While “yang” yoga focuses on your muscles, yin yoga targets your deep connective tissues, like your fascia, ligaments, joints, and bones.
It’s slower and more meditative, giving you space to turn inward and tune into both your mind and the physical sensations of your body.
Yin Yoga poses are held for longer periods of time than you would in other styles of Yoga which helps you stretch and lengthen those rarely-used tissues while also teaching you how to breathe through discomfort and sit with your thoughts.
The practice of yin yoga is based on ancient Chinese philosophies and Taoist principles which believe there are pathways of Qi (energy) that run through our bodies. By stretching and deepening into poses, we’re opening up any blockages and releasing that energy to flow freely.
"A yin yoga sequence has a very similar effect on our energies as an acupuncture or acupressure treatment. By holding the various poses, a yin yoga sequence can help restore the healthy flow of Qi in our bodies.