Yin

Yin is the practice of holding stretches in simple postures for several minutes at a time. This practice stretches the fascia, or connective tissue, found all throughout the body.

Postures are held for a minimum of 3 minutes because that is how long it takes for fascia to begin to change. Fascia changes slowly and over time, as opposed to muscles, which are elastic and change quickly.

Our bodies are made mostly of dense connective tissue – it’s everywhere, and it’s what holds our bodies together. It is found around our joints, in and around our muscles and organs (our hearts are mostly fascia!), and everywhere in between.

By practicing yin we take care of this very important part of our bodies.

The benefits of stretching our fascia are immense. Stretching the connective tissue of the body keeps this tissue healthy and working for us. If we do not take care of our fascia we can end up with chronic pain, injury, and decreased range of motion as we age, as well as issues with sleep, mental health, gut health, and nervous system regulation.

Improved Mobility and Pain Prevention

If we do not stretch our fascia, this tissue becomes fixed and fused in place. Through a regular yin practice our mobility is maintained throughout the body.

Yin counters the effects gravity has on our spines, as well as the harmful effects of sitting in chairs, keeping the spinal discs supple, and in some cases, even repairing them.

Low back pain is one of the biggest reasons why people go to the doctor. I believe much of this pain could be prevented through a regular yin practice (along with other regular movement).

This is also why some older folks can no longer move their pelvis or walk and move like they used to be able to.

Nervous System Support

Another benefit of yin is its ability to allow our minds to settle and process emotions by giving us a necessary break from exterior stimulation. It provides space for our nervous systems to calm. Our society encourages yang (active, accomplishing, doing), but what most of us need more of is yin (slowing, settling, being). We need more balance and harmony between the two. This is one reason why yin yoga is not a complete practice on its own; both active and passive practices are necessary for health and wellbeing.

Sleep, Mental Health, Gut Health

Yin has a big impact on sleep, mental health, and digestive health as well. These areas of health are intimately connected, and as one of these areas improves, the others follow, as in a domino effect.

Accessibility

Yin is also a particularly accessible form of movement. You don’t need anything to practice – all you need is your body and a comfortable place to sit or lie down. It can be practiced on the floor, in a chair, in a bed, anywhere. Plus, it doesn’t matter what you look like when practicing. It only matters how you feel.

Here is some of what yin yoga can offer:

• Move the nervous system from sympathetic (fight/flight) to parasympathetic (rest/digest)
• Improve mental health
• Improve mood
• Improve digestive health
• Increase range of motion
• Improve joint health
• Increase blood circulation
• Reduce tension and stiffness
• Assist in improving balance and harmony in life
• Assist in feeling safe within the self
• Aid in emotional processing
• Improve sleep quality
• Reduce or remove insomnia
• Reduce physical pain
• Reduce inflammation
• Reduce stress

Yin yoga is deep stretching, which has been practiced for a very long time. However, yin as a systemized practice of yoga and the term “yin yoga” are only a few decades old.

Paul Grilley is the founder of what we call yin yoga. He learned anatomy, the poses of yin, and meridian theory throughout the 80’s and early 90’s that culminated in the development of yin as a style of yoga. However, it would not be called yin yoga for another decade.

Paul learned anatomy from Dr. Garry Parker and was encouraged by him to begin teaching yoga in 1980. Paul gained the knowledge from Dr. Parker to proficiently study anatomy on his own from the beginning of his study and practice.

In 1989 Paul learned the poses of what would become yin from Paulie Zink. Paulie is a martial arts expert and taught Paul the basics of Taoist Yoga, the practice that influenced his martial arts training. Part of this practice are the floor poses consisting of deep stretching that are the foundation of yin yoga.

Paul then became a student of Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama in 1990. Dr. Motoyama held doctorates in philosophy and physiological psychology, and through experiments demonstrated the existence of both chakras and meridians. His work validates why the system of yoga postures was developed and how they work. This greatly influenced Paul’s own practice and study in developing an understanding of how yin yoga works.

In the early 90’s Paul began teaching yin yoga, which he called Taoist Yoga out of respect for Paulie. This is what it was called for 10 years. In the year 2000 Paul and his wife led a workshop on Taoist Yoga. One of the students was Sarah Powers, who later began teaching the deep stretches in her classes, calling the flowing standing movements the yang of the practice, and the long floor poses the yin (everything we do has yang and yin qualities). This is how yin yoga finally got its name.

For more information on the history of yin yoga (and everything about yin!) I recommend Paul’s book Yin Yoga Principles and Practice.

It is important to note that yin is often described as relaxing, which it can be, but it can also be a difficult practice. A lot happens when we stretch our fascia, and discomfort can arise. Please know that if this happens that is ok, and the discomfort isn’t a bad thing. It actually means you may be doing some necessary processing. This is one reason why it is important to take instruction from a teacher if you are new to yin, and not attempt to practice on your own at first.

There are some people who may not benefit from, and possibly be injured by, yin yoga. These populations include those who are incredibly flexible. If the fascia is already very stretched, continuing to stretch it further could lead to injury. People who are very flexible and are interested in a more yin (as opposed to yang) practice could benefit from restorative yoga.

*Please check with your doctor or medical provider before beginning a yoga or other movement practice. Do not attempt this practice on your own if you are new. Take classes from teachers and get comfortable with it before trying on your own. As with any movement practice, there is always risk of injury, and the more knowledge you have the better you will be able to take care of yourself. If you experience pain please stop what you are doing. I am not a doctor, and yoga and the guidance given here are not meant to replace medical advice, attention, or treatment.