5 Yin Yoga Practices to Calm You TF Down

A quick practice is sort of antithetical to yin yoga. It’s defined by extended holds that not only target your physical tension but boost your mental resilience. Yin yoga asks that you go to your edge, recognize it, and stay there. It’s all about slow stretches and stillness that, ultimately, help you sit more comfortably with discomfort.

But let’s be real. We live in an aggressively busy society, which is probably why shorter sequences with these longer holds resonate with readers. We’re all looking for accessible ways to incorporate calm into our days. Yin teaches your mind and body the true power of pressing pause. Stillness isn’t an escape from your life, but rather an opportunity to exercise acceptance, and to experience the world with less resistance. Don’t be surprised if unexpected emotions surprise you as you sink deeper and deeper into each pose.

5 Yin Yoga Practices to Help You Calm Down

Sitting still can initially feel uncomfortable, particularly for those accustomed to a fast-paced flow. Stick with it. The longer you let your body settle into a pose, the more room there is to release stored tension—and we’re not talking just about the physical kind. It’s lessoning in learning to sit with resistance, in any situation, without pushing yourself too far.

1. 13-Minute Yin Yoga Practice for Self-Care

Yoga teacher Taylor Lorenz opens this short yin yoga practice by asking you to take in a big breath and then let it allllll out. The practice comprises half a dozen poses, including classics such as Caterpillar and Reclined Butterfly, supported by props. Move through the sequence or choose just one or two postures and breathe there. Reminder: Tailoring your home practice to your needs is its own form of self-care.

Practice this yin flow.

2. Yin Yoga Practice to Help You Focus

Yin yoga soothes the nervous system, helping you self-regulate, chill out, and get back to your daily grind with a clearer head. Yoga With Kassandra’s 30-minute sequence invites you to support that by lingering in each pose for a lengthy 4 minutes or more, adding in props as needed if you need something more restorative in the moment.

Practice this yin flow.

3. Yin Yoga Practice for Difficult Times

Learning how to stay present in challenging poses can make facing life’s challenging moments a little easier. Yoga teacher Michelle Finlay notes that surrender is an essential in yin—and that yoga is always helpful when life gets overwhelming, even if you’re tempted to let your practice slip.

Practice this yin flow.

4. A Yin Yoga Sequence for When You Feel Outrage

The world is not always an easy place in which to exist. Yoga teacher Tamika Caston-Miller shares that when she needs to locate that beat between hearing and reacting, turning to yin yoga can help transmute outrage into clear-minded action. Sitting with the stillness and discomfort is a feat that Caston-Miller carries off the mat and into the rest of her life. You can, too.

Practice this yin flow.

5. A Quieting Yin Practice for Longer Days

Those moments when you don’t have the patience for yin are often the times when you need it most. This yin flow was designed with the holidays in mind, but is ideal anytime life feels particularly frantic and frazzled. Practice quieting your mind on your mat, in purposeful discomfort, so that when uncomfortable circumstances arise, as they will, you can navigate them with less resistance.

Practice this yin flow.