To wonder if there’s any real benefit to Yin Yoga?

[HardyDuck]

I keep seeing Yin Yoga recommended for relaxation and flexibility but I’m struggling to see how just holding stretches for a long time can be that beneficial. Does it actually improve mobility or do anything for your body beyond just feeling nice in the moment?

Would love to hear from people who do it - have you noticed any real results? Or is it more of a mental/relaxation thing than a physical one?

I do Yin yoga twice per week (and other types of yoga too) I absolutely love it! In terms of fitness, I’m not sure it does very much, it’s ‘nice’ but that’s about it. Mentally it’s absolutely massive, I feel so much calmer when I’ve been, I can handle situations better, get less irritated by my teenagers etc, I can absolutely tell when I haven’t been - I love it!

I can’t do yin, I find it soooo boring. I think if you can get into an almost meditative state and do it it’s probably relaxing but it’s definitely not for me.

I’d start with vinyasa and see how you go.

Weirdly I was talking about this earlier - I used to do a Friday Yin class. I always used to feel incredibly relaxed afterwards. It wasn’t much of a physical workout but I really felt the mental benefits.

It doesn’t improve mobility as that would be your active range of motion, and yin is about getting into the muscle fascia and improving your passive range of motion. It’s very good for meditation as pp said, as you really need to just breathe deeply and allow yourself to relax. Plus it will help you become more flexible and this is really important when also balanced out with mobility and strengrh work. Having said all this, I don’t make the time to do it myself.
i know I should though… when i go on a retreat and do yin or restorative yoga every evening, I feel amazing, body and mind.

I’m actually a bit of a seasoned yogi! Vinyasa has been my main practice for years and I much prefer it but I switched over to Yin recently because of a change in the vinyasa schedule.

I’ve done a few Yin classes now but I’m thinking of dropping it since its timing is shifting again. It’s been interesting to try but I definitely find vinyasa more engaging overall.

I love holding the poses and it feels good for my old knees and hunched shoulders. I also enjoy the stillness of the practicing. I would love to be a calm mindful person but I am more a headless chicken type so it’s an opportunity for me to be still and connect to the sensations in my body. I also practice kundalini yoga

I love yin yoga when I am very stressed, I don’t know what it does re exercise benefits but I definitely get a release afterwards and some mental clarity.
I’d say yin isn’t for everyone, you have to be in the right frame of mind and be able to completely let go.
I do it at home to yoga with Kassandra on YouTube as it’s better being alone. She has lots of yin classes and has a nice calm voice.

I agree I only practice yin yoga alone and don’t know how I would feel in a class setting.

I do it online and it's fantastic, great at the end of the work day and I always sleep better.
It definitely helps with flexibility and is very calming.

I like yin, it’s a meditative practice and I find it very relaxing.

I have never seen any results from doing yoga though, I just go to the gym for that.

Yin is not a restorative practice . It’s about getting into the connective tissues and fascia with a really deep stretch . The problem with a lot of yin is that it’s not taught in a functional way - so people don’t know where they are supposed to be feeling it and don’t make adjustments accordingly. Yin poses also provide acupressure to the meridian points of the body allowing chi to flow . Sadly there’s alot of people teaching yin with no training and just offering it as a restorative , relaxing practice - which is not the aim . Proper yin involves discomfort as the poses are held for up to 6 mins - but the openness and stretch after is huge .

I love that feeling of being in a pose and then sinking further into the pose after a few minutes, as the connective tissue stretches - it is a very specific feeling. I have terrible shoulder pain from old climbing injuries if I don’t stretch. And some of the poses can feel like discomfort but it’s a good discomfort if that makes sense as things become unstuck. I still love the quietness of the practice though as I never sit still otherwise.

I love yin yoga and do it a few times per week. It definitely helps balance out the weight training. I have managed to get my husband to try it a few times, but he is 'sporty' and a physical instructor so although he knows the advantages, I think he feels it isn't very 'manly', which is a shame

I do a candlelit Yin class on Fridays at 4pm. It sets me up for a weekend with young children very effectively! It’s probably the only hour I get to myself a week and I try to switch my mind off and just think about how my body feels and concentrate on my breathing. It’s great.