What is yin yoga?

Yin yoga is a slow, passive practice that stretches and stimulates the connective tissue rather than the muscles, so enabling deep opening, particularly in the hips and spine. Postures and are held for an extended period of time (anything from three to ten minutes). This style is relaxing and revitalising, and is equally appropriate for beginners and experienced yogis.

Yin yoga was developed by Paul Grilley in the 1980s and is derived from the Taoist yoga of martial arts master Paulie Zink. Paul Grilley taught this new form to Sarah Powers, and these latter two teachers popularised it in the United States and Great Britain. Yin yoga was in part a response to the trend towards more dynamic (yang) forms of yoga practice, such as astanga vinyasa, on the contemporary yoga scene. Paul Grilley says he emphasises yin not because there’s anything wrong with yang but because the yin approach is currently under-represented in the yoga world. In fact, we need both yin and yang to make our yoga practice complete.



What is Ali’s approach to teaching it

My classes are not pure yin in style, but incorporate elements from restorative and other slower more passive forms of hatha yoga, and are informed by mind–body principles from Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy. They consist of simple, accessible postures, with the focus on sensitive stretching, relaxation and self-reflection. Basic pranayama (breathing techniques) and sitting meditation are also sometimes included. I place emphasis on looking inwards and becoming aware of what is happening in the mind and the emotions as well as the body, encouraging students to become increasingly sensitive to the subtleties of their own experience.

FAQS

• How do your classes differ from pure yin classes?

Whereas yin yoga is specifically geared towards stretching connective tissue (ligaments and fascia), in my classes we sometimes also work on muscular flexibility. We are not necessarily working towards maximum stretch but rather seeking to witness as fully as possible what happens – physically, emotionally and mentally – when we take our bodies into varying degrees of varying types of movement. Another difference is that whereas yin yoga draws on the Chinese philosophy and practice of Taoism, in my classes I rely on the traditional framework and terminology of the yoga system, originating in India.

• Is this form of yoga suitable for someone who is unfit?

Yes. This practice is mostly passive, so it demands relatively little in terms of physical energy. For this reason, if you are looking to get fit, you are best advised to combine yin yoga with a more dynamic form (see the astanga page for one possibility), which will help you to gain stamina and aerobic fitness.

• Is this form of yoga suitable for someone who is not very flexible?

Yes. The emphasis is on stretching, but most of the postures can be modified, so there will generally be a variation for you whatever your level of flexibility (or not!).

• Is this type of yoga suitable during pregnancy?

No, not unless you’ve had a lot of experience of yoga and know how to modify postures appropriately, using props and shortening hold times. In yin yoga we are working on connective tissue. During pregnancy, hormonal changes cause the connective tissue to become more elastic so that the pubic bones can open for birth. It is therefore easy to over-stretch ligaments while you are pregnant (and for some months after birth). If you are pregnant and new to yoga, you should look for a class that is specifically geared to pregnant women.

• Is this style of yoga suitable for someone with chronic fatigue syndrome?

Yes. This is a gentle, mostly passive form of yoga. It will revitalise you without requiring a big imput of energy.

• I’m hypermobile – will this form of yoga overstretch my ligaments?

In my experience, it depends on how you practise it. In hypermobility areas of under-used and contracted connective tissue are often masked by nearby over-used and over-stretched areas. If approached with awareness, deep slow stretching can target these contracted areas so that the body gradually becomes more balanced. On the other hand, there may be postures that you need to modify or avoid because they work on connective tissue that is already over-stretched. As with any yoga practice, the key is awareness – awareness of your own edge and of what you, and you uniquely, are really experiencing. You can over-do yin yoga, just as you can over-do yang forms of yoga, causing yourself all sorts of damage, so foster steadiness in your approach. In general, be mindful of how long you hold the postures. While normal connective tissue may need a five-minute hold in order to stretch, one minute may be sufficient in a hypermobile body. Also be aware that the stretch receptors often function differently in hypermobile tissue; this means that a hypermobile person doesn’t necessarily receive the normal signals of over-stretching until it’s too late – so err on the side of caution. Bear in mind that we’re all different and that what is helpful to one may be harmful to another. Above all, trust your own experience.