Yin yoga is a style of yoga characterized by longer holds of poses, nearly all of which are done from a seated or reclining position. These longer holds, usually of anywhere from a minute to 10+ minutes, work to release bound up places in your fascia, or connective tissue that runs throughout the body.
In contrast to most styles of yoga, which energetically work to strengthen your muscles, the goal of yin yoga is to release and reinvigorate those areas of the body, especially throughout the legs and hips, which have accumulated tension and tightness. Yin yoga complements the more active aspects of our lives by encouraging us to slow down, be still, and relax exactly how we are.
Yin yoga increases not just overall mobility, but flexibility throughout your entire body—whether your goal is to be more agile in your daily tasks, or to be a more successful athlete.