Yin Yoga

Yin yoga is the first level of Taoist yoga, taught by Santa Monica, California-based Master Paulie Zink, who is also a noted martial arts expert.

Yin yoga has been popularized in Western Culture by teachers Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers. The teachings of Paul Grilley incorporate ideas related to traditional Chinese medicine and qigong, such as Taoist yoga and meridians. The practice is called yin, as opposed to yang, because it corresponds with yin attributes such as substance (as opposed to activity), passive posturing (as opposed to active movement), cold (as opposed to hot) and other such qualities. It has been differentiated from "yang" yoga just as many physical practices in China are divided into yin and yang schools, the yin schools being softer and less aggressive. Yin yoga, as it is commonly taught in the West, is now associated with these Chinese practices. Yin yoga is often used to improve the flow of qi through the body.

Yin yoga is often prescribed as a method of preparing for meditation postures, specifically lotus position(called the butterfly, in Taoist yoga), which require flexibility in the connective tissue.

The Yin yoga community continues to grow; it has become very popular in the big cities in China like Shanghai, Beijing, and others.

Practice

Yin yoga targets connective tissue, specifically ligaments and tendons in the joints and spine. Over time, practice of yin yoga can lengthen these tissues, increasing range of motion. To give an idea of the role that connective tissue plays in determining range of motion: muscles account for about forty percent of the resistance against the body's flexibility, while connective tissue accounts for about fifty percent [1]. The intensity and physical benefits of the practice depend on two variables: duration of the asana, and the temperature of the muscle.

Duration of Asana

In order to lengthen the connective tissue, the practitioner holds an asana, engaging in static stretching. This applies stress, in the form of tension, to the muscle and connective tissue in the targeted region. The muscle, more elastic than the connective tissue, responds immediately, lengthening to its limit. When the muscle is fully stretched, the stress reaches the connective tissue, which is not elastic and does not immediately lengthen. In order to affect the connective tissue, stress must be applied for several minutes at a time. In yin yoga, asanas are usually held for three to five minutes, but can be held for as long as twenty minutes. Because of the long duration of asanas, one of the key values cultivated in the practice of yin yoga is patience.

Temperature of Muscle

If the muscles are cold, they will be less elastic, and more stress will be transferred to the connective tissue. For this reason, it is recommended that yin yoga be practiced earlier in the day, before physical activity that warms the muscles and increases their elasticity. However, some note that practicing yin yoga after a strenuous day is psychologically soothing.

Yin Asanas

Yin asanas are almost entirely passive and do not usually include what would usually be classified as standing asanas or balance poses. During the asana, muscles are relaxed to avoid tetany, or muscle spasming, which will result from engaging muscles for long periods of time. There are only about thirty-five asanas that are taught by most yin yoga teachers, though this number will vary from source to source, and most poses have one or more variations. However, Master Paulie Zink teaches hundreds of yin postures.