We all have two opposite forces of energy regulating our bodies. One is yin yoga poses, and the other is yang. Yang is the very fast energy, which makes us active and fills us with masculine strength. Whereas yin is the soft, slow and passive side of our body. It reflects femininity. It is related to water, earth, and the moon. This concept gave birth to yin yoga. Yin yoga poses has its roots deep in hatha yoga, but it was framed in China.
While performing hatha yoga, several monks started practising this form of yoga, and started practising each pose for at least 10 minutes at a time. This extended practice, the different breath work and the monk’s discipline of performing yoga initiated the yin yoga poses. In short, yin yoga is a form of yoga that includes a long duration of yoga poses and a long yoga sequence. This yoga moves our deepest tissues. It helps in building our muscles and rejuvenating the deep tissues of the body.
Yin yoga poses focuses on yin tissues that are bones, tendons, discs, and ligaments present in our body. Yin yoga poses involves good stretching and rejuvenating these areas of the human body. Yin yoga poses came into existence in the late 1980s and is still practised as one of the most effective yoga disciplines across the globe.
In this blog, we will understand the top, we will learn the top 10 poses of yin yoga poses and the steps to perform them.
1. The dog pose (Yin Yoga Poses)
One of the most practised yoga poses is the dog pose. The dog pose helps give a good stretch to the whole body and ensures various mental health benefits.
Steps
1. Roll down your mat, then stand on it. Now, bring yourself to the tabletop positions.
2. Your rest must be under your shoulders.
3. Your knees should be under your butts.
4. Now you have to spread your fingers wide apart and then place your palms on the mat.
5. Then you have to exhale and lift your knees above the floor.
6. Now, push your hips upward and form an inverted V posture.
7. Make sure that your head is resting between your arms.
8. Your legs are straight. And you have to look towards your navel area.
9. In yin yoga poses, you have to hold this pose. You can also use this pose; hold this pose for a longer time.
10. You can also use this pose as a transition.
Benefits
1. It strengthens the hamstrings.
2. It strengthens the calves.
3. It helps in improving blood circulation.
4. It helps in relieving the tension and stress.
5. It reduces the stiffness in the body.
6. It helps in giving good gut health.
7. It boosts our energy and also immunises us against various physical problems.
8. It helps in improving our body posture.
9. It helps in relieving body pain.
2. Saddle pose
This is an advanced-level yoga pose in yin yoga poses. It helps in stimulating the quadriceps. It also helps in compressing the lumbar region of the body and strengthens the limbs. It also helps in improving stomach health!!
Read More: The main Benefits of Virasana (Hero Pose) are unveiled
Steps
1. To start the Supta Vajrasana, you have to sit in the Vajrasana position.
2. To perform Vajrasana, keep the knees on the floor, and your feet should be hip-width apart.
3. Your feet must be beside your hips.
4. Then bring your knees together.
5. Make sure that the spinal cord is straight.
6. No, we place both palms on the floor.
7. Now you have to lean backwards using your elbows.
8. If you are comfortable, you can lie on your back fully.
9. Then keep your thighs and knees very grounded.
10. Now bring your arms overhead.
11. Try to keep your chest open.
12. Your throat must be relaxed.
13. Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply. Hold the pose.
14. And after a minute, you can release it.
Benefits
1. It is an advanced-level pose that offers a deep stretch to the limbs.
2. It improves the health of the knee muscles and ankles.
3. It also improves cardiac health.
4. It also helps in opening up the lungs.
5. It improves the heart area.
6. It helps in relieving gas and improving digestion.
7. It helps in stimulating the pelvic organs.
8. During menstruation, it can relieve the discomfort.
9. It helps in improving the body posture!
10. It makes our spinal cord very flexible.
11. It helps in strengthening the knees.
12. It also helps in improving our nervous system.
13. It relieves mental fatigue and ensures mental clarity and well-being.
3. Caterpillar pose
The caterpillar pose is another beautiful pose in yoga. It is a seated pose and helps in improving the health of the deeper tissue, especially in the back as well as the gut region. It can also be considered a seated forward bend.
Steps
1. Sit on your yoga mat!
2. Your legs must be stretched forward.
3. You can use a cushion or a yoga blanket to support your hips.
4. Now, take a deep breath and straighten your spine.
5. As you exhale, bend forward very slowly from your hip region.
6. Let your spinal cord bend in around posture naturally.
7. Do not force it.
8. Now, rest your hands on the floor or on your ankles.
9. Relax your neck region.
10. The gravity will do the rest of the work.
11. Breathe gently, hold the pose, then release it.
Benefit
1. It gives a good stretch to the spinal cord.
2. It helps in strengthening our calves. It strengthens our hamstrings.
3. It also stimulates our digestive organs.
4. It improves the functioning of our bladder and kidneys.
5. It helps in calming our nervous system.
6. It helps in relieving our emotional baggage and mental stress.
7. It improves mental capacity by ensuring good focus and concentration.
8. It helps in strengthening our spinal cord and the discs.
9. It also rejuvenates our connective tissues.
4. Shoelace pose
The shoelace pose is another wonderful yoga pose that helps in strengthening our limbs and giving a good stretch to our whole body. Let’s understand how to perform this yin yoga poses.
Steps
1. Sit on your yoga mat. Start with a seated position.
2. Now bend your knees.
3. Then bring your feet and place them, bring your feet on the floor and place them flat on it.
4. Bend your left knee and bring it over the right one.
5. Then bend your right knee and bring it parallel to the edge of the mat.
6. Now you can also place your left side ankle on the right one if you have that capacity.
7. You have to make your feet flex. Sit straight.
8. Rest your hand on the floor. If you want an advanced level of practice, then you can also perform a forward bend in the same position.
9. Now relax your face and shoulders. Hold the pose for 2 to 3 minutes, and then you can perform it using your opposite side!!
Benefits
1. This pose is a hip opener.
2. It strengthens our outer thighs.
3. It removes the tension from the pelvic region.
4. It massages the pelvic area and the lower back.
5. It helps in improving flexibility.
6. It helps in improving our digestion.
7. Those suffering from sciatica should perform this pose for relief.
8. It helps in rejuvenating our nervous system.
9. It also helps in maintaining our mental health.
10. It relieves the emotional baggage.
11. It helps in improving the blood circulation in the body.
5. Dragonfly pose
Dragonfly pose is also known as Mucusika Nagasana. It is an advanced-level yin yoga poses. It offers good strength and inner balance. It also includes a hip twist. It helps in improving our body alignment. Let’s understand how to perform it.
Steps
1. You stand by rolling on your mat. You can start with a sitting position.
2. Now you have to perform a split and spread your legs on either side wide apart.
3. You can also use a cushion to support your hip region.
4. Now you have to perform a forward bend.
5. You also have to stretch your arms on either side.
6. Keep all the limbs straight and stretched as long as possible. Now rest your forehead on the floor.
Benefits
1. This is a wonderful pose that helps in opening up your hips.
2. It also supports the health of your groin.
3. It improves the flexibility of the lower limbs.
4. It gives a good stretch to your spinal cord.
5. It also improves the pelvic organs. It stimulates the ovary.
6. It also enhances reproductive health.
6. Twisted roots pose
Twisted roots pose is a wonderful twist performed by the yogis while practising yin yoga poses. Let’s understand how to perform it.
Steps
1. Roll out your yoga mat and lie on your back.
2. Now, you have to bring both knees near your chest.
3. Now you have to open your arms on either side, just like a bird opens its wings.
4. Now, you have to pull your knee on one side.
5. To experiment, you can turn your head to either side, and you can also turn your knees from one side to another to experience a twist.
6. Now gently come out of the pose by rolling back, rolling on your back,k and then you can hug your knees by bringing them near your chest and then release the pose!
Benefits
1. The twist in the pose helps in massaging and calming the nervous system.
2. It helps in relieving the stress from the body.
3. It removes the stiffness.
4. It helps in relieving problems like sciatica and pain.
5. It gives a good massage to the stomach.
6. It helps in curing the gut related issues like gastritis, etc.
7. Dragon pose
The dragon pose is another advanced-level yin yoga poses. This is practice to ensure great physical, emotional and mental health benefits.
Read More: Bhujangasana contraindications (Cobra Pose)
Steps
1. Roll out your yoga mat.
2. You can start with the downward dog position.
3. You have to bring one foot between your hands.
4. Then you have to walk.
5. Now you have to bring the front foot forward.
6. Make sure that your knee is above your heel.
7. Now you have to take the back knee backwards as much as possible.
8. You can keep your hands on either side or on the foot that is on the front.
Benefits
1. It gives a deep massage to your hip and the groin area.
2. It helps in stretching the legs.
3. It strengthens the quadriceps.
4. It also strengthens our calves.
5. It helps in treating the problem like sciatica.
8. Swan pose
Now, Pigeon Pose, or the Swan Pose, is another challenging pose in yin yoga poses, but it is very effective in ensuring health benefits to the whole body.
Steps
1. Cat and Cow should be the starting point!
2. Then you have to bring your right knee towards your right wrist.
3. Now you have to swing the right ankle towards your left buttock.
4. Then your shin must be at a 45-degree angle.
5. It should be at the mat’s end. After that, bring your left leg backwards.
6. Now you have to tuck your toes. After that, lift your knee upward a bit.
7. Then you can unlock your toes. Now, you can place the knee down.
8. After that, you have to imagine that your knees are pulling each other. Then you have to gaze in front.
9. Make sure your hips are even, and you are breathing fine.
10. Now you have to come out of the pose slowly.
11. You can repeat it on either side.
Benefits
1. It improves the health of the gallbladder.
2. It also stimulates the urinary bladder and improves its functioning.
3. It gives a good stretch to the torso and spinal cord.
9. Pentacle
A pentacle pose is another yin yoga poses. This yoga helps in stimulating and relaxing the whole body. It is also known as a five-point relaxation pose. It is very often used in yin yoga poses and also prepares one for entering a meditative state. It is a restorative yoga pose.
Steps
1. Roll out your mat. Now you have to lie on your back.
2. Now you can spread your legs. Make sure that your legs are spread wider than your hips.
3. Now you have to stretch your arms. The stretch must be in a diagonal form in order to make a star.
4. Then your palms must be facing towards the ceiling.
5. Now you can rest your head naturally.
6. Now gently close both eyes.
7. Relax your belly, face, as well as your hip region.
8. Now you have to inhale and exhale very slowly.
9. Now feel that your body is getting grounded and all the tension is being relieved.
10. Stay for the pose for at least five to seven minutes or as long as it feels comfortable or as directed by your yoga guru.
Benefits
1. It helps in deepening our yoga practice.
2. It makes us feel grounded. It helps in releasing our old suppressed emotions.
3. It helps in balancing the life energy within our body. It also calms the overstimulated mind.
4. It helps in relieving the tension, stress and stiffness from our body and mind.
5. It helps in making us aware of our breathing.
6. It helps in releasing any kind of past trauma.
7. It cultivates the feeling of surrender. It also improves, and it supports mindfulness.
8. It also improves our nervous system.
10. Savasana
Now, after a good yoga sequence, you need yoga to rest. So one of the best resting poses in yin yoga poses is Savasana.
Steps
1. Lie down on your back very comfortably.
2. Place your legs some width apart in a very relaxed position.
3. Your hands must be on either side of your body.
4. You can close your eyes and feel the relaxation just by lying down.
Benefits
1. This pose helps in improving our mental health.
2. It removes the physical and mental stress.
3. It relieves any kind of anxiety or running thoughts.
4. It gives a deep rejuvenation and relaxation.
Conclusion
Yin yoga poses and sequences have been practised for ages to attain great health benefits. Therefore, to relish the rejuvenating flavours of this yoga form, find yourself a great yoga guru or a certified yoga centre and learn yin yoga poses. Yin yoga poses will take you on a journey that is exceptional and offers you a rare yogic wisdom!!
