Yin yoga for beginners: the Yin Practice

35 min Beginner 14 poses

Long holds and complete letting go

Yin yoga is a calm style where you hold poses for a long time and keep your muscles soft. This program has 14 seated and reclined poses, with holds from 65 seconds to two minutes, plus a five-minute Savasana to close.

The level is beginner: you don't need strength or balance here, and patience and props matter more. Tuck a blanket or cushion under your knees and hips, and keep the stretch light. With knee injuries, modify or skip Hero Pose, Garland Pose and Pigeon prep, and if you have a lumbar disc herniation, forward folds are contraindicated.

  1. Child's Pose Child's Pose 1
  2. Cross-Legged Forward Fold Cross-Legged Forward Fold 2
  3. Hero Pose Hero Pose 3
  4. Seated Forward Fold Seated Forward Fold 4
  5. Butterfly Pose Butterfly Pose 5
  6. Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold 6
  7. Head-to-Knee Pose Head-to-Knee Pose 7
  8. Seated Forward Fold Seated Forward Fold 8
  9. Pigeon Pose (Prep) Pigeon Pose (Prep) 9
  10. Garland Pose Garland Pose 10
  11. Reclining Butterfly Pose Reclining Butterfly Pose 11
  12. Supine Twist Supine Twist 12
  13. Puppy Pose Puppy Pose 13
  14. Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose 14
  15. Relaxation Pose Relaxation Pose 15

Why this order

Child's Pose and Cross-Legged Forward Fold help you slow down. Next comes a block of seated folds: Hero Pose, Seated Forward Fold, Butterfly Pose, Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold and Head-to-Knee Pose. Paschimottanasana comes around a second time, once your hips and hamstrings have let go.

Pigeon Pose prep and Garland Pose open the hip joints, and Reclining Butterfly and Supine Twist give your lumbar spine a rest. Puppy Pose stretches the shoulders and chest in the opposite direction to the folds. You finish in Legs-Up-the-Wall and Savasana; just skip the wall pose during your period, with glaucoma, or with poorly controlled hypertension.

Cautions

  • Pregnancy — widen your knees (Child's Pose)
  • Knee injuries (Child's Pose, Garland Pose)
  • Knee discomfort — sit on a prop (Cross-Legged Forward Fold)
  • Knee and ankle injuries — sit on a block or skip the pose (Hero Pose)
  • Lumbar disc herniation (Seated Forward Fold)
  • Flare-up of back pain — bend your knees (Seated Forward Fold)
  • Groin and knee injuries — place supports under your thighs (Butterfly Pose)
  • Inner thigh injuries (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold)
  • Herniated discs in the lower back (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold)
  • Knee injuries — place a support under your bent knee (Head-to-Knee Pose)
  • Knee injuries — do a Supine Twist with your knee to your chest instead (Pigeon Pose (Prep))
  • If your heels don't reach the floor, place a blanket under them (Garland Pose)
  • Groin discomfort — place supports under your knees (Reclining Butterfly Pose)
  • Disc herniation in the acute phase (Supine Twist)
  • Shoulder injuries (Puppy Pose)
  • Menstruation (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
  • Glaucoma (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
  • Uncontrolled hypertension (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)

This site is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury, a chronic condition, or are pregnant, check with a qualified professional before practicing.