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Yin yoga

Yoga / Popular

Long-held floor poses for deep connective-tissue release.

What coaches agree on

  • Hold each pose for several minutes at a time, most often somewhere between 2 and 5 minutes, since that is how long it takes for a stretch to reach the fascia and connective tissue instead of just the muscle.
  • Let gravity and your own body weight settle you into each shape rather than using muscular effort to hold or deepen it. Once you have arrived, stop adjusting and let yourself be still.
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Common mistakes

  • Chasing the deepest, most intense variation of a pose, or comparing your flexibility to other people or other styles of yoga, instead of easing back to a moderate sensation you can still breathe through.
  • Gripping or tensing muscles during a hold, such as a clenched jaw, tight shoulders, or held breath, instead of consciously releasing them, which shifts the work out of the connective tissue and back into the muscle.