Yin Yoga Poses and Sequence: A Guide for Teachers and Serious Practitioners

What Yin Yoga is and where it comes from

Yin Yoga is a slow, quiet practice. Almost all the postures are done on the floor and held for several minutes with the muscles relaxed, while gravity gradually takes the body deeper. The main target is not the muscles but the connective tissue: the ligaments, the fascia and the joints. Alongside it, the practice cultivates stillness in the breath and the mind.

It grew from the meeting of two cultures that speak of an energy animating the body: Chi in Chinese tradition, prāṇa in Indian yoga. Paulie Zink learnt Taoist Yoga and Chi Kung from master Cho Chat Ling of Hong Kong as a foundation for martial arts training (Zink, n.d.). His student Paul Grilley developed the floor postures from the late 1980s and, around 1990, linked them to meridian theory with the Japanese researcher Hiroshi Motoyama. Grilley’s student Sarah Powers proposed the name Yin Yoga, which Grilley gave to his 2002 book (Clark, n.d.-b; Powers, 2008).

Grilley describes postures by the tissue they stimulate. Yang work targets muscle, which is more elastic. Yin work targets connective tissue, which is stiffer and less elastic (Grilley, 2012). It is a simplification of anatomy, but it gives the philosophy of yin and yang a physical meaning on the mat.

Gravity. The body surrenders and gravity does the work, without muscular effort.

Stillness. In the body, the breath and the thoughts, even when a hold becomes uncomfortable.

Time. Postures are held for minutes rather than seconds, because connective tissue yields slowly.

Individuality. The aim is a personal edge with mild tension, judged by sensation and not by how the posture looks.

What long holds may do, and what the evidence says

Connective tissue has little elasticity. It is viscoelastic, sitting between viscous and elastic, and it yields slowly over minutes and adapts over weeks of regular practice. Under a constant load it lengthens gradually, a process called creep. Within limits this is reversible, and the tissue recovers over hours once the load is removed (Solomonow, 2009). This is why the method values a slow exit and the right dose: enough to stimulate, never so much that it causes damage.

The method also aims to counter contracture, the shortening of connective tissue when a joint goes weeks or months without using its full range (Wong et al., 2015). It distinguishes tension, felt as stretching over a wider area, from compression, where bones or soft tissues meet. Compression often depends on each person’s anatomy and cannot safely be increased over time (Grilley, 2012; Clark, 2016).

The meridian view sits alongside the anatomy. In Grilley’s energetic model, postures apply pressure and tension where the energy pathways run, allowing blockages to open and energy to flow (Grilley, 2012). Chinese medicine describes 12 regular meridians, six yin and six yang (Maciocia, 2015). The meridians have not been found as anatomical structures, although one hypothesis links acupuncture points to connective tissue planes (Langevin & Yandow, 2002).

What research shows. Regular stretching tends to increase range of motion, mainly through greater tolerance to stretch and, after weeks, some reduction in tissue stiffness (Weppler & Magnusson, 2010; Konrad et al., 2024).

What is still a hypothesis. Effects on connective tissue, fascia and joints have not yet been studied in Yin Yoga itself. The idea of restoring fascial elasticity and hydration comes from laboratory studies on animal tissue (Schleip et al., 2012).

What belongs to tradition. The meridian energetics of each posture follow the Yin Yoga model of Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers, built on traditional Chinese medicine.

The fifteen Yin Yoga poses taught in the course

The course studies fifteen postures in depth. Each is taught with its Yin name and closest Hatha counterpart, its energetics (areas of tension and compression, meridians stimulated), the way into it, guidance for teaching and its modifications. Here they are named with one line on what each targets.

In the meridian model, the hip rotators relate to the Gallbladder meridian, the back of the torso and legs to the Bladder, the groin to Liver and Kidney, and the front of the arms to Heart, Lung and Pericardium. A few further postures, such as Square (Fire Log) and Dragonfly, appear in the course sequences.

Butterfly (Bound Angle). Opens the hips, the inner thighs and the lower back.

Caterpillar (Seated Forward Bend). Stretches the back of the spine and the hamstrings.

Balasana (Child’s Pose). Releases tension in the shoulders and back.

Savasana (Corpse Pose). Calms the nervous system and relaxes the mind and body.

Dragon (Low Lunge). Opens the hips and stimulates the quadriceps, groin and hamstrings.

Half Butterfly (Head-to-Knee). Stretches the legs, hips and lower back.

Heart Bench (Supported Backbend). A preparatory posture that opens the chest.

Lung Bench (Supported Chest Opener). A second supported chest opener, also used to prepare the body.

Melting Heart (Extended Puppy). Stretches the upper and middle back, the shoulders and the chest.

Saddle (Reclining Hero). Stretches the hips and the front of the thighs.

Shoelace (Cow Face). Opens the outer hips and, folding forward, the lower back.

Sleeping Swan (Pigeon). Stretches the hips, groin and shoulders.

Sphinx (Supported Cobra). A gentle extension of the spine that opens the front of the torso.

Spinal Twist (Reclining Twist). Stretches the lower back, shoulders and thighs.

Supported Bridge (Bridge). A gentle extension of the lower back and the front of the hips.

Yin Yoga benefits, who it suits and how to stay safe

With regular practice, range of motion tends to increase, and the postures give a gentle stimulus to the hips, spine and shoulders. Relaxation and slow breathing favour the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system (Zaccaro et al., 2018). For yoga in general, studies show small improvements in chronic low back pain (Wieland et al., 2022). Regular passive stretching appears to support blood vessel function, though this has not yet been studied in Yin Yoga (Bisconti et al., 2020).

The few studies on Yin Yoga are small and short, mostly with stressd adults and often combined with mindfulness. They suggest less stress, anxiety and sleep problems (Hylander et al., 2017; Daukantaitė et al., 2018; Somere et al., 2024). Practitioners also describe patience, self-compassion and room for emotions, which can surface during long holds in hip and shoulder openers.

Yin Yoga suits beginners, people who are ageing or sedentary and want to keep their joints mobile, and those who train intensely and need a calm complement. It is safe for most people, but long passive holds call for attention (Cramer et al., 2015). If you are comparing it with a fully supported style, read Restorative Yoga vs Yin Yoga.

Mild tension, never pain. Never force a posture. The aim is a personal edge, not a deeper shape.

Know the signs. Tingling, numbness, sharp pain or pain running down a leg or arm mean adjust or come out.

Come out slowly. After minutes of stillness a joint can feel stiff or fragile, so transitions deserve care.

Seek medical advice. With pregnancy, hypermobility, osteoporosis, disc problems, recent surgery, blood pressure or eye conditions, or a history of trauma, practise under the guidance of a health professional. Yin Yoga does not treat or cure anything and is not a substitute for medical care.

What you learn in the course

Theory explains why Yin Yoga works the way it does. The course shows how to teach it, posture by posture and class by class, with Carla demonstrating and guiding in each topic and a manual that brings the method together for review before you teach.

Posture-by-posture technique. For each of the fifteen postures: the way in and out, the teaching cues, and the injuries and modifications to consider.

Props and modifications. Several prop options per posture, and how to choose them to focus the target area, create comfort and let the muscles relax.

Timing. How to choose and progress hold lengths for different groups, keep track of time and shorten timings for new students.

Sequencing by theme. How to build a class from more superficial to deeper work and finish in balance, with nine complete sequences designed for aims such as waking up, preparing for sleep, grounding, heart opening, hip opening and balance.

Class design. Silent, educational and philosophical classes, and how to open a class, lead the final relaxation and close.

Guiding and adaptations. The stages of instructing each posture, how to adapt for precautions such as pregnancy, hypermobility or osteoporosis, and how to hold space for emotions.

Assessment. A test at the end of each unit, a final exam and a recorded class of your own that Carla assesses.

Yin Yoga Teacher Training at BeYoga: the facts

The Yin Yoga Teacher Training is an online, self-paced course of 20 hours in English. It uses Carla’s own voice, translated with AI and reviewed by the BeYoga team, with a video in each topic, ten complete practices totalling more than seven hours of classes, an interactive manual and a PDF workbook.

Each unit ends with a test. To certify, you pass a final exam with 80% or more and submit a 30-minute class of your own on video, assessed by Carla. The certificate counts as 20 hours of Yoga Alliance continuing education from a YACEP. The course costs 350 euros and includes 4 months of access. You can also browse all our online courses in English.

The course is taught by Carla, who demonstrates in each topic and assesses the class you record. Read more about BeYoga School and Carla. If you would rather practise first, the BeYoga Online Studio offers more than 120 online yoga classes with Carla in English, from under 10 minutes to more than an hour, for 28 euros a month or 280 euros a year, cancel anytime, and you can try a free introductory class.