styles of yoga - yin yoga

Navigating your way through the different styles of yoga can be a bit of a minefield, so, in this episode we break down what Yin yoga is, the benefits of Yin yoga and some bits and bobs to bear in mind when you're practicing.

Yin yoga is, in essence, a slow, passive style of yoga, that's all about letting go. 

In yin yoga, the postures are held for minutes, rather than breaths, which means that the body weight and gravity work together to release holding patterns, tension and stress. This style of practicing isn't necessarily 'easy', although yin yoga is great for beginners to yoga as there's plenty of time for you to get in to the pose. 

Because of the nature of holding the poses for longer, the poses are usually seated or lying down, so you won't find yourself in a plank or a challenging standing pose for a couple of minutes. (phew!) This is because, rather than targeting the muscles, like a Flow or Ashtanga class does, Yin yoga targets the connective tissues.