Yin Yoga is a slow-paced, therapeutic style of yoga. Yin postures are more passive postures, mainly done on the floor either seated or lying down. There are no sun salutations, no planks, no warriors, no jump throughs! There is in fact no dynamic movement and usually no standing poses at all. Yin Yoga is unique in that you are asked to relax into the posture, allowing the body to soften and release naturally without pushing or straining. It is not uncommon for postures to be held for three to five minutes, even 10 minutes at a time. The time spent in these postures is much like time spent in meditation, as the mind shifts from yang to yin, or from active to passive.
The key to practicing Yin Yoga is finding stillness in each position. The goal is to access the deeper tissues of the body, such as connective tissue and fascia, and many of the postures focus on areas that encompass a joint such as the hips, sacrum, and the spine.