What is Yin Yoga? (And Why Your Joints Desperately Need It)

Carrie Lehtonen
2 days ago
2 min read

In the latest YouTube Shorts series on our channel, FireflyCommunityLLC, I decided to address my favorite style of yoga, Yin Yoga.

Yin is a form of yoga that allows for stillness, nourishes the tissues of your body, increases body awareness, and provides a sense of being grounded. In yin yoga, we hold in stretches for three to five minutes to target the body’s connective tissues, such as fascia, ligaments, and tendons.

Just as you work the muscles in other forms of exercise, yin poses stress the connective tissues. Tissues that are short, contracted, and stiff, need to be stressed to maintain optimal health and regain natural ranges of motion.

Part 1: What is Yin Yoga?

If your current routine is all about sweat, strength, and movement, your body might be missing the other half of the equation: stillness. Unlike active "yang" exercises that target muscles, Yin safely stresses the body’s deeper connective tissues, retraining and hydrating them to maintain mobility and long-term joint health.

Yin is also a workout for the mind. By staying still, we build deep body awareness, notice physical asymmetries, become more present, and anchor erratic energy. If you are hypermobile, use props to avoid sustained end-of-range motion in the joints and start with shorter holds.

[Watch: What is Yin Yoga?]

Part 2: Yin vs. Restorative Yoga: What's the Difference?

People often use "Yin" and "Restorative" interchangeably, but they actually have different intentions and goals for your body. In this video, I use Child's Pose to break down the difference.

The Yin Way: We look for a mild, passive stretch. We use fewer props to apply gentle, healthy stress to the deeper connective tissues, improving joint mobility.
The Restorative Way: The goal is 100% comfort, not stretch. We use bolsters (or pillows), blocks, and blankets so the body can fully surrender. It’s about calming your nervous system and releasing stress.

Both are incredible practices, but they serve different purposes.

[Watch: 2 Ways to do Child's Pose (Yin vs. Restorative)]

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I wanted to direct you to some videos I've posted on YouTube in the past about my favorite yin yoga poses.

Here are a few:

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