by Baxter
We recently received two questions regarding a style of yoga known as Yin Yoga, in which one assumes certain yoga poses, often done sitting or down on the floor, and passively holds the poses for 3-5 minutes. An example of a pose done in the Yin way would be Sukasana (Seated Crossed Legs) with a forward fold, done passively for the allotted time. As a disclaimer, I have limited personal experience with Yin Yoga, but have done several two hours sessions over the years.
According to articles that can be found online at Yoga Journal Magazine, as well as the websites of two well-known teachers of Yin Yoga, Sarah Powers and Paul Grilley, Yin Yoga is more than just doing yoga asana a particular way. There is a focus on not just affecting the physical structure of the muscles, bones and connective tissue, but reportedly also influencing the energetics of the body via stimulation of certain Chinese meridians associated with the acupuncture/pressure systems. And there is an emphasis by some teachers also on working with the discomfort that arises in holding the poses longer, as a form of meditation. The concern both of our readers brought up had to do with how safe it might be to stretch the joint stabilizers known as the ligaments via this approach to yoga asana. One of the readers self-identified as being very flexible already, in her 50s, and noted that after a recent Yin workshop (which she found wonderful on many levels), she was left with joint pain for days after the practice and possibly some chronic pain. She specifically wondered if Yin style of practice is safe for students who are hypermobile and don’t really need more flexibility in their joints.
I wish this was an easy question to answer. I might start by saying that there is probably a style of yoga best suited for each of our unique body types, and conversely, there are some styles of yoga less beneficial for you. Secondly, I would recommend, as Paul Grilley does in one of his balanced articles on Yin style of practice, that you need to proceed slowly and with lots of attention, sometimes to subtle body signals, as you try out a new style of practice like Yin Yoga, if you have never done it before. With Yang styles of practice, which is just to say more active asana styles where you are more likely to be engaging muscle groups on both sides of joint that is moving, you will experience what is called your “active range of motion” of your joints, meaning that which you can create by contracting the muscles around the joint alone. However, this is not the “full” range of motion for most joints.
In anatomy circles, there is another term to describe this second stage of joint movement, “passive range of motion,” which usually involves gravity or some other part of the body taking you past the active range of motion place. An example would be lying on your back and using your muscles alone to bring your knees into your chest, like an upside down Child’s pose. This would be the active range of motion of your hip and knee joints in flexion (bending forward). Now, if you take your arms around your shins and pull with your arms (your “outside” force), your legs fold in deeper, thus taking you to your passive range of motion. The idea here is that this may be good for your overall flexibility and joint health, as some compression of the joints seems to be good for the cartilage of the joints as we discussed in our posts on osteoporosis and arthritis. When you flip over and do regular Child’s pose, you now have the full weight of the body pressing down on your hip and knee joints and this might get you even more deeply into the full range of motion of the joint. The question is how much is safe and where do things get potentially troublesome. The answer to that, again, is not easy.
Most sources I can find suggest that keeping your connective tissues—like the fascial containers around all of your muscles—mobile is a good idea. They also suggest that ligaments, the usually smaller bands of connective tissue that keep two bones in a joint close together are not designed to actually stretch much at all without the risk of injury, tearing and chronic looseness. Two things to watch out for if you try out Yin type classes: do I have persistent pain for more than a day or so after class? And do my joints feel too loose, wobbly or unstable after such practices? If neither situation arises, this style of practice may be fine for you. If either does arise, maybe this practice is not for you. A combination of a Yin type practice with an active Yang style practice may work well for some. And if props take away some of the physical intensity of sensation when you are in Yin poses, this could possibly be a safer way for some to try the longer passive holds of Yin style without causing joint pain or over-stretching of ligament. So do experiment a bit and see what you can discover to find the style that works best for you.
Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook ° To order Yoga for Healthy Aging: A Guide to Lifelong Well-Being, go to Amazon, Shambhala, Indie Bound or your local bookstore.
I have been teaching yin yoga for 7 years and have never had anyone complain of pain after class. In fact, it's only been the opposite – that their joints feel better, and they continue to feel good for a few days. (Just because no one has told me they hurt, doesn't mean that they don't hurt, but I have not yet experienced this.)
It's very important that we don't take a "yang" approach to a "yin" practice; what I mean by this is that we are all experienced in reaching for a goal – lengthening a muscle or wrapping more tightly, using effort to push past our "edge" – that is a yang approach. The yin approach is to step back from that edge and marinate in the milder sensation. Bernie Clark calls this The Goldilocks Position, and anyone who is at all interested in yin yoga should visit his website: http://www.yinyoga.com, as he shares so much great information there.
The idea is that we need to take the shape that creates a sensation that is "just right" – not too much and not too little. For those of us who are hyper mobile, this means erring on the side of caution, and hanging out in a position that is only mildly stimulating. I am a very mobile person, a former ballet dancer who has been practicing yoga for 14 years. I use props and constant attention to my sensation to judge how deep to take each pose. I am not looking to enhance my mobility with this practice, as someone with stiffer joints might; instead, I am looking to maintain what flexibility I have. I would recommend this approach to the person who posed the original question about yin.
Yin, on its own is not complete, but then, neither is yang. We need both, and we especially need both as we age.
Beautiful and balanced essay, Baxter. Thank you.
I am also a long time Yin teacher and I thank you for this balanced post. I first studied with Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers about 2003-2004. One thing Paul has always said is "if it hurts, don't do it!" He gave the example of a long time runner who started having problems with her knee after doing a certain pose (can't remember which.) So he told her to remove the pose from her yin reportoire — she did and her knee pain went away. I have taught many marathon runners in my classes and they appreciate what the Yin practice gives them.
By the way, I have always been uber flexy and I have never experienced any detriment to my joints in the yin practice, probably because I balance it with yang.
I've had chronic pain for 3 years and yin yoga is helping me more mentally than physically (probably helping me physically too). I've had great teachers who help me distinguish between detrimental pain and pain I can breathe through. You can read my experience with yin yoga on how to heal chronic pain and what I suggest to people trying it out for their pain http://www.thejourneyjunkie.com/yoga-3/7110/
I have just started taking Yin yoga classes and have very much enjoyed adding this class to my yang yoga practice. But I must admit that my right hip hurts for a few days after each class. I don't notice the pain until I take my dog on brisk walks. But then the pain is significant. However, it subsides quickly after our walks. I will try backing off on the hip stretches, which is unfortunate since I don't feel any pain, actually quite the opposite (it feels good!) during the class.
Yin yoga class works since it's strenuous and sufficiently overwhelming to get the physical outcomes you need, yet without the average sentiment of depletion after a long exercise session.