissues of our bodies. Yin yoga allows students to work with the
other “yin” parts or deeper parts of their bodies, including ligaments, joints, fascia, and
bones. Because of the more fragile nature of these parts of the body, Yin yoga allows for a
much slower practice, which is focused on yielding, allowing, and nourishing. The very slow
pace can initially seem boring to students who are used to a more active form of hatha yoga,
but the stillness allows for a deeper experience which can be challenging and, ultimately,
very fulfilling. Most Yin yoga teachers encourage students to continue practicing yang forms
of hatha yoga in addition to Yin yoga. This reflects the belief in the need to have a balance of
yin and yang and an understanding that the two things complement each other, and provide
specific benefits.

Yin yoga is based on the Taoist concepts of yin and yang, opposite and complementary
principles in nature. Yin could be described as stable, immobile, feminine, passive, cold, and
downward moving. Yang is understood to be changing, mobile, masculine, active, hot, and
upward moving. The sun is considered yang, the moon yin. In the body, the relatively stiff
connective tissues (tendons, ligaments, fascia) are yin, while the more mobile and pliable
muscles and blood are yang. More passive asanas in yoga are considered yin, whereas the
more active, dynamic asanas are yang, because they stimulate the muscles and generate heat.

In Yin yoga, rather than using your body to get into the posture, you use the posture to get
into your body.

Yin tissues include: ligament, bones, and joints Yang tissues include: muscles, blood, skin

Yang styles of yoga typically target the muscles and use rhythmic repetitive movements to
stress the fibers and cells of the muscles. Since the yang tissues are elastic and moist, they
respond well to this type of stress. However, since Yin tissues can be thought of as dryer and
less elastic, they are more prone to damage when stressed too much. They require gentler
pressures that are applied for longer periods of time, in order to be stimulated and to grow
stronger.
Generally, one of the jobs of muscles is to protect the joint from too much stress. So, in yang
forms of yoga, the body is placed in careful alignment and certain muscles are contracted to
protect the joints. However, Yin yoga is specifically designed to exercise the ligaments and to
regain space and strength in the joints.

Yin yoga poses apply moderate stress to the connective tissues—the tendons, fascia, and
ligaments—with the aim of increasing circulation in the joints and improving flexibility.
They are also designed to improve the flow of qi, the subtle energy said in Chinese medicine
to run through the meridian pathways of the body.

Improved qi flow is hypothesized to improve organ health, immunity, and emotional well-
being. A more meditative approach to yoga, yin aims at cultivating awareness of one's inner
silence, and bringing to light a universal, interconnecting quality.

Yin yoga employs specific sequences of poses aimed at stimulating particular meridians, or
subtle channels, as understood in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). During the long hold
times of the yin asanas, teachers usually give "dharma talks," informal monologues drawing
from a variety of sources, according to teachers' choice. They will often explain the
physiology and anatomy of poses, including the location of the meridian lines being affected.
They may tell traditional yoga stories, recite yoga sutras, or reflect on their own experience.
PRACTICALITIES OF YIN YOGA

YIN TISSUES VS. YANG TISSUE

To truly understand Yin Yoga, it is essential to investigate the intention of the practice.
Simply put, Yin Yoga targets the yin tissues, and more Yang styles of Yoga target mainly
yang tissues.

Yang describes things that are more superficial and less dense. In the case of the physical
body these would be the muscles, the blood, and the skin. Muscles are elastic structures, and
they like to get warm before use. Yang styles of exercise target yang tissues with movements
that are rhythmic and repetitive. Muscles benefit from repetitive stress after appropriate
warmup because of their elastic nature, and if you look at most sports and fitness, that is easy
to observe.

Yin describes things that are denser, heavier, and deeper. In the case of the physical body that
would be ligaments, bones, and joints. Compared to muscles, the yin structures are cooler and
less elastic. Especially in the case of bones, we could say that the bones are not very elastic,
and yet unquestionably, even from a scientific perspective, they benefit from stress and
activity.

While yang structures benefit from rhythmic and repetitive movement, yin structures like
gentle pressure for longer periods of time. This is also interesting given that yin could also be
described as slow and yang as fast relative to one another.

Most people are aware that muscles respond to movement and require a certain amount of
stress or activity for healthy maintenance and growth. What many people are not aware of is
that the bones and the joints also need stress to maintain ideal health. Healthy joints can bring
a sense of lightness and flexibility and “feeling good in your own skin”. When connective
tissues shorten and shrink there can be a feeling of lack of space in the body, and many times
the injuries people have in their body are more on the level of the joints than the muscles
(muscles repair much faster than joints, which is also a reflection of their yin and yang
nature). In fact, muscles rarely limit our basic physical expression, but the joints (think of the
knees, the lower back, the shoulders, etc.) are common sources of pain and immobility.

So, for overall health and wellbeing, yang exercise should be complemented with yin
movements.

When looking at yin and yang in terms of movement, it is important to understand that yang
movements can damage yin tissues, and also vice versa (although yin hurting yang tissues is
less common). Balancing yin and yang forms of exercise can be a major aid in injury
prevention, since both yin and yang tissues need some stress for maximum health.

THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF YIN YOGA

There are three basic principles in how to practice Yin Yoga.

• Come into the pose to an appropriate edge • Resolve to remain still
• Hold the pose for particular time

FINDING THE EDGE

What does it mean to find an appropriate edge? Come into the pose to the point at which you
feel significant resistance. That does NOT mean coming to the deepest possible pose. Just
come to where you start to feel something that is not going to turn into a struggle to keep you
still.

Then give the body a chance to open to something deeper. Many times, after 30 to 60
seconds, the body will naturally make space for something deeper. In all forms of yoga, but
especially in yin yoga, do not go into a pose with a mental idea of what the pose should look
like as a “shape”. The body itself should provide the invitation to deepen into a posture.
Sometimes that can happen several times during a pose, and sometimes not at all, and both
are fine.

Yin yoga is not a competitive sport, not even with yourself and what you did last week. This
attitude is beautifully summarized in one of our favourite Yin Yoga quotes: “Don’t use the
body to get into a pose, use a pose to get into the body.”

Once you find your edge, use it as an opportunity to pause, go inside, and observe. Yin is a
practice that uses the inside for reference, not the outside shape. How it feels is much more
important than how it looks. Find your edge and relax, because one of the secret keys of yin
is deep relaxation.

Relaxation is important because sometimes there is discomfort at the edge point. Find the
edge where there is the right amount of challenge and relaxation. That is where the greatest
growth and expansion will naturally occur.

Pain, on the other hand, is a warning signal from the body that should be listened to. If there
is a burning sensation, sharp or stabbing pain, or electric tingling, come out of the pose
immediately. The edge in yin is more of a dull sensation than a sharp one.

Each practitioner needs to develop the ability to find what is right for their body. A good
teacher can help facilitate that, but ultimately the skill comes from the practitioner’s listening
to their own body’s inner intelligence.

Yin Yoga is a practice that aims at optimal health for the deeper tissues. Optimal health
comes from not stressing the body too much and not stressing it too little. The middle way in
many things offers the most profound experience.

STILLNESS

Once you have found your edge, you can settle into the stillness of the pose. It can help to
make an intention or commitment to yourself to remain still. That said, for every rule, there
are certain

exceptions:
  If there is pain, back off, modify, or get out of the pose completely.
 The body opens and invites more depth – in that case, rediscover the edge and once
again commit to stillness there.

Stillness in the body also implies deep relaxation. The aim of Yin Yoga is to
completely let the muscles relax so that the stress can go into the deeper tissues.

Muscles themselves are designed to take stress from the joints for yang exercises, so if the
muscles are still engaged, they will prevent the stretch from moving into the deeper tissues.
In that way, relaxation of the muscles in Yin Yoga is essential, and that is why props can be
so beneficial, because they can allow for deeper relaxation on the muscular level.

A natural side effect of the stillness of the body is the stillness of the mind and of the breath.
As the muscles are relaxed, they require less energy, and the breath is free to slow down or
even pause. Pauses in the breath are a beautiful meditative experience, so take the time inside
your practice to notice the breath and the changes that are naturally happening.

In traditional Yoga, we understand the deep connection between the breath and the mind. As
the breath slows down, a great sense of stillness, restoration, and rest can come into the being.

This natural Presence, beyond the mental modifications, has a profound effect both physically
and spiritually. If this arises, honour that experience by staying with it. You can ride it like a
wave into the next posture, keeping this beautiful natural sense of deep relaxation and peace.

HOLDING FOR PERTICULAR TIME

When we arrive at our edge, after finding the stillness, there is nothing left to do but stay. Yin
tissues respond to long held stretches with reasonable amounts of traction. So we find the
edge in the pose where we feel it, but it is not overwhelming, and we stay there for particular
time.

That is different from Yang forms of exercise where muscles respond to more dynamic
movements. In Yang yoga styles stretches can be held anywhere from a few seconds to a few
minutes depending on the style. Yin postures are generally held at least one minute and
sometimes as much as twenty. Yin tissues respond to yin exercise. Long gentle pressure
applied over time strengthens and lengthens yin tissues.

It can be dangerous to mix up these forms of exercise. Yang tissues can be damaged when
stressed in a yin manner. Muscles like repetitive movement to help them grow stronger.
Similarly yin tissues do not like to be exercised in a yang way. Bouncing up and down in
Swan ( aka Pidgeon ) will not help you to stretch deeper into the hip. Slowly finding your
edge and staying there for time works much better.

HOW TO PRACTICE YIN YOGA

It is usually recommended that yin yoga be practiced when the muscles are not yet warmed
up. When the muscles are cold, they are less elastic, and more stress will be transferred to the
connective tissue. However, this is a general rule and for some people, it is better to stay a bit
warm while practicing. Because this style of yoga does not generate bodily heat, yin teachers
recommend keeping the temperature of the room a little higher than usual. During yin asanas,
muscles are relaxed to avoid muscle spasm, which could result from engaging muscles for
long periods.

Although many yin yoga poses or asanas closely resemble the asanas in regular hatha yoga,
they have different names, in part to alert those who are familiar with similar poses in hatha
yoga not to perform them in the same way. In general, the poses of yin yoga are performed
with very little muscular exertion. For example, in the Cobra or Bhujangasana of hatha yoga,
the practitioner lies prone and lifts the chest, curving the spine in an arc, reaching the legs
back strongly. However in yin yoga, in the similar Seal pose, the upward movement of the
trunk is entirely supported by the arms, and the legs are relaxed.

The three principles to a yin yoga practice:

1. 1)  Come into the pose to an appropriate depth

2. 2)  Resolve to remain still
3. 3)  Hold the pose for enough time

The first principle of Yin yoga is to go only to the point where you feel some resistance when
coming into a posture. Don’t try to go as deeply as possible right away. Give your body a
chance to open up and invite you to go deeper. After 30 seconds or a minute, the body
releases and greater depth may be possible. Listen to the body and respect its requests. Once
you find the position that is best for yourself that day, you should resolve to remain still. This
means that if you start to feel like you want to squirm, then simply notice that impulse and
allow sensations or slight discomforts to be there, simply observing and remaining still.
Finally, it is important to hold the pose for long enough time, so that you have the
opportunity to fully come into stillness and fully experience the energy of the posture.

In Yin yoga, there is not a great need for a lot of postures, as compared with other forms of
hatha yoga. If you are planning to hold each posture for five minutes and allow for 1 minute
rest in between, along with five minutes of breathing and warm up activity at the beginning
and a 5-10 minute savasana and meditation at the end, you will only have time for about 12
postures in a ninety minute class. And for postures that are done on two sides, they will count
as two postures.

The benefits listed in the following asana descriptions are not exhaustive, but they will
provide a guideline to help you to choose when to add a particular asana to your practice. If
you wish to arrange your practice time around a particular area of the body or a particular
organ that needs stimulation, the advice here may be useful. Combine this knowledge with
the information provided on the affected joints, meridians and organs to structure your flow.

Contraindications should always be checked out before trying a posture for the first time.
Remember, not all poses are for everybody; know and respect your limits and those of your
students. If a certain pose is not right for you, don't worry about it; there are lots of other
ways to work the same tissues. Choose another posture that is more appropriate for you or
your students. You will find some suggestions offered in the alternatives and options.

The recommended time to hold a pose is very subjective. The times listed represent the
typical length of time in most yin yoga classes. However, some students can remain in the
asanas much longer than indicated; others must come out much earlier. Encourage your
students to respect their body's unique needs. When coming out of a pose there will be a
natural sense of fragility - we have been deliberately pulling the body apart and holding it
apart. The sense of relief is to be expected, and even enjoyed.

One of the benefits of Yin Yoga is this experience of coming out of the asana. After a deep,
long-held hip opener, it may feel like we will never be able to walk again - but be assured ...
the fragility will pass. Sometimes, however, a movement in the opposite direction will help. It
is helpful to use counterposes as balancing postures that bring us back to neutral.

INTEROCEPTION

Yin Yoga, by contrast, places emphasis on the practitioner’s ability to feel the sensations
from inside the body. Many of us have not had much experience of really listening to the
wisdom inside our bodies, and this deep listening can be a very expansive learning
experience.

Physical sensations like heartbeat and respiration are constant in the body, and yet it is not
often that we take the opportunity to listen to them. Listening to the heartbeat can be a deeply
satisfying experience, but how much more valuable to be able to really listen to the subtle
promptings of what is the right amount of stress today in this posture.

In Yin Yoga, the outer shape is less relevant than the interceptive process. The posture is used
to get into the body. For some people, it may be the first time they have ever deeply listened
to their own body. As a Yin Yoga teacher, we should remember the profound impact that this
can have on someone’s life.

Asanas in Yin Yoga are referred to as shapes or poses rather than asanas. This can help some
people coming from a Yang Yoga background reorient to a style of yoga less defined by
shape and more defined by our inner feelings.

TARGET AREAS

Yin Yoga focuses the ability to interocept by specifying target areas in each posture. The
posture is a method for feeling into sensations in a specific area. To practice correctly, it is
important to know what the target area is. One of the jobs of a teacher of Yin Yoga is to help
people know where to look inside of each pose. Sometimes subtle changes in a pose can have
a dramatic effect on the target area or even move the target area to a different area than
intended. Knowing the target area can add a lot of depth to the practice and help you become
a better teacher.

YOUR BODY IS UNIQUE

Yin Yoga is an expression of your uniqueness. Each practitioner looks different, even in the
same pose, and even the same practitioner can look different from day to day. In fact, one of
the great contributions of Yin Yoga to Yoga science has been the understanding that we all
have unique skeletal compositions. The way our skeleton is structured can have quite an
impact on our potential range of motion.
As we develop in interoception, we begin to feel where we can add sensation to the target
area, or maybe we are skeletally at the end of our range of motion. We will discuss this in
more detail later on in the manual, but for now, the essential point is that the interoceptive
process honours the uniqueness of each body and gives us a safe and relaxed place to practice
listening to our bodies.

IS THE PRACTICE WORKING OR NOT?

As a Yin Yoga teacher, you need to enlist your students to help you, help them understand
their bodies. The shape alone is not an indicator of success in the pose. To feel if a pose is
effective, you need to feel into the target area and the sensations that are happening in that
area.

Are they very faint and you need to find a way to deepen the pose, or are they too strong and
you need to back off a little so the body can rest deeply inside the pose? Only the practitioner
knows, but the teacher can provide the information needed to know the target area and to
increase or reduce the sensations experienced in the target area.

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL?

It is important as a practitioner of Yin Yoga to develop the ability to discriminate between a

good sensation and a bad or injurious one. The starting point, of course, is to develop your
interoception, the ability to feel what your body is feeling or telling you. Start by noticing the
quality and quantity of the sensations. This may appear obvious, but for many beginners, it is
something completely new. Interoception is like any other skill; it gets easier the more you
practice it. Encourage people to actively listen to what is happening in their bodies, and
slowly they will start to be able to feel the appropriate edge in different poses.

Additionally, where and what you are feeling can give insights into what area of the body is
being supported by the posture. Sometimes we are looking for sensations in the target area
and notice that in our body there is an area other than the target area that is being affected.
Swan (with the torso raised), for example, is said to be a stronger hip opener than Sleeping
Swan (torso folded over the front leg).

In my own body, when I do Swan, I feel the target area shifts into the hip flexor of the rear
leg, which is not actually the target area. I have very open hips and perhaps tight hip flexors,
or perhaps there is some other anatomical reason. That said, the focus of that posture is
different for me than it is for other people, and if I want to get fully into the hip, Sleeping
Swan is better for my body.

CATEGORIES OF SENSATION

There are two types of sensations in Yin Yoga: tension and compression. Being able to
differentiate between these two types of sensation is essential to help you know if you should
go deeper into a pose or back off.

There are a few different clues that can help us differentiate between the two types of
sensation.
The first thing to do is to discover the direction of the sensation in relation to the direction of
the stretch. For example, in a seated forward bend, the direction of the upper body is forward
over the legs. If the sensation is behind the direction of the stretch, like in the hamstring area,
then it is a sensation of tension.

Tension restricts movement from behind.

If it is compression, the sensation of restriction would come from the direction of the
movement, like a sharp sensation on top of the leg or hip joint.

Compression restricts movement from the direction of movement and tends to be more like
an impasse, something where there is no further movement to be made.

Understanding the difference between tension and compression can help us discriminate
between healthy stressing of the tissue and damaging the tissue. Pain is actually a subjective
experience. We have probably all experienced pain, but there are many different types of
pain, and they are not so easily categorized.

Additionally, people have very different relationships with pain, some endure much and say
little, and some endure little and react a lot. It is important in Yin Yoga to be able to
differentiate what is pain so that we can practice appropriately.

TENSION VS. COMPRESSION INSIDE DEEP TISSUES

Tension is a feeling of resistance inside the tissues, a feeling of being stretched. This can
occur in many areas, like the skin, the fascia, the muscles, the joint capsules, and the
ligaments.

On the skin, we sometimes feel a stretchy or tugging sensation, which is mild and usually
spreads out. That is tension at the level of the skin. By contrast, if there is a sharp, strongly
localized, or burning sensation, that is a sign of compression, which would guide us to back
off.

In the muscles and tendons, tension usually feels like a tugging or tightness that follows the
shape of the muscle. In terms of the muscles, it is often felt in the belly (roughly the center)
of the muscle, and in tendons, it is felt near the attachment to the bone. Here also, any sharp
or burning sensation is usually a sign of compression.

For ligaments and joint capsules, there can be a sort of deep or mysterious sensation. In the
case of sparkly, electrical feelings or shooting moving sensations, please back off.

COMPRESSION EXPLAINED

Compression is when one part of the body meets another part of the body, and no further
movement is possible. It is a kind of collision, and the end result is that further movement is
impossible or at least very difficult.

There are three main types of compression:

 Soft compression – this is flesh hitting flesh

  Medium compression – this is flesh pinched by bone
 Hard compression – this is bone pressing into bone

Each of these types of compression has a corresponding feeling inside the body:

 Soft compression – accompanied by a soft, squishy, bouncy or spread-out feeling

 Medium compression – accompanied by a stuck, blocked, impinging, or localized
feeling.
 Hard compression – accompanied by a stuck, hard, heavy, and very localized feeling.
It can feel dull or achy as well.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMPRESSION & TENSION

When the limit of compression is reached, there can still be sensations of tension. If a bone
hits a bone and stops the range of motion, that does not mean that there is not a stretch
happening. If you are stopped from compression, there can still be feelings of tension in the
body.

On the other hand, when you are stopped by tension only, there is generally little or no
feeling of compression.

Pain and discomfort are warning signals from the body that there is a possibility of damage.
Ignoring these signs is not advisable. Remaining in painful postures can put you at risk of
injury. Practice listening carefully to your body and avoid the trap of pushing your body past
its limits.

If any of the following sensations occur, back out or change postures....

• Burning • Stabbing • Tingly • Sharp

Understanding tension and compression and deeply listening to your body can help build a
strong and healthy practice of Yin Yoga and can also help in many other aspects of our lives.

SEQUENCING

YIN YOGA PRACTICE TIMING

When you are teaching Yin Yoga, it is appropriate to open the class with a roughly 10-minute
introduction. That introduction should include a greeting and a short opening introduction to
Yin Yoga. After that, a very powerful way to bring people into the space is with a grounding
or opening meditation. This helps people arrive and let go. Optionally, if you like, there is
also room to do some breathwork warmup like the Taoist Breath or any other short sequence
to connect to the breath.

To close the class, we would recommend final relaxation and silent sitting. This can be 10 –
15 minutes depending on how long you choose to do silent sitting.

IDEAL LENGTH FOR A YIN PRACTICE IS 45 – 90 MINUTES

  Makes about 30 minutes of poses for a 45-minute class
Roughly 4-7 poses
 Makes about 40 minutes of poses for a 60-minute class
Roughly 5-8 poses
 Makes about 70 minutes of poses for a 90-minute class
Roughly 8-10 poses

OPENING PRACTICE:

When opening class, assist people in the transition from an externalized mental
perspective (coming from work or stressful situations) to a more introspective
atmosphere. This can be facilitated in many ways, from candles and atmosphere to the
way you greet them as they enter the room.

Another way to assist people in this transition is to guide them through a grounding.
Make sure the bodies are relaxed and well aligned for sitting (spine, chest, shoulders,
hips, aligned, knees on the ground, and pelvis high enough to sit comfortably if they
choose to sit on the floor).

During the meditation, the emphasis can be on relaxing and coming into a positive energetic
flow.

One way to conduct the opening meditation would be to start with sensations in the body and
move to sense perception and then to observation of the breath. A little bit of silence (1
minute or more) can help people interiorize and really focus on the breath.

Set an intention or make an invocation before or after the meditation practice if that resonates
with your teaching style.

A “warm-up” for the physical body is not needed for Yin Yoga since the target is the deeper
tissues and not the muscles. That said, some kind of warm-up combining gentle movement
and the breath can help people come into awareness of their body and breath.

If you have a specific target area for practice, you can also use this as a chance to bring
awareness to that area. There is no physical necessity for warm-up, so this part of opening
practice is optional.

HOW TO COMBINE POSES

OPENING POSES

There are lots of options for opening postures in Yin Yoga, but here are a few suggestions.

Childs pose: A grounding and soothing beginning

Butterfly: A nice start to a class focused on the hips and the spine

Frog (tadpole variation): For a class focused on the hips and the upper back
Sphinx: A nice place to being the journey of deeper backbends or a class focused on the
kidney meridian.

Caterpillar & Dangling: Start a deeper forward bend flow with one of these classics.

BATCHING POSES

There are only a few simple guidelines for batching poses in Yin Yoga. The first is to finish
one spinal direction first before exploring the opposite. Batching something like forward
bends together before a backbend, for example, rather than forward back and then forward
again.

Hip work should also be batched, in this case, finishing the outer hip before moving to the
inner hip.

START SHALLOW WORK DEEPER

In Yin Yoga, it is important to remember that time is more important than physical depth.
Nevertheless, we can say that a nice flow in a class can be to start with a simpler target area
(like Sphynx for the upper back) and then go deeper into that area (like Saddle and then Seal).

Keep in mind that Yin Yoga is about maximizing health and not performance. So flows can
be a fun way to practice, but keep in mind that it is about the experience and not the shape.

Here are some flows to play with.

 Sphinx, Saddle, Seal

 Child, Caterpillar, Snail
 Butterfly, Frog, Straddle

REBOUND & COUNTER POSES

After a pose, it is normal for the target area to feel fragile for a minute or even longer.
It is an important part of the practice to offer time for the body to integrate the stretch.
Most commonly this is done after every pose with a rebound or counter pose.

A rebound is the stillness of the body in a neutral pose. There are several posture
options depending on what posture you are coming out of and your personal
preference.

 Mini Savasana
 Laying on the belly
 Resting back onto the hands in a seated position
 Child’s Pose

Counter poses are short restorative movements that can help the body realign. They last only
30 – 60 seconds. Here is a list of options and of course, it depends on the target area as well
as personal preference.

• Windshield wipers – external & Internal rotation of hips in a seated position

• Circling the knees – after folded knee positions while lying on the back

• Shaking out the legs – after any leg work

• Static or walking down dog – after hip flexor stretches

• Puffing up the chest or slide – after seated forward folds. Slide is a variation where you
raise the hips off of the ground keeping the arms on the ground behind your body so that you
look like a children’s slide.

• Cat – after forward folds or backbends

MINI FLOWS

In Yin Yoga, like Vinyasa Yoga, there are simple flows that take you through several
postures without a rebound phase. One posture simply flows into the next, and often they are
done all on one side (right leg forward for example), and after all the poses are finished the
other side is done.

One common example of this is the following hip flow which we deeply appreciate. There
are many others, and you can even come up with your own if you like.

• square – swan – shoelace

TIMING FOR POSES

The average pose in Yin Yoga can be held for roughly 3 – 5 minutes. If you are working with
beginners or doing a particularly challenging pose the time can be reduced to 1 – 3 minutes.
There are also some poses that can be comfortably held longer, from 5 – 10 minutes. In the
case of those longer-held postures (for example in Saddle), make sure you have bolsters if
needed and you are not using any muscular effort. Ten minutes without rest is a long time for
any muscle to exert itself!

WHICH SIDE TO START WITH FIRST

Yin Yoga has a slightly different approach for which side to start practice with, and there are
two different options as a teacher.

The first option is to have people start with the side that is more open first. Sometimes this
can help build confidence, and then the second side seems “easier” than expected. The
downside of this methodology is that the student needs to keep track of which side of the
body they have already done.

For that reason, this methodology may not be suitable for a class of beginners. Additionally,
the teacher needs to be careful not to use terminology like “left” or “right” because everyone
may be on a different side.

The other option is simpler, and that is to always start with the right side.

FINAL POSE
In Yin Yoga, there is not really a need to slowly wind down like in Yang styles of Yoga
because the muscles are not warm. That said, people sometimes appreciate it when the last
posture is a shallower and more restorative pose, much like the opening poses.

This posture is not so much for rebound or physical depth as it is to begin the energetic
process of coming into stillness practice. One good option for this can be a twist, which is
both neutralizing and balancing. Twists can restore emotional balance and get any last kinks
out of the spine before final relaxation.

CLOSING THE PRACTICE

Shavasana, or corpse pose, is every bit as important and beautiful in Yin Yoga as in Hatha
Yoga. It is a chance to integrate the physical work by resting the tissue after the stress. It is
the most Yin part of an already beautifully Yin practice.

The length of Shavasana in Yin Yoga should be about 10% of the length of the practice,
usually meaning between 5 and 10 minutes.

This is the point of greatest relaxation and to some extent, the greatest benefit. Certainly,
spiritually, Shavasana should not be underestimated. Inside the stillness, it can be easier to
start perceiving the flow of energy.

Shavasana is not an opportunity to sleep. That said, if sleep comes, then perhaps the person
really needs it, and rest can be restorative as well.

The body position in Shavasana should be relaxed in its natural state. The sacrum should be
on the floor, and the palms turned up to the sky. You can have the students turn their heads
from side to side to relax and lengthen the neck. Optionally, if students have back problems,
they can use a bolster under the knees to support the lower back.

SILENT SITTING

Silent sitting or lightly guided meditation is a powerful way to close the practice.

INTENTIONS & THEMES

For yourself as a teacher, it can be fun to play with different themes or intentions for a class.
Intentions can range from a physical target area to a meditative quality, or to an element or
meridian you want to work with. There is not even a need to announce the intention unless
you feel it would help to guide the energy of the class.

Don’t forget to be flexible and respond to what happens moment by moment inside a class.
Most of all, relax and have fun and remember to stay with the Yin side of life, not striving for
a posture but using the body as a relaxed playground for self-exploration.

YIN – BEAUTY UNDERVALUED

As people and practitioners of Yin Yoga, it is good to give space and time to the Yin side of
life. Listen deeply, accept, embrace, nurture, and let things unfold.

Yin is often undervalued in Western societies, despite the fact that Yin and Yang complement
one another. To be complete, a balance of Yin and Yang is helpful.

YIN – GET REAL WITH THE GIVEN

Part of the Yin side of life is accepting whatever comes naturally. To “get real” with the
situation. Life provides many opportunities to practice this skill, but in Yin Yoga we start by
getting real with the body and its own unique physiology.

To get real, we begin by understanding what compression and tension within our own body
feels like. It is easier to assist your students in their own exploration of their own bodies once
we understand for ourselves.

This course is an opportunity to understand posture and anatomy experientially. Our body is
the playground for our investigations, and with deeper knowledge, we can help others in the
same exploration.

This process involves acceptance. Sometimes a posture has room for growth, and sometimes
we just have to accept our bodies as they are and accept our limitations.

Limitations, of course, are not only physical. Sometimes emotional or mental blockages or
floods of emotions can surface. There can be fear or energetic movements also, but all these
things are also seen and accepted for what they are. All experience comes and goes, and when
we embrace what comes, we give it permission to go when it is ready.

YIN – PRINCIPLES OF PRACTICE

1. “Playing the edge”

Yin Yoga is a practice designed for optimum health and not an optimum display of technical
skill. We want to find a place in practice that is, “not too much and not too little”. This can be
a fun challenge as well as an exploration.

In a broader perspective, we can say that when there is too little stress in the body, the tissues
begin to atrophy. When there is too much stress in the body, the tissues begin to degenerate.
Dancers or athletes, for example, often have degeneration of tissues in the long term, which
can negatively affect health (this is very common and well documented in Classical Ballet).

Find the golden middle path for yourself, which may even be different on different days.
Using self- investigation, listening, responding, embracing, and a nurturing attitude, we
discover where our edge lies.

Investigating stress in the body is a beautiful and useful understanding as a yoga teacher. All
stress in the body initially weakens the tissues. This is well documented in Western anatomy,
which would say that muscles literally create slight tears in themselves to then repair
themselves and become stronger. Too much stress over a long period of time can damage all
kinds of tissues, from muscles (soft tissue) to connective tissues and even deeper architectural
structures like bones. Stress with rest afterward, on the other hand, can help strengthen
tissues, as previously mentioned. So rest is the second half of exercise, and it is critical for the
practitioner’s health and well-being.

In Yin Yoga, we like to go deep enough to clearly feel the target area of the pose, and then
we let time work its magic. That, of course, is a very different strategy than going for the
maximum range of motion right away. Because of the added element of time and the
importance of stillness, some sensation in the target area is enough.

2. “Finding your stillness”

The magic of Yin Yoga is in the stillness. Teach your students to honor the stillness inside the
posture and hold that for a period of time. Short- held stretches or bouncing stretches do not
let the work go into deeper tissues, in fact, it is potentially injurious to those tissues.

This is the chance to experience and develop our yin qualities. Learning to listen to the body
rather than reacting to the ideas of the mind about what we should be doing. The body gives a
clear sign where the edge is, and we can learn to listen to that body knowledge. If we go to
the very edge of what is possible, then it can become too challenging to hold in a relaxed way
over time. So take the time to listen deeply to the body, and find the edge that you can hold
with deep relaxation while still being aware of the target area.

In the pose, both the body and the breath should be relaxed. If you find this is compromised,
then back off a little or even change postures. Most importantly, congratulate yourself when
you do find the right edge and experience the natural joy of listening to the body rather than
forcing it to an edge that is too far to sustain.

3. “Hold the pose for particular time”

Time is something very individual in Yin Yoga, especially in self-practice. Anything from 1
minute to 20 minutes is considered ok, with Saddle being recommended for 20 minutes by
BKS Iyengar himself!

In the classroom setting, of course, this is a little different, where an average of 3 to 5 minutes
of holding can address a wider audience. If a student is very new to yoga, not very flexible, or
has never practiced stillness before, 1 to 3 minutes might be enough.

In Yin Yoga, we like to say that longer held poses require longer rebounds. That said, if you
or a student is struggling too much in a pose, go ahead and come out of it regardless of the
time.

As a Yin Yoga teacher with these longer holdings, it is a good idea to use a timer for self-
practice and for teaching, especially so that we keep evenness with poses that have two sides.

YIN – HOW OFTEN TO PRACTICE

Yin Yoga is safe to practice a couple of times per week. In fact, the normal recovery period
for yang exercise is 24–48 hours because of the microtears in the muscles. Because yin yoga
targets deeper tissues, it is safe to practice daily, but only if practiced moderately. Of course,
all Yin Yoga practice should be moderate, but we come from a world obsessed with yang
accomplishments!

If you have freedom to schedule your own sessions, shorter daily sessions may be more
beneficial than longer sessions a few times a week. That said, regardless of the length of a
session, the pose hold times don’t change. For Yin to be beneficial, we need to hold the pose
long enough to let the stress into the deeper tissues.

YIN YOGA & AGING

In traditional Taoism, we have a deep understanding of aging and what type of exercise is
needed at what age.

We come into existence with lots of mobility and very little stability, so the body of a child is
very yang. As we grow older, we get stiffer and less mobile, so the yang body gradually turns
yin.

Yang bodies (young with mobility) need yang exercise. The flexible body needs strength to
become more stable.

From the mid-20s to the mid-30s and onwards, the body begins the transition to becoming
more yin. The yin body then needs more yin exercise to target the deeper tissues and keep
them flexible.

You can also use the above methodology to understand body types. The more yang flexible
body needs strength to stabilize, and the more yin body needs yin exercise to maintain
mobility in the deeper tissues.

YIN SELF-PRACTICE

Being a good teacher of anything, but particularly of yoga, can only be done by becoming a
practitioner first. We need to embody a skill before sharing it. Be confident and comfortable.
Make the practice second nature, and then teaching comes naturally.

It is difficult to move from being a student and attending classes directly into teaching. Self-
practice is the bridge we need to fully embody the practice and get ready to share it as a
teacher.

Self-Practice is an important part of the course because we would like you to be able to have
the confidence to begin teaching.

GUIDE TO YIN YOGA POSTURE STUDIES

YIN IS ALL ABOUT HOW IT FEELS

You may be used to thinking about yoga in terms of how it looks, but in fact, yin is all about
how it feels in your own body.
Start by understanding the target area. If I am working on the lower back as the target area
but all I feel is my hamstrings, maybe I need to adjust or use a prop or a variation.

Work into the alignment by understanding the target area.

The leading questions are....

How to create a sensation in the target area? How to eliminate unhealthy sensations?

USE PROPS!

Give props, use props, enjoy props, and even love your props. Get your blocks and bolsters
and thin pillows and blankets before you even start the practice.

Don’t be afraid, props are your friends, and that is especially true in Yin Yoga. Play and have
fun with props because that knowledge will help your students remain safe and have fun.

Many times, poses can be experienced more deeply through the correct use of props.

SPINE FLEXION & EXTENSION

Caterpillar

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Spine: Stresses ligaments along the back of the spine

 Compresses the stomach organs
 Strengthen the organs of digestion
 Stimulates kidneys
 Massages heart

MERIDIAN

• Urinary bladder meridian

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Sciatica: Elevate the hips so the knees are below the hips. This posture can aggravate
sciatica, so be mindful and make sure there is no pain.
 Lower back disorders, which are contraindicative for spinal flexion (bulging disk,
etc.)

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Sit with both legs stretched out in front, feet about hip-width apart, or narrower if
preferred.
 Fold forward over the legs, allowing the spine to round (this is different from
Paschimottanasana in Hatha Yoga, where the back is straight)
 Leaning forward, with relaxed arms, hands resting on thighs, shins or floor.
 Coming OUT

• Using your hands, push the floor away and slowly roll up.

Counter Movement

 Sitting upright with your hands behind your back supporting yourself with extended
arms
 Shaking out the legs
 Puffing up the chest

MODIFICATIONS

Legs Up the Wall – a classic yin favourite

This pose is considered a variation of the caterpillar. It has the same basic information but
can also be used separately in a sequence.

Excellent for people who stand a lot; extremely restorative

If there is no wall, use a flat pillow under the buttocks so the legs can be held up without
effort.

Lower Back Disorders

• Maintain a straight spine and use a bolster to support yourself

Knees Feel Strained

• Activate the quadriceps for a little bit

• Alternately, bend your knees and support with a blanket underneath

Resting on a Bolster

Experiment to find the position that gives the most relaxation.

Hand Positions

 Elbows on the thighs or the floor

 Palms up or palms down

Very Flexible Bodies

• Separate legs so the chest can fit between the legs to increase sensation

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

Very tight Hamstrings or Hips Tip Backward

  Bend the knees & use a bolster below the knees
 Sit up on more pillows

Neck Feels Strained

 Support your head with your hands

 Resting elbows on legs or bolster

3 - 5 minutes and more

Sphinx

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Lower Spine
 Longitudinal ligaments along the lumbar spine.
 Tones the spine
 Very therapeutic for bulging or herniated disc
 stimulation of thyroid
 stretch for stomach in seal

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Kidney, urinary & bladder meridians

 Stomach & spleen meridians along the top of legs
 Lung meridian

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Bad back or tight sacrum

 If there is sharp pain come out of the pose!
 Pregnancy ~ no prone postures after the first trimester!
 Avoid with headache

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Lie on your belly

 Elbows at shoulder distance: clasp your elbows and place them slightly in front of
your shoulders
 If sensations in the lower back become too intense, move the elbows forward
 Place your hands palms down on the mat

Coming OUT

 Slowly lower your chest to the floor

 Slide your elbows out and rest your cheek on the back of your hands

Counter Movement
  To decompress the lower back, slide bend and out the knee you are looking toward
 Child’s Pose
 Gentle cat stretches

MODIFICATIONS

For a Gentler Sphinx

Use bolster under the armpits

Lying on stomach with elbows out

Keep the legs together to release the sacrum & distribute the arch more evenly along the
spine

Tightening the buttocks within reason is okay If head is too heavy

Increase Sensation

 Prop up your elbows on a bolster

 Spread the legs apart for more sensation in the lower back
 Bend the knees for more compression in the sacrum

SEAL

 Safe for pregnant woman

 With straight, locked arms, hands point out a little or all the way
 To lessen the sensation, slide your hands more forward

Pregnancy

• Under the pubic bone or the thighs, place a bolster or blanket

Neck Feels Strained

• Rest head in your hands

Increase Sensation

 Lengthen the neck, drop the head back

 Lift the chin & open the throat

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

 Sphinx longer than Seal

 For Seal, start with 1 minute at a time, rest, repeat
 For Sphinx, up to 5 minutes
 Eventually, up to 20 minutes

Saddle
TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 SI sacroiliac joint & lower spine, knees & ankles

 Deep compression in the sacral lumbar spine
 Stretches hip flexors & quads
 Internal rotation of the hips with feet next to the buttocks
 Great for athletes!

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Urinary, bladder and kidney lines

 “Sleep” meridian

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Back pain or tightness in the SI-joint

 Can be too much for the knees or the ankles
 If you feel any sharp pain, come out right away!

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

Two Ways to Practice

• Sit between your heels for a stronger hip flexor stretch and internal rotation

Sit on your heels: this increases the sensation in the lumbar

If sitting creates pain in the knees or ankles, skip this pose & use sphinx instead

Lean backward and create a little arch— check in with your knees! Stay here if appropriate

Come down on the elbows—check in with your knees! If appropriate use a bolster

Come laying on your back—optionally with a bolster if needed

Coming OUT

 Option 1: The opposite of how you came in – come up on your elbows and then hands
with a straight spine – extending the legs in front of you
 Option 2: Rotate your body to one side and straighten your legs
 Option 3: If you are flexible, simply extend your legs while lying on your back

Counter Movement

 Lay on your back quietly with your legs straight

 Tighten & release the kneecaps
 Hug the knees into the chest
  Child’s Pose

MODIFICATIONS

Knees Feel Strained

 Sit on a block and recline onto a bolster

 Or sit up on a block & practice sitting
 Use Sphinx instead

Ankles Feel Strained

 Sit between the heels

 Pad the shins
 Do Sphinx instead

Lower Back Feel Strained

 Recline on a bolster or two

 Practice with one leg
 Do Sphinx instead

Increase Sensations

 Arms overhead lengthen the hip flexors

 Elevate the hips on a block and recline on the floor for more sensation in the lower
spine

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

1 - 5 minutes
Iyengar said up to 15 minutes

SPINE : LATERAL FLEXION & ROTATION

Banana

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 A delicious stretch along the whole side of the body

 Lateral flexion for the spine
 Lateral stretch for Ribcage & IT-band
 Stretches Intercostal muscles on the side and oblique stomach muscles
 Stretches potentially armpit

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Urinary & bladder lines

 Lung, heart & intestine meridians
 CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Lower back issues

 Gentle practice - don’t go deep into this pose
 Tingling in hands when extending arms overhead

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Lie on your back and straighten your legs.

 Clasp your hands or elbows overhead
 Move upper body to one side – keep hips grounded
 Move legs in the same direction – keep hips grounded
 Go deeper as the edge moves

Coming OUT

 First, release the legs and move back to the center

 Release the arms and move the upper body back to the center

Counter Movement

• Hug the knees to the chest for a gentle

• Circle the knees to massage the sacrum and lumbar

MODIFICATIONS

 Tingling in hands
 Keep your arms to the side or your hands on your chest.

Increae Sensation

• Cross the outer ankle over the inner one

• Otherwise, cross the inner ankle over the outer one to lock the leg into position

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

3 - 5 minutes

Reclined Twist

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Nurtures the shoulder joint & upper spine

 Nurtures all tissues in the upper chest, breast, and shoulder
 With legs lower than 90 degrees, for the lower spine, lumbar and SI-joint
 Releases tension in the spine
  Restores equilibrium in the nervous system— for that reason, it can be a beautiful
pose to end the practice
 Massages stomach organs
 With bent knees more towards the chest, it can relieve sciatica

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Urinary, bladder & kidney meridians

 Gallbladder meridian
 Arms overhead stimulates the heart, lung, small intestine, and large intestine lines

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Shoulder Issues such as rotator cuff injuries

 Tingling hands can be adjusted to make the pose more comfortable
 There are many modifications of this pose that can help make it accessible to a variety
of different bodies

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Lie on your back

 Draw both knees to the chest
 Open the arms sideways like wings
 Drop the knees to one side

Coming OUT

 Slowly roll onto the back

 Extend the legs

Counter Movement

 Hug the knees into the chest

 Rock gently from side to side
 Windshield Wipers

MODIFICATIONS

Directing the Twist

 With knees higher up towards the armpits: Moves twist more in the upper back
 Lowering the knees below 90 degrees: Moves twist more in lumber/sacrum

Deepen the Twist

Keep one leg extended and only hug one knee into the chest

Hold the knee with the opposite hand and draw it across the body with the leg straight
Try to keep both shoulder blades grounded

If the knee lifts, support the bent knee with a bolster

If the shoulder lifts, use a blanket underneath the shoulder blade

Positioning of the Head

 Play with the direction of the head & notice the sensations
 If turning the head away from the bent leg creates dizziness or light-headedness, keep
it aligned with the spine

Positioning of the Extended Arm

 Raise the arm alongside the ear

 Can be rested on a bolster

Leg Variations

 Eagle legs = Root Twist

 Straighten the top leg out to the side
 Optionally hold on to the foot with the opposite hand = Star Twist
 Helps to keep the hips fully turned
 Can feel more like a stretch to the outside of the leg and hips
 great for IT band

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

Tingling Hands and Shoulder Issues

 Don’t raise your arm overhead next to your head

 Bend the arm and rest your hand on the rib cage
 Tingling can damage a nerve, so use care
 Shoulder Issues - don’t float your arm

3 to 5 minutes

HIPS: INSIDE

Butterfly

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Hips & Lower Spine

 A nice way to stretch the low back without needing loose hamstrings
 More hamstring stretch if the legs are straighter
 More stretch for adductor muscles if the feet are closer together
 Good for the kidneys and urinary problems
 Regulates periods
 Helps the ovarian function well
  Eases childbirth

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 The gallbladder line on the outside of the legs

 Urinary bladder line running along the spine in the lower back
 If the feet are brought close to the groin and a stretch is felt in the inner thighs, the
kidney & liver lines are being stimulated

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Can aggravate sciatica: Try sitting with hips higher than knees or make sure the hips
tilt forward or simply skip this pose
 Lower back disorders that are contraindicated for flexion – keep the spine straight
 Avoid dropping your head if you suffer from neck problems

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Start seated and bring the soles of your feet together & slide them away from you
 Allow the back to round as you fold forward
 Resting hands on feet or floor
 Head should hang down towards heels

Coming OUT

 With your hands push the floor away from you

 Roll up slowly
 Before straightening legs, lean back on the hands to release the hips
 Then slowly straighten one leg at the time

Counter Movement

 Puff up the chest

 Slide Pose: Hands down to the ground and hips up in the air with straight legs
 Lying on the stomach – gentle backband

MODIFICATIONS

Elevate Hips

• With bolster or cushion

Neck Feels Strained

• Head in hands, resting the elbows on your thighs or a bolster

Additional Relaxation
• Rest chest over a bolster – try it, it is amazing!

Hand Positions

 Hold the feet

 Hands on the floor in front
 Relax the arms at the sides or behind the body

Reclined Butterfly

• Practice lying on the floor

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

• 3 - 5 minutes

Half Butterfly

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Spine back and sides & inner knees (less than Straddle)
 Stretches the lower back without requiring loose hamstrings
 Targets the ligaments along the back of the spine
 Stimulates both the liver and the kidneys
 Aids digestion when folding over the bent leg

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Urinary & bladder meridians

 If there is a lot of sensation in the groin and inner legs, the Liver and Kidneys are
stimulated

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Can aggravate sciatica: try sitting with your hips higher than your knees, or tilt your
hips forward, or simply skip this pose
 Lower back disorders that are contraindicated for flexion – keep the spine straight
 Sharp pain knee in extended leg – tighten the quads to close joint or bring leg closer
in
 Sharp pain in bent knee - place support under the thigh or move foot away
 Hamstring - bend knee and support with a blanket or block

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Start seated and bring one foot towards you

 Stretch the other leg out to the side
 Fold forward along the midline between the legs
 Allow the back to round
  Rest your hands on the floor in front
 The head should hang down

Coming OUT

• With your hands, push the floor away from you

• Roll up slowly

• Before straightening the legs, lean back to release the hips

• Then slowly straighten the bent leg

Counter Movement

 Puff up the chest

 Slide
 Windshield wiper

MODIFICATIONS

Fold over the straight leg

• Increases stretch in the hamstrings

Alternatively, reach the opposite hand to

the extended leg.

 Shifts emphasis to the hamstring

 Adds an element of stretch to the side of the body

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

• Up to 5 minutes and you can add the variation after 2 minutes

Straddle

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Hips: opens hips, groins, and back of thighs

 Lower back
 Knees: gentle opening to the inner knee
 Stimulates ovaries

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Spleen meridian along the inner leg

 Stomach meridian along the abdomen
 CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Can aggravate sciatica: Try sitting with your hips higher than your knees, or tilt your
hips forward, or simply skip this pose
 Lower back disorders that are contraindicated for flexion – keep the spine straight
 Knee issues

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Start seated spread out your legs as far apart as possible

 Potentially elevate hips
 Allow the back to the round as you fold forward
 Resting your hands on the floor with arms straight, or come on elbows on the floor or
supported an a block

Coming OUT

 With your hands, push the floor away from you

 Roll up slowly
 Before straightening the legs, lean back to release the hips
 Tighten your leg muscles, or lift and drag your legs together

Counter Movement

 Shake out the legs

 Windshield wiper

MODIFICATIONS

Knee Issues

Bring the legs closer together

Tighten the quads to engage the kneecaps

Make the Pose More Accessible

 Use a bolster to elevate hips

 Bend the knees and support them with blocks or pillows
 Bend the knees a lot and place your feet on the floor

Increase Sensation

• Bring the legs out to 120 or even 180 degrees

• Rest stomach on the floor with arms out to the side

• If you’re close to the floor but not touching, rest your chest on a bolster
Variation with Lateral Flexion

 Keep the spine upright and bend over to one side

 With the opposite hand and arm tucked away behind the back and head
 Rest your elbow on a block, thigh, or floor

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

Neck Feels Strained

• Head in hands, elbows resting on various height blocks

• 3 - 10 minutes with variations

Frog

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Hips - deep groin opener (especially for adductors)

 Lower back & shoulders
 A slight backbend: compresses upper and lower back
 Aids digestion
 Relieves cramps from menstruation and digestion

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Spleen meridian
 Liver & kidney lines
 When the arms are stretched forward, the upper body meridians are massaged,
affecting the lines of Heart, Lungs, and Small and Large Intestines.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

• Bad back

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 From child pose slide both hands forward

 Separate knees
 There are some variations from here:
 Tadpole – continue to sit on your heels
 Half Frog – Raise hips until they are in line with knees while keeping feet together
 Frog – Separate the feet as wide as the knees

Coming OUT

 Sit back into Child’s Pose

 Or slide forward on belly
 Counter Movement

 Child’s Pose
 Lying on your back, hug your knees to your chest, rock side to side, or move your
knees in circles

MODIFICATIONS

Sensitive Knees

• Use padding underneath

Neck Feels Strained

• Rest your forehead instead of your chin on a bolster or the floor

Tingling in the Hands

 Hands can be spread wider or brought closer together

 Practice with one arm extended at a time while the other arm bends with the head
resting on the hand

Reduce Sensations

 Bring the hips forward

 Keep your toes together and go backwards
 Rest your chest on a bolster to relax the upper body
 If the shoulders are uncomfortable, spread the hands further apart

Increase Sensations

• Stay longer

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

• 3 - 5 minutes with variations

Happy Baby

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Hips: deep hip opener, working with arm strength more than with gravity
 SI: release & decompression
 Can compress the stomach organs

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Kidney and Bladder meridians

 Inner groin stimulation works the Spleen and Liver lines.
 CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Back conditions that are contraindicated for flexion – keep hips on the floor and the
spine straight
 Conditions that prevent inversion, such as menstruation, keep the hips on the floor
 SI joint problems—don’t go too deep

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Lie on your back and hug your knees to your chest

 Grab the soles of the feet, the ankles, or the back of the legs
 Open the feet apart so that they align above the knees
 Pull knees towards floor alongside chest
 Relax your head and shoulders on the floor

Coming OUT

 Release feet & place back on floor

 Knees bend-pause for a moment

Counter Movement

 Windshield wipers
 Gentle backbend on stomach

MODIFICATIONS

Make the Posture More Accessible

• Hold on to the back of the thighs or the ankles

• Use a belt to hold the feet

• Squat against the wall, feet pushing into the wall

• Keep the toes together

• Moving them closer to the groin for deepening

Increase Sensations and Add Hamstring Intensity

Gradually straighten your legs Pulling feet down & wider apart Keep hips on floor!

Half Happy Baby

 Upside down baby dragon

 Hold one foot at a time
 Keep hips on floor!
RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

 Up to 2 minutes with pulling arms

 Up to 5 minutes with gravity

HIPS: OUTSIDE

Square

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Hips & Spine

 Great hip opener with external rotation
 When folding forward, this helps to decompress the lower back

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Liver & kidneys, because these lines come through the inner groin
 Gallbladder line on the outside of the leg
 Urinary & Bladder lines if folding forward

CONTRAINDICATIONS

• Watch out for pressure on the knees—if the hips are too tight, pressure will go into the
knees. In that case, try alternative postures instead!

Can aggravate sciatica:

 Try sitting with the hips higher than the knees

 Make sure your hips tilt forward and if there is still pain, skip the pose.
 Lower back disorders that are contraindicated for flexion—keep the spine straight

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 The key is to find sensations in the outer hips rather than the knees, which can
sometimes be a little challenging.
 Start sitting cross legged — move the feet forward until the shins are parallel with the
front edge of the mat
 If possible, move the knees closer together without the feet coming back

Coming OUT

 Lean back to release the hips

 Slowly straighten the legs

Counter Movement

 Bounce out the legs and tighten & release the knees a few times
  Windshield Wipers
 Puff up the chest or slide

MODIFICATIONS

Elevate the Hips

 This can help rotate the hips forward

 Use a folded blanket or a cushion

Knees Feel Strained or Lift off the Ground

Use blankets or blocks to support the knees/ thighs

Incresase Sensation

 Variation 1: Fold forward with the head or elbows on the floor and support the
forearms on a block or a bolster
 Variation 2: Place one ankle over the opposite knee & the other ankle under the
opposite knee
 Avoid this variation if the knees are high off the floor
 Variation 3: Slide the knees closer together, allowing the feet to go further apart

ALTERNATIVES

• Eye of the Needle, Shoelace, Swan

EYE OF THE NEEDLE

 Relives some forms of sciatica!

 This is a wonderful go-to option if deeper hip openers are not available (Swan,
Square, Shoelace)

Coming IN

 Lie on your back

 Both legs are bent with the soles of the feet grounded
 Cross one ankle over the opposite leg’s knee
 The ankle is just below the knee
 The foot is flexed

Final Stage

Stay if this gives you enough sensations in your outer hip!

Optionally, move the foot touching the floor closer towards the hips

If that feels good, thread one hand between the legs clasping the hands either behind the thigh
or in front of the shin
Consciously relax the head, shoulders, and abdomen

You can also practice using a wall if your hands are not comfortable

Coming OUT

 Pause for a moment after releasing the hands and top leg
 Slide the legs away from you

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

 Swan 1 – 3 minutes
 Plus Sleeping Swan 1 – 3 minutes
 Screaming Swan, up to 1 minute
 Eye of the Needle 3 – 5 minutes

Shoelace

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Hips & Lower Spine

 Great hip opener
 When folding forward, this helps to decompress the lower spine

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Liver & kidney lines through the inner groin

 Gallbladder line on the outside of the legs
 If folding forward, the urinary & bladder lines are also engaged

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Hard on the pelvis & knees

 Can aggravate sciatica. If this is the case, try sitting with the hips higher than the
knees, making sure the hips tilt forward, or try a different pose
 Lower back disorders that are contraindicated for flexion: keep the spine straight
 Avoid forward folding after the first trimester

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Variation 1: Kneeling on all fours – one knee behind the other – sit back between
heels
 Variation 2: Sitting on your heels, slide over to one buttock, and bring your outside
foot over to the opposite hip
 Variation 3: Sitting crossed legged – draw one foot under the opposite thigh – and the
other foot over toward opposite hip
 Avoid sitting on your heels
 Both sitting bones should be touching the ground
 Coming OUT

 Lean back to release the hips

 Slowly straighten the legs

COUNTER MOVEMENT

• Windshield Wipers

MODIFICATIONS

 Elevate the Hips to Rotate the Hips Forward

 Use a block or a cushion

SHOELACE

Bottom Knee Feels Strained

• Straighten the bottom knee

Top Knee Feels Strained

 Use a blanket between the knees or support the top knee with a block on the ground
 Bring the foot of the top leg forward

Hand Positions

To the side
• In front of the body • Behind the body

Reduce Sensations in Hips or Knees

 Remain upright
 Take some weight into your hands and arms

Folding Forward

Keep the weight back on the sitting bones, which will prevent the weight from moving into
the knees

 Maintain even hips

 There is a tendency for the top hip to slide forward, so be mindful
 Use a bolster to support your chest
 Use a block to support your forearms
 If there is stress on the neck, you can rest your head in your hands with the elbows on
your thighs or on a bolster

Increase Sensations in the Hips with Lateral Flexion

Adds a nice stretch for the shoulder

Practice with lateral flexion in the direction of the top leg

Reach the opposite arm of the top knee out sideways at shoulder level

Rotate the back of the hand forwards

Bend your arm and place the back of your hand between your shoulder blades

Bend over to the top knee side, elbow supported on block

Rotation

• Twist in the direction of the knee

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

• 3 - 5 minutes

HIPS: OUTSIDE & ROTATION

Swan

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Hips & Lower Spine

 Hip opener with a lot of external rotation
 Excellent quadriceps and hip flexor stretch for the back leg
 Moderate backbend: compresses the lower back
 Swan is a deeper hip opener compared to Sleeping Swan

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Liver & kidney lines because these lines come through the inner groin
 Stomach & spleen meridians (from the line on the top of the back leg)
 Gallbladder line on the outside of the leg
 Large intestine meridian

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Bad knees, especially problems with the inner meniscus

 Watch the pressure on the knees: If the hips are very tight, the pressure will go into
the knees. In that case, try alternative postures instead!

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 You can come in from down dog or tabletop pose

 Slide one knee forward between your hands
 Lean over to the side of the front knee & check in with the knee
  If your knee is fine, you can flex the foot and slide the shin forward
 If your knee is stressed, bring the foot in closer towards the hips
 Center the weight evenly

 Tuck back your toes under and slide your back knee away
 Repeat to sink buttock on the floor or as low as possible

Coming OUT

 Press into your hands, tuck the toes of the back foot, and push back into down dog
 Optionally, lean over towards your front leg side & slide your back leg forward to sit.
Once this is done, you can optionally lie down with your legs extended

COUNTER MOVEMENT

Windshield Wipers
Child’s Pose – for full Swan
Down Dog followed by Child Pose

MODIFICATIONS

 Pressure in the front knee

 Keep the front foot flexed
 Slide your heel in towards or under your hips
 Try the alternative posture, Eye of Needle

Leaning Toward the Bent Leg Side

• A folded blanket under the bent knee can help bring uneven hips back to center

Increase Sensations

 Move your hands closer to your hips to increase the weight on the hips
 Move your front foot forward to bring the shin parallel to the front of the mat & slide
your knee more out to the side
 To increase the effect of gravity, tuck your back toes under and lift the knee off of the
floor, pulling the heel backward
 To increase the backbend, raise your hands to the sky
 To increase the backbend, interlace your hands behind your back and draw your hands
away from your body

ALTERNATIVE POSES

• Eye of Needle, Shoelace, Square

SLEEPING SWAN

Coming IN

 Starting from a Swan

  Keeping the front foot flexed to protect the knee
 While lowering the torso, keep your weight back in your hips

Final Stage

 Lower yourself to your elbows

 Lie over a bolster lengthwise under the chest
 If you are more flexible, you can move your bent knee out to the side and square your
shin, bringing the chest down onto the shin.

Coming OUT

 Press into your hands, tuck the toes of the back foot, and push back into downward
dog
 Optionally, lean over towards your front leg side & slide your back leg forward to sit.
Once this is done, you can optionally lie down with your legs extended

SCREAMING SWAN

Target Area & Benefits

 A yang pose!
 Good combination because the muscles don’t interfere with the target joint
 Great extra stretch for the quads!

Coming IN

 Starting from a Swan

 Bend the back leg
 Reach the hand on same side to your heel
 Pull the heel towards the buttocks

Coming OUT

 Press into your hands, tuck the toes of the back foot, and push back into downward
dog
 Optionally, lean over towards your front leg side & slide your back leg forward to sit.
Once this is done, you can optionally lie down with your legs extended

Dragon

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Deep hip & groin opener— gets right into the joint!
 Stretches the hip flexor & quadriceps of the back leg
 There are numerous variations to work deep into the hip socket
 Can help with sciatica
 The main joints affected are the hips & the ankles
 If combined with a backbend, the posture works into the lower spine
 MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

• Stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, and kidneys (and even the urinary & bladder in the
Dragon Flying High)

CONTRAINDICATIONS

• Can be uncomfortable for the kneecap or ankle

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 You can come in from down dog or tabletop pose

 Step one foot forward between your hands
 Walk the back foot forward until the knee is right above the heel
 Slide the back knee backward as far as possible
 Place your hands on either side of your feet
 Press into the top of the back foot with an emphasis on the little toe

Coming OUT

• Place your hands in a down dog position

• Lift the back knee, bringing the leg slightly forward while tucking the toes under

• Slowly step the other leg back into down dog

COUNTER MOVEMENT

 Walking Dog
 Child’s Pose

MODIFICATIONS

Kneecap of the Back Leg Feels Strained

Pad your knee with a blanket Tuck the toes of the back leg Place a bolster under your shin

For a more advanced variation, tuck your toes & lift the back leg off of the floor

Ankle of the Back Leg Feels Strained

 Pad your ankle with a blanket

 Place a bolster under your shin to raise the knee

Hip of the Front Leg Feel Strained

 Move the front foot out towards the side

  Twist the toes of the front foot out sideways, gently placing the weight on the edge of
the foot

BABY DRAGON

DRAGON FLYING HIGH

• To increase weight over hips!

Coming IN

From Baby Dragon Raise the chest

Place your forearms or hands on the front of your thigh

Simple, low lunge

Coming IN

 Place your hands on either side of your feet

 Press into the top of your back foot with an emphasis on the little toe
 Place your hands on blocks

DRAGON FLYING LOW

A deeper option of Dragon!

Coming IN

 From Baby Dragon

 Place both of your hands inside of your front foot
 Walk your hands forward to lower your hips
 Rest the elbows on blocks or a bolster, or if it is comfortable, rest the elbows directly
on the floor

WINGED DRAGON

A deeper option of Dragon!

Coming IN

 From Baby Dragon

 Place both of your hands inside of your front foot
 Wing out your front knee a few times to the side, rolling onto the outside of the foot
 Stay with the knee low and the weight on the outside of the foot
 Optionally, rest the elbows on blocks or a bolster, or if it is comfortable, rest the
elbows directly on the floor

Note
  You may not feel anything in the outer hip joint. If your hip flexors or quadriceps are
tight, that area will take all the stress.
 This is a good pose for hip flexors and quads, but it needs other poses to work into the
outer hips

Recommended Holding Time

Cycle through all variations for 1 minute each

Optionally, choose 1 variation for 3 - 5 minutes

SHOULDERS

Melting Heart

MELTING HEART – ANAHATA ASANA

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Nice backbend for the upper & middle back

 Nice compression for the upper back
 Gentle extension of the lower spine
 Opens shoulders
 Softens the heart

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Urinary & bladder lines

 The arm meridians, especially the heart and lung lines

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Bad neck – could strain it!

 Watch for tingling in the hands, as this implies that you might be compressing
a nerve, which can cause permanent damage. If this happens, modify or skip the pose.

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 From tabletop, walk your hands forward, allowing the chest to drop towards the floor.
 Keep your hips above your knees
 If possible, keep your hands shoulder-width apart
 Rest your forehead on the floor

Coming OUT

 Press into your hands & rest your hips back into child’s pose
 Gently slide forward onto your belly
 COUNTER MOVEMENT

 Child’s pose
 Lie down flat on your belly

MODIFICATIONS

Tingling in the Arms or Pain in Shoulders Prevents the Arms from Coming Overhead

 Move your hands further apart

 Extend one arm while sliding the other elbow out and resting your head on the back of
your hand
 If the above does not help, then skip this pose or find a variation
 If your Knees are Uncomfortable
 Pad your knees with a blanket

Ankles Feel Strained

 Tuck your toes under

 Use a soft blanket

Increase Sensations

• Rest your head on your chin rather than your forehead

Yin Yoga TTC 78

Melting Heart

Rest the Chest on a Bolster

• Experiment to find the position that gives the most relaxation

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

• 3 - 5 minutes

Open Wing

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Nurtures shoulder joint & upper spine

 A gentle stretch to the upper chest & shoulders
 Tissues in the upper chest, breast, shoulder
 Gentle twist for the entire spine
 Restores equilibrium in the nervous system
 Releases tensions from the spine

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS
  Heart meridian
 Heart protector (pericardium) meridian

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Shoulder Issues or Injury

 Recovery from surgery on the shoulder joint or spine
 Watch for tingling in the hands, as this implies that you might be compressing a
nerve, which can cause permanent damage. If this happens, modify or skip the pose.

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Lie on your belly

 Reach one arm out at shoulder level with the palm facing downward
 Place the other hand under its shoulder and press into the hand to twist away from the
extended arm
 You can leave the pushing hand in front of the body or optionally, once you are on
your side, extend that hand upwards, bending the elbow to rest the back of your hand
on the sacrum
 Slide the legs apart to stabilize the twist or bend one leg with the foot on the ground
for support and to increase the intensity of the pose

Coming OUT

 Release the hand from behind the sacrum by stretching up towards the sky and
placing the palm back in front of the body to help control the release from the twist
 Using the hand as support, gently come out of the twist and onto the belly
 Turn your head to the other side

Counter Movement

 Remain on your belly with your head turned in the opposite direction
 Roll onto your back, hugging your knees into your chest, optionally rocking, or
circling with the knees

MODIFICATIONS

Pain in shoulder or tingling in the arms

Reduce the intensity of the pose by changing the position of the torso

Rest your upper knee on a bolster in front of the extended leg

Skip the pose

Neck Feels Strained

• Rest your head on a block or blanket

If Sensation In The Target Area Is Not Enough

• Bend the top leg and ground the foot

• Let the bent knee pull you deeper into the pose

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

• 1 – 3 minutes

Crushed Wing

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Shoulder and hip joints

 Gentle stretch to posterior shoulders & upper back
 Nurtures shoulder joint & upper spine
 Gentle opening for inner hips & groins if practiced in wide-legged Child Pose
 A gentle spinal twist
 Restores equilibrium in the nervous system
 It releases tension from the spine

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

 Small Intestine meridian along the upper arm

 Gallbladder meridian
 Spleen meridian along the inner legs
 Stomach meridian

CONTRAINDICATIONS

 Shoulder Issues or Injury

 Recovery from surgery on shoulder joint or spine
 Watch for tingling in the hands as this implies that you might be compressing a nerve,
which can cause permanent damage. If this happens, modify or skip the pose.

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Start from Child’s Pose

 Slide your knees out sideways as far as is comfortable and support yourself on your
extended arms in front
 Thread one hand & arm beneath the opposite arm by sliding the back of the hand
through as far as is comfortable
 Drop the shoulder and rest it on the floor
 Rest the head to the side and on the floor, or optionally on a blanket
 Wrap the opposite arm around your waist and rest the hand on the opposite thigh

Coming OUT
  Release the hand from behind and ground the palm next to the head
 Press down with the hand to release the other arm
 Bring the legs together and sit back in Child’s Pose

Counter Movement

 Child’s Pose
 Lie flat on your belly with your head turned in the opposite direction

MODIFICATIONS

Knees Feel Strained

 Pad the knees with a blanket

 Elevate your hips with a block or a bolster

Knees or Hips Feel Strained

• Lie down on the floor instead of using the wide-legged Child’s pose

If Wrapped Hand Slips

• Tuck your hand into the elastic of your pants

Neck Feels Strained

• Rest the head on a blanket or a block

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

• 1 - 3 minutes

Supported Reclined Bound Angel

TARGET AREA & BENEFITS

 Gentle restorative pose for the hips, shoulders, and spine

 For opening the groin, use the butterfly legs
 For opening the chest, lie back over a bolster
 To stretch the upper chest & shoulders, bring the arms out sideways
 Nurtures shoulder joint & uppers spine & upper chest
 Creates more space in the front of the body, which can support deep breathing
 Calms the nervous system
 Opens the heart

MERIDIAN ENERGETICS

• Liver meridian

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  Shoulder Issues or Injury
 SI Sacro-Illiac joint problems – don’t go deep
 Recovery from surgery of shoulder joint or hip joint
 Modify if there is pain or pressure in the knees

POSTURE ALIGNMENT

Coming IN

 Place a bolster lengthwise on your mat

 Sit with your knees bent and your feet grounded with your hips touching the back end
of the bolster
 Slowly open your knees out wide and bring the soles of your feet together
 Heels are a comfortable distance away from your hips
 With your palms together, extend your arms above your heart, and then lower your
arms out sideways

• Hands are at shoulder level with the palms facing upwards

• Rest your head in line with your spine on a bolster

Coming OUT

• Draw the arms in close to the body

• Optionally, with the support of your hands, bring your thighs together

• Drop your knees to one side and roll off the bolster onto your side

Counter Movement

• Pull your knees into your chest

• Optionally, add a gentle rocking movement

MODIFICATIONS

Knees Feel Strained

• Support your thighs or knees with blocks or blankets

• If the pressure persists, practice with extended legs

Tingeling Hands or Shoulder Feels Strained

• Rest your hands on your chest, or move your hands down and in closer towards the body

To Increase Sensations

• Place a block beneath the bolster at chest level

RECOMMENDED HOLDING TIME

• 3 - 10 minutes

TCM & Qi

In Chinese medicine, the body is observed through its energy and the pathways along which
energy flows to nourish the organs. Health is determined by this energy and the harmony of
Yin Yang

Energy = Qi is the foundation of all life, the vital force behind all creation (as is Prana from
Hatha Yoga). For the body, it flows through pathways, similar to the yogic Nadis, from TCM
called “meridians.” In Yin Yoga we observe 12 Principal Meridians. You might be familiar
with “chakras,” the energy centers, in TCM we observe 3Dantien’s and the energetic organ
systems as main centers for energy storage and distribution. Take note its not only and
exactly the Western organ and location, but the energy in every cell of the physical body.

Qi is composed of two opposites, 'Yin' and 'Yang”.

Health is harmony and balance between these two forces. (Homeostasis). TCM, a person is in
good health when Qi flows evenly distributed throughout the body. Qi in general protects and
nourishes the body. It ensures the body functions properly. The root cause of all disaster and
disease is a disturbance in the energy harmony. Any exterior or interior factor can dis
harmonize the flow of Qi. It is only because of the existence of this energy that we can move,
breathe, digest food, think and feel. Qi - Energy has to be experienced. Words can't do it
justice.

Meridians — The Qi Transportation System

Qi is said to move at an average speed of 3 seconds per meter through energy pathways
called meridians and can be measured .

Each meridian flows on three levels : dermal (skin), sinew ( myofascia , connective tissue,
ligaments & tendons) and the deeper level of the organs .

There are 2 possibilities of meridian and therefor energy flow ; dysfunction: too much or too
little chi. The cause of this can be many, related to inner, outer environmental factors .

Yin Yoga_ can help restore balance in the meridians by stimulating chi to flow evenly. By
applying tensile stress, pressure or compression on the dermal and sinew level.

The rebound is where eventually the magic happens and the myofascial and energetic
pathways get flushed.

The Five Phases , or 5 Element Theory –

This theory extends Yin Yang Theory, by classifying all things in nature into five basic
phases, or also called elements. Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood.

The Phases interact in a variation of predictable ways. One way is the Sheng Cycle.

The Sheng Cycle is also named the Mother Child relation. Anabolic,

Creating, generating nourishment & support.

Wood creates Fire: Wood is burned to make fire.

Fire creates Earth: When fire burns, it leaves ash which creates earth.

Earth creates Metal: The earth produces the ore from where metal can be extracted.

Metal creates Water: Water condenses on a metal surface.

Water creates Wood: Water is vital to a tree’s growth.

THE CREATING SHEN CYCLEs

THE CONTROLLING KO CYCLE

Another way is the Ko Cycle, also named the Grandparent Grandchild relation Catabolic,
controlling, destruction, overcoming

Wood controls Earth: Wood is used to mold the earth into a dam

Earth controls Water: A dam restrains the flow of water.

Water controls Fire: Water is used to extinguish a fire.

Fire controls Metal: Fire melts metal and allows it to be shaped.

Metal controls Wood: A ax metal can chop wood.

Shen and Ko cycle are 2 ways of observing the interplay between the 5 Elements,

other well knows cycles are the Overacting (Cheng), and the Insulting (Wu) cycle.

The Five Phases , or 5 Element Theory

Health requires the five energies to be balanced. Though this does not mean you need a
balanced make-up of 20% each element.

The Theory and assessment behind this 5 Element Theory it is complex, and always observed
in relation to inner and outer environment.

The five phases became associated with the 5 colors, 5 seasons, 5 directions, bodily tissues,
fluids, sounds, tastes, emotions and so on. PLUS the five solid (YIN)organs, five hollow
(YANG) organs.
When observing the 5 phases we be careful not to fix them in a static way. Water by itself,
can embody all the 5 phases or elements, think vapor, liquid, solid etc.

The 5 Phases are connected to 10 Principal Meridians, we might know from acupuncture
though nowadays is said that the fluid in our Fascia is transporting the energy or
consciousness. This will bring us back to the Myofascial Lines!

The Five Phases , or 5 Element Chart

QI FLOW DIRECTION

Yang meridians

Flow DOWN from heaven to earth

Posterior, back body | Lateral | Outside (exception ST- meridian)

Yin meridians

Flow UP from earth to heaven

Anterior, front body | Medial | Inside

YIN FLOW DIRECTION

YANG FLOW DIRECTION

Note that the Meridians are flowing same direction on both sides of the body left & right.

THE MERIDIANS , CONNECTED TO THE MYOFASCIAL LINES

FRONT

MEDIAL LATERAL

BACK

BACK

ELEMENTS & MERIDIANS

12 Meridians Connected to Energy Systems Organ and Target Areas

We observe 6 Meridian pairs connected to Yin & Yang organ - energy - systems

3 pairs run: Feet to Torso — Head to Feet targeted via leg or spinal poses

Liver - Gallbladder | LV- GB

Spleen – Stomach | SP - ST

Kidney - Urinary Bladder | KD - BL( UB )

3 pairs run: Torso to Hand — Hand to Head targeted via the arm poses

Lung —- Large Intestine | LU - LI

Heart - Small Intestine | HT - Sl

Pericardium - Triple Heater | PC – HT

Yin organ - energy - system = full, dense, stores

Yang organ – energy - system = hollow, transports

LIVER MERIDIAN (YIN)

WOOD Element

Connected to Tendons & Ligaments.

LIVER Organ Energy System

Stores blood.

Regulates Qi flow.

TARGET area’s Myofascial Leg Line: Medial Line (inside)

Tissue: Center Adductors | Groin | Obliques

Joints: …
GALLBLADDER MERIDIAN (YANG)

WOOD Element

GALLBLADDER Organ Energy System

Regulates Reservoir for bile (bile is the Liver Qi).

Governs (In)Decisiveness and good judgments.

TARGET area’s Myofascial Leg Line: Lateral Line (outer side)

Tissue: Glutes | IT - band | TFL| Obliques

Joints:

SPLEEN (PANCREAS) MERIDIAN (YIN)

EARTH Element

Connected to Muscle tissue.

SPLEEN Organ Energy System

Controls Digestion, Transformation & Transportation.

Pulls Qi from all the food and delivers to rest of body.

TARGET area’s Myofascial Leg Line: Superficial Front Line

Tissue: where Adductors meets Quads | Rectus Femorus | Abdominal

Joints:

STOMACH MERIDIAN (YANG)

EARTH Element

STOMACH Organ Energy System

Chemical Digestion, reservoir for food and liquids.

Controls the Liver, stops pain & vomiting and regulates Qi.

TARGET area’s Myofascial Leg Line: Superficial Front Line

Tissue: Quads | Rectus Femorus | Center Abdominal

Joints:

KIDNEY MERIDIAN = (YIN)

KIDNEY Organ Energy System

Regulates water volume, bone development. Stores Jing Qi.

TARGET area’s Myofascial Leg Line: Medial | Deep Front Line

Tissue: Posterior Adductors | Deeper Groin | Psoas

Joints: ...
URINARY BLADDER MERIDIAN (YANG)

WATER Element

BLADDER Organ Energy System

Storing and elimination of fluids including waste.

Uses Qi and heat from the kidneys.

TARGET area’s Myofascial Line : Superficial Back Line (longest line)

Tissue: Hamstrings | Center Back, Erector Spine

Joints:

LUNG MERIDIAN (YIN)

METAL Element

LUNG Organ Energy System

Controls breath and Qi

Lung Qi governs healthy relationships and communication.

The breath is the bridge between body & mind & our environment. Breathing directly affects
the Autonomic NS.

TARGET area’s

Myofascial Arm Line: Upper Inside Arm (top elbow crease) ...

Joints:

LARGE INTESTINE MERIDIAN (YANG)

METAL Element

LARGE INTESTINE Organ Energy System

Controls the transformation from liquid to solid state of digestive waste for elimination.

TARGET area’s

Myofascial Arm Line: Upper Outside Arm (top of elbow)

Joints:

HEART MERIDIAN (YIN)

FIRE Element

HEART Organ Energy System

Blood circulation, overall management of the physical body

It is referred to as the Ruler of Emotions and the House of Spirit consciousness (Shen Qi. –

mind/body/spirit connection) .

TARGET area’s

Myofascial Arm Line: Lower Inside Arm (bottom elbow crease)

Joints: ...

SMALL INTESTINE MERIDIAN (YANG)

FIRE Element

Small Intestine Organ Energy System

Discrimination on all levels of pure from impure.

Separating food (nutrients/waste), similar on the mental, emotional and spiritual level.

TARGET area’s

Myofascial Arm Line: Lower Outside Arm (bottom elbow) ...

Joints:

PERICARDIUM MERIDIAN (YIN)

Pericardium Organ Energy System

Protecting the Heart, from overheating and strong (undigested) emotions.

Prevents attacks and infections and rules outbursts of joy.

TARGET area’s

Myofascial Arm Line: Center Inside Arm (center elbow crease) ...

Joints:

TRIPLE HEATER MERIDIAN (YANG)

Triple Heater (San Jiao) Organ Energy System

Coordinates function of water and temperature in the 3 burners. The manager, leading the
team of Organs.

TARGET area’s

Myofascial Arm Line: Center Outside Arm (center elbow) ...

Joints:

TEACHING YIN YOGA

The ideal length for a Yin Yoga class is 60–90 minutes, which should contain between 5–8
poses.

OPENING (10 MINUTES)

It is nice to begin class with a greeting and a short introduction to Yin Yoga. There is no need
for long explanations, just let people know it is a slow-paced practice with fewer poses held
for a longer time. The principles of practice (playing the edge, stillness, time) can be explored
and explained during the first poses. If you are teaching with elements & meridians, start with
a basic introduction to the class concept and find the location of the meridians you are
working with.

GET TO KNOW ABOUT INJURIES

At the beginning of a class, it is good practice to ask about injuries. Alternatively, you can
ask when coming into a pose, which takes more time and is a bit more work for the teacher.

If you make sure to ask about injuries, you can remind students to follow medical advice and
be aware of contraindications.

GROUNDING / OPENING MEDITATION

A grounding or opening meditation can help people move their energy inward and is a
wonderful opening for Yin Yoga which is a more inward style of practice.

Generally, in grounding, you can move from gross (sounds, physical sensations like the touch
of clothing, etc.) to more subtle (the quality and location of the breath, or awareness of the
energy in a specific part of the body like the heart center or spiritual eye).

Spend at least some time quietly observing the breath in silence.

The opening grounding does not need to be long, 2-3 minutes is fine, but a short grounding
can make a huge difference in the quality of the class.

INTENTION OR INVOCATION

Set an intention or make an invocation before or after meditation if this resonates with you
and is appropriate in your teaching context.

OPTIONAL WARM UP

Daoist breath or gentle movement related to the target area you will explore in class can be a
nice way to set the tone.

POSTURE PRACTICE: BEFORE THE POSE

Sometimes, if a pose is unfamiliar, a demonstration can be helpful. Make sure people can see
you and be clear and concise with verbal explanations of key points.

Several things can be touched on in presenting a Yin Yoga pose. Here are some suggestions:

• How to reduce stress in a pose

• How to increase sensation in the target area • How to use props to aid relaxation

• How to take care of common issues that occur in that specific pose. (Knees, lower back,
pinching of nerves, etc.)

• Contraindications

All of the above information should be given quickly and clearly so that people don’t feel like
they have to “wait” for the next pose.

POSTURE PRACTICE: DURING THE POSE

Coming In

Guiding students into shape

Pose setup instructions are given verbally

Move into the shape yourself so people can visually copy (if you are very flexible, avoid
going into the most advanced expression, rather guide people into what most people in the
class can do)

Give a clear indication that the practice begins

Start the timer for the pose

Playing the Edge & Final Adjustments

 Go to where the body naturally stops

 Explain where to feel the pose – Target Area
 Help students avoid the deepest possible expression so that they can stay comfortably
in the pose
 Remind to use variations or props
 Remind that time is more important than intensity, and that you will be staying in
pose for a while
 Offer to reduce the pose intensity by 20% to be more comfortable and relaxed
 Keep visually connected to students and observe who might be needing your help

Moving Through the Room

 Time to move through the room

 Offer people to wave you over if they would like assistance with the posture
 Offer your support to people who are obviously struggling—ask for permission and
get a clear response before giving support!
  Keep interactions brief so you can stay connected to the group as a whole and support
people’s inward focus inside their practice.
 Individualized support to reduce or amplify sensations in the target area can be shared
with the whole class as a general suggestion

POSTURE PRACTICE: STILLNESS

After most people have found their shape, ask them to commit to stillness.
Discovering stillness is an amazing opportunity, but people need support in relaxing
and finding the spaciousness within the intensity.

It can be helpful to explain that stillness can allow the work to transform deeper
tissues and structures.

POSTURE PRACTICE: RELAXATION

One of the great keys to Yin Yoga practice is relaxation. Encourage people to use props so
that they can deeply relax their bodies. Encourage relaxation, especially during the first few
poses, but also keep reminding people that relaxation supports the depth of the practice.

It can be helpful to make specific recommendations in classic areas of tension. This varies
from posture to posture but here are some general suggestions.

 Starting with facial expression – the forehead and the jaw

 Shoulders and belly
 Muscles immediately surrounding the target area

POSTURE PRACTICE: MOVING THROUGH THE ROOM WHILE TEACHING

Moving through the room while teaching can help people feel more connected to you
because you are more present in their energetic field. Of course, some might consider
this a negative thing, but it is a public class and not a self-practice session.

When moving in the room you can speak with less volume to help create a more
intimate and soothing tone of voice. Also, in terms of student interaction, it is easier to
see if someone is pushing too hard or needs feedback of some sort.

WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE IS PUSHING TOO HARD

Ask them: What do you feel and where?

Help people understand the target area of the pose

Help people to differentiate between a sensation of pain and an appropriate stretching

sensation. Help them negotiate between a destructive sensation and a productive one.

Remind the class that pain is a warning signal from the body to help prevent injury!
POSTURE PRACTICE: ENDING A POSE

It can be helpful for people to clearly announce the end of the pose. If you want to help
mentally prepare people, you can suggest one more minute or 3 last breaths before the
rebound phase of the posture. This can also be a gentle encouragement for people who are
struggling in the pose or help call people to back off a little if they are too deep to hold for
that full duration.

Guiding out of the shape:

It is important to guide people out of the shape just like you guided them into it. Step-by-step
instructions on how to get out of shape should be provided. Which body part to engage first?
How to get the body back to a neutral position?

Once they are out, some gentle guidance about rebound and/or counter movements can be
helpful. Often, after a pose, the tissue and joints feel fragile for about a minute, so stillness
can be very beneficial. If you work with counter movements, offer the counter movement
after this short period of stillness.

TIMING

As a Yin Yoga teacher, it is wise to keep track of the times of individual postures as well as
the time of the entire class. Individual poses are held for 35 minutes on average. For total
beginners 1–3 minutes can be fine, and sometimes very accessible poses can be held for 5–10
minutes. It takes about a minute to help guide people into a pose, so that can be a nice thing
to be aware of in terms of timing.

When instructing the pose, start the timer right away or there is a danger of forgetting. Time
is hard to guess, especially when you talk more on the first side and are quieter on the second
side, so don’t forget your timer!

In general, analog clocks do not work well for timing poses. Digital timers are easier and
more accurate. When using a phone, it can look a little strange as you move around the room.
Let students know that the phone is for timing, and it is on silent mode, and try not to draw
attention to the phone if you choose to use it as a timing device.

Especially when telling a story, be mindful to keep track of the time. Using a clock in this
situation can be a life saver for your students!

Using a timer with a beeper is generally not a good idea as it disturbs the atmosphere of the
class.

In Yin Yoga, there is no need to count down to the end of a pose, just gently help people into
the rebound when the pose is over.

WHICH SIDE TO START WITH FIRST

In Yin Yoga, there are two ways to approach the question of which side to start with first.
The first way is to start with the side that is more open. Basically, in that paradigm, you start
with the easy side first. This can have the effect that the second side somehow magically
becomes easier to work with.... Perhaps that side needed some inspiration!

This methodology works a little better with people who have been practicing for some time,
as it can be confusing to keep track of which side you are on as a beginner. Even in an
experienced class, it is beneficial to remind people before coming out of the pose to be aware
of which side they are on.

The second alternative, if you want to keep things simple, is to always start with the right
side.

No matter which method you use, if people mess up the side make sure they do the opposite
side than they did so far for the second side practice.

ADJUSTMENTS IN YIN

Adjustments in Yin Yoga are not done with the intention of putting people into shapes, but to
fulfill the need for personal attention and touch. This is an individual exploration together
with students about how to increase or reduce sensation in the target area.

Keep in mind that some people really don’t want to be touched, and touch can reawaken
trauma in some cases. Ask for permission individually before the touch or ask everyone at the
start of class to do something like fold the corner of the mat if they are not interested in
physical adjustments.

The intention of adjustments is not to deepen a pose or to find a different range of motion for

someone, but rather to suggest how people can discover depth in the posture for themselves.
Draw awareness to an area with touch, and then ask the student to explore gentle movement
in that area.

If you have significant training as a massage therapist or are trained to feel the end range of
motion, then there can be an exception, but even then, sometimes it can be more beneficial
for the student to learn about the posture using their own body awareness.

Remember that exploration can be shared as a verbal instruction with the entire class, so that
everyone can benefit, and nobody feels singled out for correction.

Be mindful of touch on the face or head during relaxation, which can be uncomfortable or
culturally inappropriate depending on the person.

PROPS

Props are an important part of practice because they let the stress move into the deeper tissues
when the muscles are completely relaxed. That said, if there are no props, you can still
practice and enjoy Yin Yoga. But do not underestimate how valuable props can be to helping
people fully relax into the pose.

Props can also help to personalize the practice by bringing more or less sensation into the
target area.
Occasionally, props can even open possibilities and allow someone to experience a pose or
sensation that would otherwise not be available.

If there are no bolsters and blocks, one option can be to use a second yoga mat as a bolster or
even as a pillow.

What props to bring for a student?

 A blanket is the most universal

 Blocks, bolsters, and pillows or even towels can be wonderful
 The wall can be a prop too

If you have props, it is important to explore with the students how to “properly” use them. On
the other hand, not every floating knee or buttock needs to be propped up. Gravity is also a
beautiful tool. Check in with the student if support is needed, but props can help relaxation,
which can deepen a posture and also help to avoid painful sensations outside the target area.

CLOSING

A beautiful closing to a Yin Yoga class is a final relaxation followed by a silent sitting. The
final relaxation and silent sitting take somewhere between 10–15 minutes, or longer if you
have enough time. Make sure there is at least 10 minutes for the closing part of the class. In
Yin Yoga, the final relaxation is the peak Yin experience. It is like the final rebound pose
where we let all the benefits of the practice seep deeper into our bodies and experience. In
addition to the physical integration, there are also energetic benefits, and even recognition of
the natural stillness, which is our true nature. So don’t miss out!

Coming out of final relaxation, we usually ask people to roll to the right side, and there are
two benefits to this. One is that the heart is on the left side, so we roll to the right to release
the heart. A different way of looking at it is that when we roll to the right, we activate the ida
nadi, which is the more receptive nadi of the breath, so we come out of the stillness more
receptive to what life might bring. Really switching the nadi is also possible this way, but you
need to be in the position for at least two minutes, which is not common even in a Yin Yoga
class. Coming out of the final relaxation in a receptive way does have its benefits, though,
and of course, it is also nice not to roll in every direction and then wind up coming out of
relaxation a little too close to your neighbor to feel comfortable.

FOUNDATION OF ANY TEACHING STYLE

Regardless of your own style of teaching, there are some simple guidelines that can help you
bring your students fully into the Yin Yoga experience.

 Open the class with a short grounding & meditation

 Close the class with final relaxation & a silent sitting
 Start the class with an accessible opening pose to help people come in
 End with a twist or less deep pose to help people come into relaxation
 Batch spinal directions (not backbend to forward bend and then backbend again) or
target area work (working with the hips then staying with the hips rather than jumping
from target area to target area)
 Start shallow work deeper
  Alternate poses with rebounds or counter movements to help create space

CLASS INSPIRATIONS
YIN YOGA FOR THE SPINE

 Experience each spinal direction in one class

 Forward fold, back bend, lateral flexion, and twist
 This universal class can appeal to a broad audience

FOR A SPECIFIC TARGET AREA

 Hips, Hips & Shoulders

 Legs, Legs & Hips
 Frontline & Backline
 Be ready to spontaneously change the theme if too many people are contraindicated
for the intended target area
 Aim never to exclude students that come in. All should feel welcome
 A hip sequence should explore all the potential directions for the hip: internal
rotation/outer hips, external rotation/inner hips, and hip flexors

FUNCTIONAL YIN CLASS IDEAS

 An invitation for people to get to know their body

 Theme exploration of compression & tension
 Working with props

SELF INQUIRY BASED CLASS

Start with arriving in the body with guided relaxation & abdominal breath

Focus the first few poses on grounding & calming the mind

Follow up with breath observation & perhaps pauses in breathing

Optionally, you can add observation of mental activity in a more challenging pose to become
more aware of the mind

 In a gentler pose such as open heart or legs up the wall, work with any inquiry
question that inspires you to notice an observing quality that is not originating from
the body mind like:
 Where is your location?
 Body? Heart? Head? Outside of both?
 Is there any distance between you and your body?
 What is the location of the silence in your own Being?
 Follow up with a more silent final posture that lets people marinate in the natural state
of spaciousness

ELEMENTS & MERIDIANS

 Open the class with an introduction to an element & the corresponding organ system
& meridians. Help understand the pathway of the meridian and its relation to the
poses.

 Demonstrate the meridian lines along your body, also explaining that the meridians
are mirrored on both sides of the body.
 In exploring the meridian, we use the pathway as a target area for our poses
 The aim of the class is to create sensations in the target area through the postures and
stimulate energy flow in the meridians

The flow of the pose practice:

• During demonstration mention which meridian it is for

• After everyone is settled in the pose, still & relaxed, again draw the attention to
meridian

• Directional breath can be used to increase focus on meridian

• Our attention evokes / supports energy flow

Batch poses roughly according to meridian element pairs. For example, Metal: Lung
Meridian & Large Intestine meridian.

For this meridian element pair we could look at the poses listed below.

• Sphinx, Seal, Saddle (Lung meridian),

• Square, Threat & Needle, Star Twist (Large Intestine meridian)

Sometimes, energetic sensations can be difficult to perceive during the posture and are more
easily felt in the rebound phase. During the rebound, you can bring people’s attention back to
the energetic sensations.

Final relaxation can also be a wonderful space for exploring energy. Optionally, at the
beginning of final relaxation, marinate for a while in the energetic sensations of the meridians
you worked on in class. Sensations such as temperature, tingling, or the area feeling enlarged
can be focal points for attention.

MUSIC ON THE YIN SIDE

Because we are vibrational beings, music has a profound influence on us. For some people, it
is so much that way that music can distract them and prevent them from enjoying the fullness
of the experience. For that reason, a valid approach is to have no music at all. Silence is the
heart of the Yoga experience.

Nevertheless, music can also help beginners to hold on to and increase focus and help turn
the energy inward. If you choose to use music, it is important to be aware of the effect of the
chosen music and tailor it according to your sequence and the overall yin energy of the class.
Always avoid music where the lyrics can be grasped mentally. The best practice is to use
music without English words. Be careful with popular and widespread music, as many people
may already have strong associations with that song and not necessarily positive memories
only.

Look for more relaxing ambient background music, and especially music that you feel
embodies the Yin side of life. Relaxing music that opens the heart and helps the energy turn
inward.

OTHER CLASS IDEAS

Yin spaces invite many different forms of expression to compliment the atmosphere. Poetry,
for example, can be beautifully integrated into the Yin Yoga setting. Yoga Nidra, or Reiki, or
many other methodologies can be skillfully integrated depending on the knowledge and skills
of the teacher.

Candlelight Yin is also a classic, where you take the time to create an especially inviting Yin
atmosphere.

Yin and Yang yoga can also be practiced together, but ideally you would practice the Yin
first and then the Yang, as Yin Yoga benefits from the muscles not being warmed up.

THE BREATH

The average length of the breath in Yin yoga is about 4-5 seconds. From the breath
perspective, that is not especially deep and not especially shallow. It is somewhere in the
middle, but it is rhythmic and regular.

Natural Breath with Pauses:

Pauses after inhalation and exhalation can help add depth to the practice. Yin Yoga breath
pauses are brief, just a fraction of a second or a second rather than a deep hold. The pause
should feel effortless and natural.

As we get more in tune with this subtle practice, pauses begin to appear by themselves. A
relaxed body invites a slight pause in the breath. This can help slow down the mental activity
and make it easier to feel the natural stillness present inside of us.

The natural pause in the breath can also help to facilitate an experience of the natural
spaciousness of our Being.

Intentional Breath:

Another option to explore regarding the breath is intentionally breathing into a specific area.
A simple introduction can be done using abdominal breath for grounding. Later, the practice
can be used to release tension from a specific body part, as the breath can be a tremendous
aid in relaxation.

Experiment in your own self-practice and see if you can use intentional breath to increase the
sensation in the physical target area. This can help us begin to experience the
interconnectedness of the body. Sometimes we begin to experience something like the
backline, and we get a deeper understanding of our inner anatomy experientially.

Intentional breathing can also be used to activate energy flow through attention and mental
focus in meridian work.

Ujjayi Breath:

Ujjayi is not a classic form of breath for Yin Yoga, but if your audience is familiar with
Ujjayi it can be a fun thing to play with. Ujjayi in Yin Yoga is gentler. It should be barely
audible.

Ujjayi in Yin Yoga can bring focus to our practice and calm the mind, in addition to helping
people have a different experience of something they already know and love. Sometimes a
gentle Ujjayi can really add depth when we return to our Yang practice, so feel free to play
and help people experience a new and different form of Ujjayi breath.

BEST TIMES TO PRACTICE YIN YOGA

There are some physical factors that relate to the best time to practice Yin Yoga. For
example, the muscles should be cool. For this reason, it can be nice to practice upon waking,
when the muscles are relatively cool and stiff.

When working more on the mental or emotional level, we can see that practicing before bed
can have advantages. Sometimes life has gotten too hectic, and Yin Yoga can help us recentre
and ground before sleep.

Classically, because of the relationship with TCM, we can also practice to help balance outer
conditions in nature. For example, during the change of season, practice can help the
meridians and the immune system stay strong. After a long trip, or anytime the body is stiff,
are excellent times to practice.

Yin Yoga is also a very appropriate practice for menstruation. Some women benefit more
from Yin Yoga than Yang Yoga in this natural moon cycle when the Yin energy is high, so
experiment and see what works for you.

THE YIN ART OF HOLDING SPACE

Holding space is a conscious act of being present, open, allowing, and creating a safe and
playful space for Self-Discovery.

It goes very quickly beyond the physical realm, and can easily open doors for any practitioner
to explore their emotions, mind, energy, and what is beyond even energy. This can be a very
deep and vulnerable experience.

The first duty of a Yoga teacher is, therefore, to create a safe place where every student feels
valued, respected, and completely safe. Without this sense of safety, it is impossible for the
student to really let go and allow the practice to unfold fully.

Things that help:

  Let go of personal expectations
 Open the Heart
 Speak from the Heart
 Let the power of the practice unfold naturally
 Let space be the container

There is an important element in holding space of deep intuitive connection and

listening. Energetically, feel that you are in the space from the front of the room to the
back and beyond. That will help bring awareness to the experience of everyone in the
classroom, and will also help people feel you are with them energetically.

In general, as a Yoga Teacher, there is a temptation to fill the space with words. In my
opinion, this shows a deep distrust of the power of the practice itself. If a practice
works, it does not need a lot of explanation or words. Some well-spoken words can
help, but people generally underestimate the power of silence.

As a Yin Yoga teacher, you should be attuned to spaciousness without ‘spacing out’. That
means you are aware of the room and each student’s experience, and yet you are also holding
the space of natural silence, which gives people permission to deeply explore their own
potential.

When you are helping people to find the edge in a pose, always give people the space to back
out if needed. There is no competition in Yin, there is only exploration.

SETTING

 If possible, set up the space in as Yin a way as possible. “Candlelight Yin” is popular
for example, but there are many things you could do to make a space more inviting.
 Create a sacred space with the emphasis on the Divine Feminine qualities.
 If there is music in a Yin space it would be flowing like a river. Let the music be
soothing and deep. Soft Lighting, candlelight, and many other small touches can make
all the difference.

VOICE

 The voice in Yin Yoga should reflect even more the quality of Yin.
 Yin is Inviting. No pushing at all. Give people the space to back out if something is
too intense so they feel they have the ability to play with their edge.
 Even spiritually, the Self-Inquiry topics should be only an invitation to explore, and
not a command.

INTEROCEPTION

Interoception is the fine art of listening deeply to your own body and really feeling
what is needed. People generally are not very good at this, because nothing in society
or in normal experience

SELF INQUIRY
 Self-Inquiry, even more than the physical side, needs profound and deep listening to
be a fruitful part of the practice. Feel into the room to feel in your heart what is right.

Go with the questions that you, yourself, love, and feel you have a potent relationship
with.

Asked in the wrong way, Self-Inquiry questions can be intrusive! Even “Who am I?”
if given without the correct space and guidance, can fall a little flat.

 Someone who has not experienced the power of Self-Inquiry might wonder why you
are forcing them to ask a question.
 The inquiry is an invitation, and one that should be supported by your own inner
research and exploration, which will make the question come alive for people.
 Feel the audience. Is there a deep stillness in the room and no question is needed?

Or maybe they are all very new, and just some light questioning to get them to reflect on the
difference between the mind and the heart. A possible introduction to a class could be setting
a Heart intention. The thoughts that are coming now, where are they coming from?
Sometimes there are whispers from the heart? Are there any there for you today... open up
and see.

Who am I class. Open with: we all wear masks, but yoga is a space where we can explore
taking those masks off. We are not responsible for anything here except being true. Later on
in the class, you can explore more “When I take off those masks, something is still here.
What is that? Who am I when I let go of all my labels? What is my essential nature?”

Maybe they are people you are working with regularly, and you can ask the deeper
philosophical questions while keeping the space light and loving.

Be playful, have fun, and keep things light. Yin spaces open by themselves, and you can just
help people with a few little pointers and well-placed words, all the while remembering that
perhaps the most helpful thing is your Presence and your silence.