Yin Yoga is a less popular form of yoga, which is gradually in the phase of gaining popularity. Many people thought might have heard of it, have hardly any knowledge about what exactly Yin Yoga is. Yin Yoga poses target deep connective tissues of the body, which aids in regulating the flow of energy in our body. You might require quite a few warm-up sessions just to understand what impact do Yin Yoga asanas have on your body. The Yin Yoga postures are more of passive positions which offers more in-depth access to the body. Let us try to understand the various Yin Yoga postures.

What is Yin Yoga?

Yin Yoga poses can be considered as modern-day yoga in slow motion. In this yoga, the regular yogasanas are done at a slower pace with greater hold time. For beginners, the hold time could be 45 seconds to 2 minutes while for advanced level practitioners at the same time could go up to 5 minutes or even beyond.

History of Yin Yoga:

Yin yoga was begun in the late 1970s by martial art master Paulie Zink under the name Taoist Yoga. The Yin Yoga as taught by teachers Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers in America and Europe is, however, not the authentic Yin Yoga, but is a practice to complement more active forms of yoga. Only Master Zink’s approach under the name of Taoist Yoga includes a complete range of Yin and Yang Yoga.

Yin Yoga for Beginners:

The Yin yoga sequence is usually performed in a seated or lying down pose. While the many poses of this yoga might look at the regular ones, the major difference lies in the way it is approached. It does not involve your muscles! Take a look of yin yoga exercises for beginners.

Anahatasana: This is also known as the heart-melting pose. It will help to open the joints of your chest, shoulder, and upper and middle spine.

• Rest on your forearm support, and your knees have to be beneath the frontal hipbones.
• Place your hands forward, making sure that it is slightly wider than the shoulder-width distance.
• Keep your arms stretched out well, making way for your chest to fall towards the mat you are lying on.
• Place your forehead on the ground and breathe slowly for about 5 minutes.

Although they might not be the easiest to do, practice will definitely help you to overcome this challenge. Some of the most basic Yin yoga poses are listed below for you to try.