What is Yin - everyone is welcome!
with Jo Ann

Yin is a slow-paced and gentle style of yoga that works with foundational poses to increase mobility, stretch, and hydrate the body’s fascia tissues. The practice also invites the student into a meditative space.

There is three principles we practice in every pose.

The first thing we do in Yin Yoga is come to an “edge” in a posture where we start to feel mild stress in the body. Not the type of stress we get from our daily lives or our to do lists J This “stress” is the area of the body that we are intending to positively focus on in our Yin Yoga postures.

Then, students are asked to find stillness to relax the muscles in their bodies, as we want to engage our connective tissues like the fascia, ligaments and joints.

Lastly, you will be asked to commit to holding a pose for a specific period of time.

This practice has a handful of postures that can be aided with yoga props to support the body’s joints.

In Yin yoga, time is more important than intensity. Time is what allows the body to relax into the stretch and allows the mind to surrender to the present moment.

Beyond the physical body, Yin yoga also works with the body via the meridians of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The belief of yin tradition is that by stretching and compressing the meridians of the body, we stimulate the free-flowing movement of qi (or chi). Not only will yin yoga help to improve your flexibility, it will also help to calm and soothe your mind.