Yin Yoga - the art of stillness

Heart image representing stress reduction as result of doing yin yoga

Reduce Stress

Find deep relaxation through gentle practise

Image representing tension and how yin yoga can help release tension

Release Tension

Target deep connective tissues & joints

Image representing flexibility and how yin yoga can help improve flexibility

Improve Flexibility

Enhance mobility & joint health

Image of scales representing balance and how yin yoga can help the students find balance

Find Balance

Harmonize body, mind & energy

Discover the Power of Slowing Down with Yin Yoga

In a world that constantly pushes us to move faster and do more, Yin Yoga invites you to embrace the transformative power of stillness, inviting in the cool calmness of yin to balance the fiery active yang in our lives.  Unlike the more traditional dynamic  "yang" yoga styles you might be familiar with, Yin Yoga is a gentle yet profound practice that focusses on stillness and deep tissue release, which helps to improve mobility, recovery, and mindfulness.

A Different Kind of Yoga Practice

While traditional yoga classes focus on flowing movements to build strength and flexibility, Yin Yoga takes a different approach. Here, we hold poses for extended periods—typically 3-5 minutes—allowing your body to slowly and safely open up. There's no forcing, no striving for perfect alignment. Instead, you'll learn to find your edge: that sweet spot where you feel sensation but remain comfortable enough to stay present and relaxed. 

Think of it as meditation for your body. As you settle into each pose, your mind naturally quiets, creating space for deep reflection and release. This isn't about pushing through discomfort; it's about learning to be still and allowing your body to naturally unwind.

Yin yoga class featuring students in long-held reclining poses supported by props such as bolsters, emphasizing stillness and deep tissue release for relaxation and rejuvenation
Traditional yoga class with dynamic sequences and standing poses, promoting strength, flexibility, and fluid movement.
Diagram illustrating key meridian lines in the body (energy channels within the body according to traditional chinese medicine), highlighting how Yin Yoga encourages the flow of chi (energy) along these channels, to promote balance and wellbeing

Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science

Rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Yin Yoga works with the body's vital energy, or "chi." This life force flows through energy channels called meridians—similar to rivers running through your body. Each Yin pose is carefully designed to stimulate specific meridians, enhancing the flow of chi and bringing balance to your body's energy systems.

Just as TCM has understood for thousands of years, modern science now confirms the profound effects of this practice. From a Western perspective, Yin Yoga works by:

  • Hydrating and strengthening your fascia—the body's connective tissue network that influences flexibility, mobility, and even your nervous system

  • Triggering your body's rest-and-repair response, reducing stress hormones and promoting healing

  • Stimulating mechanoreceptors in your joints and tissues, which helps regulate your nervous system

  • Creating mild, beneficial stress in the tissues that encourages the production of collagen and promotes joint health

  • Supporting your body's natural recovery processes through extended holds and conscious breathing

More Than Just Relaxation

While Yin Yoga might sound similar to restorative yoga, there's a key difference. Restorative yoga uses props to fully support your body in complete comfort. Yin, however, invites you to play with mild stress on your tissues—always respecting your limits—to enhance flexibility and joint health. This gentle stress, combined with time, helps to:

  • Release deep-seated tension and emotional blockages

  • Improve joint mobility and prevent stiffness

  • Reduce stress and anxiety through mindful presence

  • Enhance your body's natural healing processes

  • Boost circulation to joints and fascia

  • Support better sleep and digestion

  • Complement your active lifestyle and other forms of exercise

Teacher (Gait) providing grounding hands-on assist to a Yin Yoga student, emphasizing mindful connection and enhanced relaxation benefits during the practice.

Your Path to Balance

Ready to experience the transformative effects of Yin Yoga? Join me in my Tuesday Yin classes, 8.15pm in the Jubilee Pavilion at the Long Ashton Community Centre. You'll learn to move with intention, breathe with awareness, and find peace in stillness. I will guide you safely through each pose, helping you discover your body's unique needs and abilities.

For the ultimate balanced practice, consider pairing with the dynamic yoga flow class before Yin Yoga. Experience the energizing effects of movement in Flow, then deeply restore and recharge with Yin. This powerful combination of yang and yin creates perfect harmony in both body and mind. Sign up for both classes and enjoy the full experience for just £17—saving you £5 off the regular drop-in price! You can do this by purchasing a flow-yin pass and using this as your payment when you book into the flow and then yin class.

William Penn

Teacher in saddle yin pose, showing how poses can be supported using props such as bolsters and blocks, helping to calm the nervous system and bring students into a calm, safe and supported state.

“True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment”