Yin stretches and targets both the deep connective tissues between the muscles, and the fascia throughout the body. The aim is to increase circulation in the joints and improve flexibility as the poses stretch and exercise the bone and joint areas. It also helps us regulate our body's energy flow. 

Yin yoga is amazing for opening up our hearts, calming our nervous systems, and providing a deep relaxation space for the body. It also allows us to recover and nourish ourselves, wash away our fears, and cultivate compassion and self-love. Practising Yin is like thanking yourself for being so awesome. It helps us build absolute self-believe and faith in how wonderful we are, each and every day! This practice is a beautiful path for those who have disconnected from their bodies, to reconnect in a gentle, compassionate way. 

The part of the body that we use the most but probably spend the least amount of time taking good care of is our mind. We live in a world of deadlines and appointments, craziness and social media, anxiety and stress. What better way to switch off than to sit still in poses anywhere from 7 - 20 minutes? By practicing Yin, you allow yourself plenty of time to do nothing other than simply breathe and be aware of the present. It's the perfect way to find space, slow down your mind and be guided even more deeply into your practice. 

When we begin to practice Yin, we learn to listen to our bodies, slowing everything down. We learn to recognise and anticipate our thoughts, to experience and digest them rather than having them race through our mind like a runaway rollercoaster. 

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Get ready to become intimately acquainted with your innermost feelings, sensations, and emotions, which is something that can perhaps be ignored during a faster paced class. Yin yoga increases our ability to be right here in the present moment and practice gratitude, slowly bringing us closer to our authentic self. 

When life gets tough, you'll find me on my mat practicing Yin, and the world quickly becomes a better place. When you are mentally stuck and the power to walk away is overwhelming, Yin teaches you, one breath at a time, that staying still and dealing with whatever comes up will actually help you grow. As we hold our Yin pose, the drama peaks, it gets harder to ignore the monkey mind and we find ourselves wanting to leave the pose. Yin teaches us to find a place of comfort in an uncomfortable place and observe our thoughts and reactions from a calm perspective. 

When held at length, what seems like an easy, inoffensive pose can change into something super challenging. We store our emotions in various parts of our bodies. Memories, anxieties, and tension linger on in cells stored deep in our tissues. When we go into a pose that opens a part of the body left untouched for a while, these deeply stored memories and emotions resurface. This is what Yin does through the poses and the way they are held, which can release incredible strong physical and emotional sensations. Doing so can be challenging in the moment, and can lead to a wide array of reactions from relaxation, awareness & clarity to tears, anger or frustration, BUT afterwards it leads to a great sense of release and lightness.