Yoga flows
Yin yoga for beginners
Yin yoga holds floor poses for minutes rather than breaths. Trials used 3 to 5 minute holds in hour-long classes, and this beginners' version uses shorter ones. Go to a gentle stretch, not your limit, prop yourself with cushions, breathe slowly and come out slowly. If your joints are very mobile, stay in the middle of your range.
Settle
- Beginner · Back, Shoulders, Glutes · 3D demoKnees wide, with your forehead on a cushionHarder: Extended puppy pose (Uttana Shishosana)
Spine and hips
- Beginner · Back, Abs, Chest · 3D demoLet your hips stay heavy; come out if your back pinchesHarder: Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)
- Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)2 min each sideBeginner · Hip flexors, Quads, Glutes · 3D demoHands on blocks and the back knee padded; let the front of the back hip open slowlyHarder: High lunge (crescent lunge, Ashta Chandrasana)
- Beginner · Adductors, Hip flexors, Back · 3D demoSit on a cushion and let gravity work; don't press your knees downHarder: Pigeon preparation (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana prep)
Lying
- Reclined figure four (eye of the needle, Sucirandhrasana)2 min each sideBeginner · Glutes · 3D demoHold behind the thigh, or rest the other foot on a wallHarder: Pigeon preparation (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana prep)
- Supine spinal twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)2 min each sideBeginner · Back, Glutes · 3D demoA cushion under the top kneeHarder: Seated twist, bottom leg straight
- Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)1 to 2 minBeginner · 3D demoHold behind your thighs if your knees objectEasier: Double knee-to-chest stretch
Finish
- Beginner · Hamstrings, Calves · 3D demoHips a little away from the wall if the backs of your legs pullHarder: Plow pose (Halasana)
Tips
- Trials of yin yoga used 60-minute classes twice a week for 5 weeks. Build toward longer holds over a few weeks, and keep every stretch gentle.
- Very mobile joints? Stay in the middle of your range and keep your muscles lightly working, rather than hanging at the end of a stretch.
- With osteoporosis, keep your back long in bound angle and child's pose, and skip deep forward folds.
- With glaucoma, ask your eye doctor before legs up the wall: eye pressure rose a little in this pose in one study. With high blood pressure that isn't under control, sit up slowly at the end.
- Sore wrists aren't loaded here; the sphinx rests on your forearms.
- In pregnancy, ask your midwife or doctor first. As your bump grows, skip the sphinx and happy baby, and after the first trimester swap the lying poses for side-lying or propped-up versions.
- Come out of any pose that brings on tingling, numbness or sharp pain.
The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.
Guides that recommend it
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How long does the yin yoga for beginners take?
About 35 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.
What equipment do I need?
You need: A wall. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.
Is it suitable for beginners?
It is written for beginners. 1 of its 9 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.
How do I make it easier or harder?
Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.