Yin Yoga are long held poses which address our connective tissues. Below are some options that may provide some comfort and contentment. These simple stretches are just the tip of the iceberg into the wonderful world of Yin Yoga.
For further information, go to:
For a more in-depth look, please purchase copies of:
Clark, Bernie. (2007). Yinsights: A Journey into the Philosphy & Practice of Yin Yoga.
Powers, Sarah. (2008). Iinsight Yoga: An innovative synthesis of traditioinal yoga, meditation, and Eastern approaches to healing and well-being.
Both are great resources, and a joy to read.
The term Yin & Yang refers to polar opposites. As you might notice above, there is a little bit of black in the white, and a little bit of white in the black. Life is like that. Where there is sadness, there is a speck of joy. Where there is happiness, there is a fleck of regret.
As human's, we strive for balance. And isn't that the hardest part of life? To find equilibrium suited just for you, in this moment, day, week, month, year, and life time. This is our quest, to find steadiness and stability in an ever changing world. We are never the same person twice. We are forever evolving, endeavouring to find the centre.
Yin yoga is a type of yoga where you don't really need balance. Most poses are done on your back, side, or sitting on the floor. There are no standing poses in Yin yoga, as that's counterintuitive as to what Yin is. Standing poses are yang in nature.
The term yang refers to warmth, brightness and activity. Life itself is yang in nature. Yang types of activities include sports such as hockey or tennis. Sports that get the blood flowing, causing the muscles to warm up. Yang yoga involves flowing types of movements, joining one pose to another by a sequence called a vinyasa. It's about continuous movement.
The term yin pertains to cool, still and quiet qualities. The qualities we look for at the end of a demanding yoga class, where all you want to do is lie on your mat, and not move. Because yin yoga is sedentary, holding a pose from 3 – 10 minutes, the tissues become cool. Yin yoga slowly works the tendons, ligaments and joints, much like braces slowly moving the teeth. But also, yin yoga utilizes the 12 meridians that correspond with acupuncture. In particular, when holding a yin pose, certain muscle groups are being stretched, as well as the meridians that run through those muscles. When the meridians are involved, the meridian corresponds to its organ’s name sake, causing further therapeutic effects.
Below are some yin poses that I find helpful. You can always try them on your bed for more comfort. Please do not strain to get into these poses. Rather, gently fall into these poses, and always seek comfort over contortion.
Ankle Stretch
This pose stretches the front of your ankle, and top of your foot. Great for shin splints.
The meridian that runs through the top of the foot is the stomach meridian.
Add blankets to sit on if you are uncomfortable just being on a yoga mat.
For those who have or had knee and ankle injuries, please exercise extreme caution when trying this, or refrain from doing this pose completely.
To get into this pose, first go into a kneeling position and lean back on your hands. Keep the heart forward, and imagine you are trying to do a backbend.
If this is comfortable, bring your hands to the floor beside your legs.
Try not to lean away from your knees. Keep the heart open, arching the back forward.
Finally, try holding your knees and gently pulling them toward your chest.
Hold for one minute.
A nice counter pose would be a forward fold or plank. Any pose that would straighten the legs and tucks the toes under.
Bananasana
This is a great stretch for the Latisamus Dorsi, the Tensor Fascia Lata, and the Iliotibial Band.
Meridians that are stretched are Gallbladder. Also, when arms are above the head, you are stretching the Lung, Large Intestine, Small Intestine and Heart meridians. These meridians are listed below respectively.
When your feet are as far to the side as you can get them, try crossing the ankles. Most students feel the greatest stretch by crossing the outside ankle over the inner ankle, but some feel more benefit crossing the other way.
You can hold this pose for as long as you like. But just remember to hold the other side equally as long
If you feel any tingling in the hands, try supporting the arms with a bolster, or rest the arms across the chest.
A gentle counter pose would be to remain on your back and hug your knees in.
Butterfly
This is a great stretch for the lower back and adductors (the inside of the leg muscles).
If your feet are farther away from your groin, your hamstrings will get more of a stretch. If your feet are in closer to your groin, your adductor muscles get stretched more.
Meridians being stretched are the Bladder, Kidney Liver and Spleen, read left to right. The Bladder meridian runs down your back and legs. The Kidney, Liver and Spleen meridians run through the medial parts of your legs.
Please exercise caution if you have sciatica, lower back or neck issues. There are many options when doing this pose. You can:
Elevate your hips with a bolster or cushion. This should always be the case, as it creates a forward pelvic tilt.
If your neck is too stressed, try supporting your head in your hands, or rest your elbows on a bolster or thighs.
You could rest your chest on a bolster positioned across the thighs
Various hand/arm positions are possible: hold feet, hands on floor in front of student, or arms relaxed behind the body
You can stay in this position for as long as it's comfortable. A good counter pose would be to lie on your stomach, for a gentle back bend.
Cat Pulling It's Tail
This pose is great for the hips, as it does two things at once. The top leg stretches the lower back and glutes (bum muscles) on that side, and the bottom leg stretches the quadriceps and lower abdominal muscles on that side, as well as the hip flexors (Psoas, Iliacus). It's win-win. Yay!
Again though, if you live with lower back or knee issues, please move with care. Please do not feel as though you must do all these exercises on this page.
An easier version is if don't support yourself on your elbow, and just lie down. Perhaps that would be better.
Meridians affected are the bladder, kidney, liver, stomach, spleen, and gallbladder. Please check the above meridian charts for further clarification.
Hold for one minute.
A great and easy counter pose would be to lie on your back and hug your knees in.
Child's Pose
This is my favourite pose. I love stretching out my back during this pose, and shutting out the outside world.
The spine stretching benefit of this pose is comparison to none. With the head down and comfortable, mentally you turn inward, and decrease any stress or anxiety you might be feeling at the moment, and thus feel ready to take a nap.
The gentle compression of the stomach and chest is beneficial, as the pressure on the organs creates better digestion and circulation.
This pose is an obvious no no for diarrhea and pregnancy. But it can also be uncomfortable after eating.
For those with knee issues, you can refrain from doing this pose. Or, if you are only feeling a slight pang, perhaps try placing a pillow or two between your hamstrings and your calfs. This prevents the knees from going into a full flexion.
For this particular picture, and day, I placed my head on my arms. However, you can put your arms straight out in front of you, or place them gently by your side. Whatever feels good and groovy in the moment is great.
The meridians involved are the bladder, as the back is being stretched in this pose. However, the spleen, stomach, liver and kidney meridians are also involved as they all run through the torso, which is receiving pressure by the gravity of it's weight upon the tucked up legs. Very nice.
This pose can be done for however long as you want. A nice counter pose would be to go into whatever feels good at the moment.
Dangling
This pose is great for the lower back. It's lovely just to hang there, and feel the weight of your upper torso, stretch out the lower half. It's like being suspended. However, this pose is a no no for people who live with lower disc problems, in particular, the ones who protrude posterior. The best thing for that situation is to lie on your stomach and rest in a gentle back bend (which is what lying on your stomach is). But I digress.
This pose also stretches out the hamstrings, helps to alleviate pain during menstruation, and gently massages the lower internal organs.
But people who have high blood pressure should not do this pose, as anytime the head is lower than the heart; you could increase your blood pressure. People with low blood pressure need to be ever mindful when getting up. Please do it slowly to prevent being dizzy.
For those who have mild back issues, an alternative to this pose would be to bend your knees, as this will release the back a bit. As well, you can rest your hands on a nearby table or chair.
The main meridian that is being stretched is the bladder meridian, being that it runs from our head to our toes.
Hold this pose for 30 seconds, and then build up gradually if you want, but nothing longer than two minutes.
A good counterpose would be a gentle back bend. Perhaps lying on your back and hugging in your knees.
Deer Pose
This pose is perfect for practicing internal and external rotation of the hips. Above is a picture of me sitting, but this pose produces a stimulating stretch when lying down as well.
Further research on this pose suggested that it can assist with improved digestion, relieve symptoms of menopause, therapeutic for high blood pressure and asthma.
Knee issues will be a major factor in this pose, so please practice with care. Bringing the foot closer to the groin might help, or placing a folded blanket beneath the knee might provide a bit more comfort.
Meridians involved are the gall bladder for the front leg, and the stomach, kidney, liver and spleen on the back leg.
Be mindful of keeping both sitting bones on the ground. Notice how much comfort and distance there is between your feet and your hips, adjust accordingly for the optimum comfort and stretch.
Hold this for however long is comfortable and functional. The perfect counter pose is rotating your legs and doing this pose on the other side.
Dragon
This pose opens the hips. In particular the Psoas and Iliacus, the two hip flexors muscles that sit deep in the joint. But also, the quadriceps of the back leg and the upper hamstring muscles of the bent leg. Lovely!!!
As you can see, there are many variations of this pose. These variations assist in the stretch depending on the angle of the different muscles.
This pose can be helpful for sciatica, as it opens up the sacroiliac joint, and stretches any tight muscles well as tight muscle structures.
If you have knee issues, place a folded blanket beneath your knee of your straight leg for further comfort and support. Another option is to put a bolster beneath your calf of your straight leg.
The meridians involved are the stomach, spleen, kidney and liver.
You can hold this pose for however long your want if you are comfortable and not in pain. 3 - 5 minutes would be great.
Play around with this pose. See what feels good and groovy for you and your body.
Frog
Although I'm not a hockey fan, I am a good Canadian girl, and know all too well that Roberto Luongo did this stretch in the net before game time while he played for the Vancouver Canucks and also the 2010 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team.
So here is another deep stretch for the front of the hips and adductors (the muscles on the medial side of our legs). This pretty position provides a bit of a back bend. For individuals who have back issues, be careful.
It is an option to put your chin on the flour, however my neck prefers to be in this position, with my forehead on the floor. Another thing that would make this position a bit more pleasant would be to do this sideways on my mat, or put a bit of cushioning below my knees.
An alternative to this would be to only bend one leg at a time, or place a bolster beneath your chest and tummy and attempt bringing up one or both legs. You can also attempt to straighten out one arm at a time, or both, above your head. However, you can also try to just rest on your elbows, causing a bit more of a back bend.
The meridians involved are the stomach, kidney, liver, and spleen. If you have your arms held above your head then you would be stretching out the heart, lung and large and small intestines.
Hold this pose for as long as it is comfortable. Build you time up to 3 - 5 minutes if you can. If not, try one leg at a time.
A great counter pose would be to pull your legs back in and nestle into Child's pose.
Happy Baby
Indeed, doesn't this just bring us back to either being a baby, or seeing a baby do this? This pose feels so good.
This pose is another hip opener. Very restful. Sources suggest that this pose should be avoided if high blood pressure is an issue, as it is a bit of an inversion in the sense that your legs are higher than your head.
You can
Another option for this pose is to do one leg at a time, or use a strap. Perhaps start this pose with a couple of minutes with your legs just lying up the wall. It will help stretch out your hamstrings.
There meridian that is involved is the urinary bladder.
A nice counter pose would be to turn yourself onto your tummy and rest a while.
Knee Down Twist
Knee down twist is the most soothing pose to go into after an exhausting yoga class. Can't you just feel the graceful movement of yourself going into this position? Bring up your knee higher in order to splay apart the sacroiliac (SI) joint? Yes, yes, yes! This will help if you suffer from sciatica. Although this is part of the problem for stomach sleepers. They sometimes stay in this position all night, and habitually over time, their SI joints become unstable. That's how some hip problems occur.
Arms can be put where ever you feel you get the best stretch. However, if you have a shoulder injury, please be mindful of your pain, and the positioning of your arm.
There are many options for this pose. You can bring both legs over and stretch your upper torso and neck the other way. Height of your arms and knees is whatever feels good and groovy to you.
The meridian that is surely being affected is your bladder meridian. If your arms are resting high above your head, then your heart, small intestine and lung meridians are being stimulated.
Twists always aid digestion. I've been taught in Yoga Teacher Training here in Winnipeg that if you twist your knees to the right, you are blocking the colon, and preventing diarrhea. If you are twisting your knees to the left, you are opening the colon, and assisting for elimination during constipation. Learn something new every day eh!
You can hold this pose for as long as you like, but be sure to hold both sides equally as long. 3 - 5 minutes is a great amount of time.
Shavasana
Shavasana, also called Corpse Pose, is the most important pose of your whole yoga practice, and although it looks easy, it's.
Shavasana is always done at the end of class, and putting a bolster beneath your knees is always an option, as it helps the lower back relax. Reason being is that this pose allows the body to incorporate and transition every pose it's gone through, into something better. It transforms our yogic energy that we put into each pose into the next phase of what we and our body does during that day.
While our body has been balancing, stretching and strengthening itself for a better part of an hour, our mind sometimes doesn't want to calm down. In particular for me, as soon as we lie down, I want to gather up my bolster and water bottle and get out of there...but I know that's not the best thing for me.
Allow your palms to face up, and then bring your shoulder blades flat on the floor. Stretch the back of your neck, by bringing your chin down towards your chest. Take a couple of deep breaths, and allow yourself to transition between your workout to your cool down. Some yoga teachers will do a body scan, beginning at your feet. Feel them get heavy on the floor, and then sink down into it. Drape your whole spine along your mat, and feel the gravity cover your body, pushing you further into the floor. On your next inhale bring your focus up to your knees. Feel the space between your knees on the mat. Feel the in breath cool on your nostrils, then breath out, noticing the warmth on your upper lip. As you pull your awareness up to your lower back, notice if your hips are even. Are they lying in the floor symmetrically? Feel the space between your lower back and the floor. Inhale your attention up to your lungs. Open up your lungs to create a giant cathedral ceiling, gilded in gold. On your next three inhales, infuse your lungs with gold, feeling the warm of the color. Allow the warm of the color to soak into your skin and spine, deepening the relaxation. On your next inhale, draw your attention up to the back of your neck. Relax all your muscles there. Breathe in again, and feel your exhale again on your upper lip. Relax your muscles around your mouth. As you inhale, bring your attention up to your eyes, and on your exhale relax the muscles around your eyes. Relax the muscles of your forehead. Try to widen the distance between your eyebrows. Allow your tongue to relax at the back of your throat, and feel your brain drop to the back of your skull.
Now take your biggest breath of the day. Exhale. Stretch your arms above your head, and make yourself as long as possible. Relax for a 10 breaths. Take a moment to wiggle your fingers and toes. Circle your ankles and feet. Feel the energy in your body move. Feel the energy in the palms of your hands. Inhale again, and on your exhale, roll to your right side. Rest awhile before getting up, and continuing on your day.
Shoelace
This pose requires you to stack one knee on top of the other. If that is not comfortable, you can sit cross legged and do a forward fold from there. Attempt to keep your weight on your sitting bones, rather than bringing it forward onto your knees.
This is another pose that pries apart the sacroiliac joint (SI joint), as indicated in the knee down twist talked about above. Also, when you are folding forward this pose stretches out your lower back. However, seated forward bends are not suggested for people with lower disc problems, or sciatica, as this tends to bulge out the discs posterior. Try putting a bolster beneath your chest to prevent you from going down too far. And if you feel your neck is not properly aligned, try placing your hands beneath your forehead.
I remember the first day of being in Yoga Teacher Training class. Initially, not being the most graceful pupil, my instructor was always calling out my name, finding fault with invariably anything I was doing. By the end of the 30 days, I hated to hear my own name. And although he's a great yogi, to this day I still side step him and his classes. But moving along, it was this time that he gave me the best advice. He suggested that I put a cushion beneath my hips, as my hips should always be higher than my knees. Hips need to rotate forward. If hips are the same level as the knees, they tend to roll back, which puts extra stress on the lower back. So try putting a cushion beneath your sit bones. See how it feels.
In regards to pregnant women, forward folds are not suggested after the first trimester.
For those with knee problems, perhaps try to pad them up a bit with a folded blanket.
Meridians involved are the liver, kidney and spleen coming up the medial sides of the legs, as well as the bladder meridian going down the spine.
A nice counter pose would be Windshield Wipers. You do this by bending your knees, planting the bottoms of your feet on your mat, and rotating the leg as a unit side to side, to the left than the right.
Holding this pose for 3 - 5 minutes is suitable as long as you are comfortable.
Plough
This pose supplies the whole spine with a deep stretch. Being that the front of the body is in a compressed position; the internal organs get a massage.
Now looking at this pose, being that my bottom is higher than my head, I am in a position called an inversion. When in an inversion we need to be mindful of blood flow. In particular, people with high blood pressure should avoid this position. Pregnant women, for obvious reasons should also not attempt this pose, along with individuals who live with glaucoma, neck issues or who get dizzy easy.
Before going into the pose, start out with some gentle neck stretches.
There are several preliminary stages to this pose:
1. While on your back, in one movement, gently kick both legs up in the air, and have your hands come to your lower back to support it. Straighten up your legs. If this feels good and you don't want to go any further, stay there.
2. To go deeper into the pose, bend your knees and bring them down behind you. Rest them on a bolster if you are unable to bring them down to the floor.
3. Straighten out both legs, and tuck your toes beneath your feet in dorsi flexion, and keep your feet on the ground.
This pose is a great stretch for the spine and hamstrings. In particular, the bladder meridian flows all the way down the spine to the feet.
This pose can be held for as long as you feel comfortable, but no longer than 3 - 5 minutes.
When I attended Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy in Vermont, my instructor Karen Haskaarl carefully suggested that for this pose, lay the spine on a blanket, but have the neck and head off the mat. This provides better supports for the neck when attempting this pose. However other sources neglect to indicate this. Please be safe, and do what feels good.
A nice counter pose would be just to lie on your back and breathe. However a gentle Sphinx pose could be soothing for the neck, as indicated below.
Sphinx & Seal
The above three poses are the transition from Sphinx into Seal. Seal being the pose with the straight arms.
Although this pose looks simple, it can compress the lower back, so be gentle with yourself when going into the pose. Please remember, lying on your tummy is a gentle back bend. Going from Sphinx into Seal is extremely deep, and should be done slowly.
Pregnant women should not be pushing their bellies into the ground. Rather, attempt to push the stomach forward. People who have severe back issues might want to skip this pose, especially if their discs are anterior protruding their spine.
The above pictures have my neck at neutral position, however if you want to tilt it back slightly, that will stimulate the thyroid gland.
When in Seal pose, rotate the hands outward. The closer the hands are together the more deeply you are in the pose. Some individuals want their arms out in front. I prefer them out more to the side. It depends on your skeletal and muscle structures. Similarly, experiment with the distance between your legs. That too will make a difference.
Meridians involved in this pose are the stomach meridian down the front of the body, and the liver, kidney and spleen meridians that meander up the medial side of the legs and up to your chest.
The length of time spent in this pose depends on your comfort and prior conditioning. In my classes, the first couple of weeks we begin with one minute, then go down for 3 breaths, then up again for another minutes. By the end of a 12 week session, I have them try a 5 minute hold in Seal. My mother, who is 76, is happy as a clam in that position for 5 minutes. Rock on mom!
When coming out of this pose, you can feel the fragility of your body. Move ever so slowly into a Child's Pose, and rest there as long as needed.
Square
Square pose is a gentle preparation for hip work. It's done by placing your ankle joints together with your knee joints of the opposite leg. However, using a pillow beneath your sitting bones is beneficial, as it allows the hips to roll forward, and gives the front of your spine a healthy stretch. If this is not a comfortable position, simply cross your legs, or attempt on ankle over one knee, one at a time. Please use bolsters or folded cushions to support your knees if they go up in the air.
Be gentle with the pressure on your knees, especially if you are attempting to fold forward in this pose. If you have a disc problem in your lower back that protrudes posterior, I would exercise caution.
The meridian involved is the bladder along the back of the spine. If you stretch your arms out in front of you during the forward fold, you will be stretching the heart, lung and small intestine meridians.
Make sure to be comfortable, and only hold for 3 - 5 minutes, or what you find your comfort zone to be.
Afterwards, stretch your legs out in front and perform some Windshield Wipers to get the circulation back in your legs.
Squat
Squats open the front of the hips, and release the lower back.
Being that the knees are bent almost 120% degrees, individuals with knee injuries should avoid this pose.
Meridians involved are the liver, kidney and spleen, as they come up the legs on the front side of the body. Also the bladder coming down the back of the body is also being stretched.
A gentle counter pose would be Dangling. Anything that straigthens out the knees.
Because of the pressure on the knees, I only hold this pose for one minute.
Swan
Swan and Sleeping Swan (the bottom picture) are alternative hip openers. Sleeping Swan is a bit more relaxing, as gravity pushes down on the back, allowing the body to fully fold over the bent knee.
The bent knee is in an external rotation, creating a deep stretch for the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.
The straight leg is stretching the hip flexors (Psoas and Iliacus), as well as the quadriceps of that leg.
Because of the precariousness of the bent knee, caution needs to be taken if you have knee issues or a previous injury. Attempt to keep the foot of the bent leg in a flexed position to alleviate any tension around that knee. Also, pleacing a folded blanket or small pillow beneath the bent knee's hip will help to center themselves.
Meridians involved are teh liver, kidney and spleen, as they all come up through the groin and into the torso. The stomach meridian is also being addressed if you keep your torso up.
Because this pose allows for a bit of movement and alteration of the body, stay here for 2-3 minutes, as long as nothing is hurting.
Windshield Wipers are a great counter pose.
