What Is Yin Yoga?

Yin yoga is a slow, quiet style in which mostly seated and reclining poses are held passively for a long time — typically two to five minutes each. Where more active, muscular 'yang' styles keep you moving, Yin does the opposite: it asks you to settle into a shape, soften and stay, letting time and gravity do the work.

In the video: Yin philosophy and the foundation poses

In the video above, the teacher begins with why Yin matters before showing any poses. Modern life, the teacher says, runs in fast-forward: we are always doing, and we have forgotten how to simply be. Over time that leaves us carrying accumulated physical and emotional tension.

Yin is offered as a counterbalance. You hold simple postures for longer and focus less on the muscles and more on the deep connective tissue: the joints, ligaments and fascia. The description of what the practice offers is practical: a calmer nervous system, flexibility and mobility, and a greater sense of being present.

One detail is useful to know before you start. For the demonstration, each pose is held for a count of eight so you can see the shapes clearly. In a real Yin practice, though, the advice is to stay three to five minutes in each pose. Use the video to learn the postures and how to enter them, then give yourself the full time when you practise on your own.

The sequence begins seated with a neck release: palms interlaced and resting on the crown of the head, letting the weight of the hands gently draw tension out of the neck. The teacher links this tension to time spent looking at screens, which many people will recognise.

If you're new to Yin, it helps to:

• set up somewhere quiet, with a cushion or blanket close by;
• settle into each shape at a mild, steady stretch rather than your maximum;
• keep the breath slow and let the body soften instead of holding itself up;
• come out of each pose slowly, especially after longer holds.

Watching first and then practising with longer holds is a gentle, low-pressure way to get a feel for this slower style.

The long holds are the whole point. By keeping the muscles relaxed rather than engaged, the gentle, sustained load reaches past them to the deeper connective tissue — the fascia, ligaments and tissues around the joints. This kind of slow, patient stress is thought to encourage long-term flexibility and joint mobility in a way that quick, dynamic stretching doesn't, which is why Yin complements more active practice so well.

It's as much a mental practice as a physical one. Holding a pose in stillness for several minutes, simply breathing and observing sensation without fidgeting, cultivates patience and calm — many find it almost meditative. Props such as bolsters, blankets and blocks are used generously so you can relax fully rather than hold yourself up, and you're encouraged to find a mild, steady stretch rather than an intense one.

A few cautions are worth noting. Because holds are long and reach the joints, ease off well short of sharp or pinching pain, allow a little discomfort as you come out of a pose (that's normal), and be cautious around injuries, hypermobility or joint problems — check with a teacher or professional if unsure. It suits almost anyone wanting to slow down and release deeply, but it isn't a cardiovascular or strength workout, so many people pair it with a more dynamic practice.