top of page

Yin Yoga

 

A quiet, meditative yoga practice, also called taoist yoga. Yin focuses on lengthening connective tissues and is meant to complement yang yoga—your muscle-forming Anusara, ashtanga, Iyengar, or what have you. Yin poses are passive, meaning you’re supposed to relax muscles and let gravity do the work. And they’re long — you’ll practice patience here too.


Yin Yoga is an ancient system of Hatha Yoga specifically focused on strengthening and stretching the deep tissues around the hips and lower spine in order to improve one's ability to comfortably meditate for prolonged periods.


Yin Yoga focuses on floor postures. Asanas are never rushed - poses are relaxed and intentionally held for longer stretches of time. When appropriate, Yin yoga has also been used for physical rehabilitation.

In Yin Yoga, poses are held for several minutes at a time in order to the stretch the connective tissue around the joints. The most prominent advocate of this method is the American teacher Paul Grilley, who learned the basic technique from Taoist Yoga teacher and martial arts expert Paulie Zink. Grilley also studied with the Japanese Dr. Motoyama, whose research posits that our connective tissue may actually be the key to discovering subtle energy channels in the body (called nadis in yoga and meridians in Traditional Chinese Medicine).

 

 

Despite having an advanced asana practice, which is supposed to help prepare the body for meditation, Grilley found himself uncomfortable when he began to attempt long, seated meditations. Yin Yoga directly addresses the demands that sitting still in one position for a long time places on the body by focusing on stretching connective tissue instead of muscle. Sarah Powers, who studied with Paul Grilley, is another well-known teacher in this field.


Yin and Yang
In Chinese philosophy, the yin yang symbolizes the duality and interdependency of the natural world. Things that are yang are moving, changing, and vigorous. In contrast, things that are yin are still, static, and calm.


The majority of western yoga practices have evolved into being very yang- lots of movement, with an emphasis on stretching the muscles. Muscles are yang, while connective tissues like tendons and ligaments are yin. Sitting for meditation is more yin, and therefore requires a practice that adresses this use of the body. While joints like the knees and ankles are fragile and easily over stretched, the body also contains joints in the pelvis, hips and lower spine that are naturally much less flexible. It is these joints that yin yoga primarily addresses.


Yin Poses
Yin poses are derived from traditional yoga poses, though they have been renamed to distinguish them. Thus, cobbler's pose becomes butterfly, plow pose becomes snail, and pigeon pose becomes sleeping swan.


Yin vs Restorative
Though Yin yoga and restorative yoga are similar in that poses are held for long periods, they have fundamentally different purposes. It is possible to get yin benefits from doing restorative poses, but the goal is not relaxation. Restorative poses are typically much more supported using props. In yin poses, gravity helps intensify the stretch. Some poses, such as dragon (a version of lizard pose ), would not work as restorative poses, which are typically done in a supine or prone position.
 

HOURS

YOGA: Online Class NOW available

Vinyasa Tuesdays @9:00am

(In person and on Zoom)

 

MASSAGE:

TUESDAYS-THURSDAYS

10am - 5:30pm

 

FRIDAYS 

10:30am - 2:00pm

​

​

CONTACT​

STUDIO TODD MASSAGE & YOGA LLC

5655 E. Mabel St.,  Studio B (Located in the back of the property) 

Tucson, AZ 85712

​

Located on the Northwest corner of Mabel St. and Van Buren St. Please park in the back, there is parking either on the street of Van Buren, or in the space behind the studio space. Go through the gate, and the studio is to your right. 

 

Email: katieleetodd024@gmail.com

Telephone: 520.891.2412

Subscribe for Updates

Congrats! You’re subscribed

  • Facebook Basic Black
  • Instagram Basic Black

© 2014 Studio Todd Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page