Yin Yoga is a style of yoga founded by Paulie Zink in the 1970s. He combined martial arts principles, Hatha Yoga, and the Traditional Chinese medicine’s meridian system. This style is meant to put slow and steady tension into the tendons and ligaments in order to safely expand their ROM (range of motion) and work with manipulating the meridian line’s energy that run though these areas. It is “YIN” meaning that it is slower, more meditative, and less structured/ more passive.

Yin Yoga uses a technique that increases stress onto the connective tissues so that they, eventually, become stronger and more adaptable. This reflects the use of the Wood Dummies used in Wing Chun, a form of marital arts. The marital artist uses the wood dummy to make small micro fractures in their bones (mostly the forearms) that eventually heal and become denser and more resilient. Zink found that the same happens when we apply measured and consistent pressure on the connective tissues too.

Yin Yoga is not for everybody, but it is for a lot of people. It is a slower pace class that forces the student to turn inward. It can be uncomfortable for the body as well as the mind. Many classes will guide a student on what to meditate on when in their 4-8 minute holds, as to direct the students towards a revelation about themselves or society.

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