Stillness as Medicine, Depth as Transformation
Yin Yoga is a meditative and profoundly therapeutic practice that honors stillness, silence, and surrender. Unlike more dynamic yoga practices that emphasize flow and exertion, Yin invites you into a world of deep listening—a state where long-held, passive postures create space for release within the fascia, ligaments, and joints.
In Yin, each pose becomes an act of energetic unwinding, where stored tension, old emotions, and unconscious patterns begin to dissolve. Teachers such as Paul Grilley (often credited as the founder of modern Yin Yoga) and Jo Phee (one of the world’s foremost Yin trainers) emphasize that this is not a “stretching class,” but a profound method for cultivating awareness, resilience, and balance in the subtle body.
For new students, one of the most surprising aspects of Yin Yoga is the length of the holds. Unlike active yoga where postures are often held for only a few breaths, Yin asks you to remain—sometimes three, five, or even ten minutes—in stillness. At first, this can feel uncomfortable or even overwhelming, but over time it becomes a practice of patience, meditation, and surrender.
Yin Yoga is more than physical. It is a pathway into Chinese Medicine, energetic cultivation, and emotional release, offering benefits that ripple across body, mind, and spirit.
The Philosophy of Yin
At its heart, Yin Yoga is based on the Taoist philosophy of Yin and Yang. Where Yang is muscular, fiery, and outward-moving, Yin is cool, still, receptive, and inward-seeking.
Instead of striving upward or outward, Yin invites us to sink inward. Gravity and breath become our partners, teaching us to soften and to trust the body’s innate wisdom. Through this surrender, Yin provides access to the deepest layers of the body-mind system, places rarely touched by faster or more dynamic forms of yoga.
This is why many Yin practitioners view the practice as a form of meditation as much as yoga. With eyes closed, the breath slowing, and the body resting in stillness, we enter states of contemplation similar to Pranayama, Qigong, and Taoist inner alchemy. Over time, this cultivates profound resilience, patience, and self-knowledge.
Meridians & Chinese Medicine Integration
One of Yin Yoga’s greatest contributions is its integration with the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Through the teachings of Jo Phee, a senior assistant to Paul Grilley and a global Yin authority, Yin Yoga has become a moving bridge between yoga and the energetic wisdom of the East.
Key elements of Yin’s Chinese Medicine connection include:
Meridian Targeting – Each posture can be used to stimulate specific meridian pathways (e.g., Liver, Kidney, Heart, Lung, Spleen), much like an acupuncture session without needles.
Organ-Emotion Mapping – In TCM, each organ system corresponds to emotions (e.g., grief in the lungs, fear in the kidneys). Yin provides a way to dissolve these stored imbalances.
Five Element Theory – Yin sequences can be designed to align with the rhythms of Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal, supporting balance across the seasons.
Anatomical Variability – Paul Grilley’s landmark teaching shows that every skeleton is unique. Yin Yoga honors this by adapting postures to the individual rather than forcing a “perfect shape.”
Rebound – After exiting a pose, Yin emphasizes stillness. This allows time for the body to integrate the energetic shifts—much like the silence after a bell fades.
Together, these principles make Yin Yoga not just physical stretching but a living system of healing, balancing Qi (life force), releasing stagnation, and nourishing the body at its deepest levels.
My Training & Lineage
My Yin journey has been shaped by the direct lineage of Jo Phee, one of the most respected global Yin teachers and creator of the renowned Yinspiration school. Under her guidance, I have completed:
25-Hour Yin Yoga Teacher Training (2023)
60-Hour Yin Yoga Teacher Training (2025) (focus on Chinese Medicine, Meridian Theory & Hip Anatomy I)
In addition, my Yin studies are supported by:
Yearlong Qigong Mentorship with Mimi Kuo-Deemer (2025), including Five Element and Seasonal Forms
Studies in Ba Duan Jin, Five Animal Frolics, Taoist & Buddhist Neigong, and advanced Meridian Theory
This multidimensional training allows me to guide Yin as both a meditative practice and a therapeutic system—a practice that serves as medicine for fascia, Qi, psyche, and soul.
What to Expect in Yin Yoga with Agniyana
Each Yin class is more than exercise—it is a ritual of restoration. In a world of speed and constant stimulation, Yin provides a slow, sacred, and spacious container for reconnection.
Here’s what you can expect in class:
Long-held postures (5–7+ minutes): Poses are designed to stimulate meridians and organ systems while gently stressing fascia and connective tissues to encourage resilience and release.
Seasonal themes: Classes often follow the cycles of nature and the Five Elements. For example, Spring sequences target the Liver meridian to release anger and stagnation, while Winter focuses on Kidney health to restore deep vitality.
Breath awareness and guided inquiry: Yin often integrates Meditation, Pranayama, and emotional inquiry, allowing students to not only release physical tension but also meet what arises in mind and heart.
Acupressure points & body cues: Postures may emphasize subtle adjustments that stimulate energy flow and promote internal healing.
Teachings rooted in Chinese Medicine: You’ll learn how Yin relates to Qi dynamics, organ-emotion mapping, and the body’s seasonal rhythms.
Trauma-informed awareness: Classes respect your boundaries. Students are invited to stay present with sensations, but modifications and supportive touch (where appropriate) ensure the practice remains safe and nourishing.
Unlike faster yoga styles, Yin asks you to settle into the discomfort of stillness. Over time, this deep training in patience, awareness, and surrender becomes a moving meditation that changes the way you relate to stress, tension, and even life itself.
Why Practice Yin?
Yin Yoga offers benefits that ripple across body, mind, and spirit. It is ideal for those seeking:
Deep fascia release & injury prevention – Long-held postures hydrate connective tissue, prevent stiffness, and increase mobility.
Nervous system regulation – By practicing stillness, Yin strengthens the body’s ability to find calm in times of stress or fatigue.
Emotional digestion – Grief, anger, fear, worry, and frustration are stored in the body. Yin offers a safe way to meet and transform these emotions.
Holistic support for other practices – Yin naturally complements Qigong, Meditation, Pranayama, Tantra, Ayurveda, and Hatha Yoga, deepening your internal energy work and mindfulness practices.
Cultivation of presence – Yin teaches patience, compassion, and inner stillness, helping practitioners befriend the parts of themselves they often avoid.
Yin is not just about flexibility—it’s about integration. As Paul Grilley says, “Yin is not better than Yang, but without Yin, Yang cannot be balanced.” Practicing Yin helps us embrace both strength and softness, activity and rest, effort and surrender.
Practice With Me
Through Agniyana, I offer Yin Yoga classes and courses designed to meet you where you are. These are available in both pre-recorded and live formats, so you can practice at your own pace or join in community.
Upcoming offerings include:
🌿 Five Element Yin Series – Practices aligned with seasonal energies.
🌀 Yin & Qigong Fusion Classes – Blending Yin postures with energy cultivation techniques.
💔 Emotional Organ Release Workshops – Yin sequences designed to help release grief, anger, worry, and fear.
🌸 Liver & Gallbladder Flow: Spring Awakening – Clearing stagnation and igniting fresh growth.
❄️ Kidney Yin: Winter Replenishment – Restoring energy reserves and calming the nervous system.
✨ Stay tuned on the Courses page for full details, schedules, and sign-up opportunities.
Yin Yoga is not just something I teach—it is something I live. Every class is an invitation to pause, soften, and return to wholeness.