Yin Yoga Resources

This yin yoga sequence is designed to be a well rounded practice that targets a variety of areas in the body instead of just focusing on one. Use this practice when you’re not sure what area of the body you’d like to focus on, or alternate this practice with other practices that emphasize more specific actions or areas.

It makes sense that restorative yoga and yin yoga are sometimes confused with one another. These two practices are similar in many ways. They’re both slow, receptive, calming, cooling, and oftentimes, they both emphasize contemplative teachings.

These two practices do have some essential differences though. I often get asked how these two forms of yoga are different from each other, so watch the video and read the post to learn more:

This yin yoga sequence works with the four main movements of the spine. The spine is designed to move into flexion (forward bending), extension (back bending), lateral extension (side bending) and rotation (twisting).

The spinal column is made up of gently curving stacked bony vertebrae. Between each of the vertebra are discs made up of a fibrous outer layer and a jelly like centre. These disks hold the vertebrae together and help the spine absorb shock. The spines naturally curved shape, and the shock absorbing qualities of the discs, provide buoyancy to our body and our movements.

This yin yoga sequence targets the outer hip and inner groin.

Many of the poses below emphasize external rotation of the hip, so be sure to also include poses that re-establish internal rotation as well. When practicing a lot of external rotation in the hips, it can be helpful to simply return to the midline with a close knee child’s pose, which you can see in the sequence below. You may also want to include active standing poses that strengthen your outer hip. Remember - we’re always looking to create balance in the body - stretching and strengthening!

Using the wall is a great way to support the body if you’re feeling fatigued, or if you’re looking for a very gentle practice. Using the wall is also helpful if you or your students have some physical barriers that limit mobility in seated yin yoga poses.

Parts of this practice could be considered more “restorative” due to the very supported nature of the poses. But if you’re feeling a “stretch”, or feeling gentle pressure in the body, that means you’re still activating the connective tissues which is a central tenant in the yin yoga style of practice.

In any case, you can use this practice to slow down and calm the nervous system, or to support tired legs and feet. Check out the video to practice along:

Yin yoga square pose helps to open the hips through external rotation. If folding forward it also creates flexion in the spine.

Yin yoga square pose activates the Liver and Gallbladder meridians and if you fold forward the Kidney and Urinary Bladder meridians are targeted.

Yin yoga toe squat and yin yoga ankle stretch are great to open the bottom of the feet (the plantar fascia), they create more space in the toes and they open the ankles.

These yin poses also target all of the lower meridians that run through the feet. The meridians targeted are the Kidney, Urinary Bladder, Liver, Gallbladder, Spleen, and Stomach meridians.

Yin yoga dragonfly posture or straddle pose is a forward fold with the legs wide. From a seated position a forward fold, a side bend or a twist can be practiced.

A yin yoga dragonfly pose targets the backs of the thighs (hamstrings), hips, inner groin, and inner knees. It also activates the Kidney, Urinary Bladder, Liver, and Spleen meridians.

The yin yoga posture of sleeping swan pose or pigeon pose creates external rotation in the front leg, and targets the quads and hip flexors. It’s also a backbend which compresses the lower back and can help maintain the health of the lower spine..

Sleeping swan pose primarily targets the Liver, Gall Bladder, spleen, Stomach, Kidney and Urinary Bladder meridians.

This yin yoga posture of childs pose with a twist is similar to regular childs pose except you bring your bottom shoulder toward the opposite knee. It opens the stomach channel through the twisting as well as the inner leg. If you choose to release your opposite hand and drape it behind you the chest, Lung, Heart and Large Intestine is also activated.

I am SO delighted to finally open registration to Chinese Medicine for Yoga Online!!

During many of the yoga trainings I've offered, I've heard from students and teachers who want to incorporate Traditional Chinese Medicine into their yoga and their life.

So I created this course: Chinese Medicine for Yoga.

This course is designed to provide an overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and the associated meridian system.

The yin yoga posture of happy baby pose or stirrup pose helps to open the hips and the inner line of the leg. The movement creates external rotation in the hips and can also decompress the sacrum and the sacroiliac joint.

Energetically, it targets the Liver, Kidney, Spleen, Gallbladder and Urinary Bladder meridians.

Dragon pose is a yin yoga pose that is a deep hip and groin opener. It opens the hip flexors and quads and depending on the variation it opens the inner leg. It primarily targets the Liver, Kidney, Spleen, and Gallbladder meridians.

Caterpillar pose is a straight-legged forward fold. It helps to lengthen the ligaments that run along the spine, activates the hamstrings, and compresses the abdomen aiding in digestion. It also triggers the Bladder channel that runs along the back line of the legs and along either side of the spine.

Melting heart is a beautiful backbend for the upper and mid back. It helps to open the shoulders and the heart. Remember if you feel any tingling in your hands or arms to back off. You can also lpace your hands shoulder width or wider to ease some pressure in the upper back. If you would like to intensify the opening bring your chin towards the floor instead of the forehead. You can also use padding under various areas such as the knees, ankles or chest to create more comfort and ease.

Both of the postures of yin yoga saddle pose and half saddle pose target the sacro-lumbar region, the kidneys, and the ligaments along the spine. They also stretch the hip flexors and the quadriceps.

Butterfly pose is one of the most accessible forward folds in the yin yoga practice. It's a great pose to open up space in the back, hips, and adductors (inner leg). And it targets the Ball Bladder, Kidney, Liver and Urinary Bladder meridians in the Chinese system.

It's a great low back stretch for people who are sometimes limited in other forward folds due to tight hamstrings and its a good forward fold option during pregnancy due to the space it provides the belly. 

Viparita Karani or "legs up the wall" can be used in an active yoga practice, in a yin yoga or restorative yoga practice. It's a deeply nourishing pose that is very revitalizing for the lower body. It's also very calming for the nervous system.

Sphinx pose is a backbend that helps to open the front of the body and compresses the lower spine, sacrum, and the region of the kidneys and the adrenal glands. It also activates the Kidney meridian, and the ligaments along the spine. This is a particularly important due to its connection with the reserve of Qi held in this area.

Seal pose is a deeper back bend and may not be available for everyone. Take your time. This posture not only pressurizes the spine and kidney meridian it also opens up the upper chest, strengthens the arm bones, and provides a stretch into the front of the body which is where the Spleen and Stomach meridian run. This variation is also safe to practice while pregnant.

Today's video is the yin yoga posture "reclining spinal twist". There are many variations to this pose dependent of personal preference and mobility in the knees and back. This posture primarily helps to twist the spine and "massage" or squeeze the internal digestive organs, making it a great pose to work out any last bits of tension near the end of your practice.

Savasana (corpse pose) is a resting pose that is usually used at the end of yoga practice. But you can use savasana at any point in your practice to integrate the movement and practices you've done. 

Savasana helps us to let go at the end of our practice. It helps to calm the mind and induces a sense of relaxation. You can also use savasana throughout your day as a way to "reset", process daily events, and reduce fatigue.

Half butterfly pose and half dragonfly are forward folds with one leg bent and the sole of the foot placed along the inner thigh of the opposite extended leg. The names of these poses are oftentimes used interchangeably so I included them together for today’s video.

Both of these forward folds help to open the back, hips, and inner leg which correlates with the Kidney, Liver, Gall Bladder and Urinary Bladder meridians. 

Shoelace pose is used within the yin yoga system to externally rotate the hips, stretch the inner thighs and groin and, if you're folding forward, decompress the lower spine.

The primary meridians affected are the Liver, Gallbladder and Kidney channels. If you're folding forward the Urinary Bladder meridian will also be affected. 

Child's pose, like all forward folds, is a very cooling and calming posture. It can calm the mind, relieve stress, stretch the spine, open the lower back and sacrum, and help to compress the lower digestive system. 

Childs pose targets the Spleen, Kidney and Urinary Bladder meridians as well as the Liver meridian if the knees are wide and the Stomach meridian if there is pressure on the thighs and low belly.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (and many other eastern healing arts), the body contains channels of Qi or prana. These channels are called meridians in Chinese Medicine and they act as gateways to the "energetic" or "subtle body" system.

Each channel is related to a pair of internal organs and can be activated through acupuncture, touch, movement or meditation. Along each of these channels lie acupressure points which have specific functions and/or actions.

In a yin yoga style practice postures are softly held (mostly on the floor) for long periods of time. 

Holding a yin yoga posture creates circulation in the tissues and joints keeping them flexible and supple, calms the nervous system, and increases circulation of Prana or Qi in the energetic channel system of the body.

Within our yin yoga practice we can practice sequences of poses that directly target areas of the physical body as well as specific meridian lines. Meridians are considered channels where Qi or Prana flows. Qi is the basic life force of the body. Having enough Qi flowing smoothly in the meridians is key to health and longevity in body and mind.  

While each pose effects multiple meridians at a time we can combine the poses in a sequence to emphasize one or two meridians.