"Like restorative yoga, yin yoga is a passive yoga practice that is slow with very few postures that are held for more extended periods of time. But instead of focusing on relaxation, yin yoga focuses on improving mobility so that you can sit more comfortably and for a longer time in meditation. Yin yoga poses target the connective tissue around your joints to improve range of motion and flexibility.

Yin yoga poses are almost all seated poses, and each pose is held for between 1 to 20 minutes, although typically, the length is between 3 to 7 minutes for beginners. Holding poses for these extended periods helps to target deeper into the fascia or the matrix of connective tissue spread throughout the entire body.

As you may have guessed from the term “yin,” yin yoga actually has its roots in Chinese Taoist philosophy. This practice is based on the traditional yogic teachings of long holds in seated postures in India, but it ultimately has its origin in Chinese traditions. Yin yoga was first codified by Paulie Zink, a Taoist yoga practitioner who studied yin practices in China.

Paulie Zink then taught Sarah Powers, who gave the practice the name “yin.” In Chinese philosophy, yin has the qualities of darkness, coldness, passivity, internalization, solidity, and slowness. The other side is yang, which represents the qualities of lightness, heat, activity, rapidity, and energy. We need both yin and yang in our lives, but our modern society often over-emphasizes the yang, forgetting the yin practice entirely.

Yin yoga practices also incorporate more Chinese medicine theory, including techniques that stimulate the meridians or energy channels in the body. In general, there are three primary principles of yin yoga practice:

1. Come to an appropriate edge.

2. Make a commitment to stay still.

3. Hold the pose for a designated period of time"