— The Practice —
Yin Yoga is based in lunar (cool) energy known as “tha” energy. Most of our western culture is focused on Yang (hot) energy known as “ha” energy. Yin yoga brings balance into our Yang world and balance to our mind, body, emotions, and feelings.
What is Yin Yoga?
In Yin Yoga, our goal is not to become perfect.
Our goal is to become whole.
In Yin Yoga, the aim is not perfection, but wholeness. Wholeness has many layers. Yin Yoga is informed, in part, by Taoism, Chinese medicine, Buddhism, mindfulness, and yoga rooted in Eastern traditions. With consistent practice, you may begin to feel balance and focus returning—perhaps even the natural steadiness you had when you were born. You may also notice greater mobility in your body and more stillness in your mind.
The Yin classes offered on this site support that sense of wholeness by helping you balance Yin and Yang energies. These energies are present in everything we think, say, and do, yet Western culture often emphasizes Yang far more than Yin.
Without enough Yin energy, it is easy to feel off balance and disconnected from your highest self. That inner steadiness is still available to you. With the guidance of a certified Yin instructor, you can return to that serene balance with greater ease and as often as you choose. As you move through class, you may feel stress begin to soften, the body relax, and mobility gradually return to places that may have stiffened over time.
Yin Yoga focuses on connective tissue throughout the body—including tendons, muscles, joints, organs, and even the cellular level. Around age 25, connective tissue begins to lose some of its hydration, and mobility may gradually decrease. Over time, this tissue can shift from the flexibility of a wet sponge to a stiffer, leather-like quality. Yin Yoga helps encourage rehydration and, with consistent practice, can support greater mobility.
Is there meditation in the Yin classes?
Meditation is integrated throughout Janet’s classes, from start to finish. Each session begins with more than 10 minutes of relaxed breathing and guided meditative practice to foster calm, stillness, and presence. Breathwork helps shift the mind and body out of fight-or-flight and into the parasympathetic nervous system. From there, class moves into restorative Yin postures, with ongoing attention to the breath to help you stay grounded in the present moment. Each session closes with a 15-minute guided meditation designed to release tension, worry, and anxiety held in the body and mind.
We practice on the mat so that we can take our Yin experience into the Yang world.
This practice supports you not only on the mat, but also in everyday life. As you develop greater balance between Yin and Yang, you can return to a fast-moving world as a calmer presence in the midst of chaos. That inner shift can be felt by those around you and may ripple outward in meaningful ways. BE the change.
YOU ARE the change you wish to see.