Yin Yoga Pose For Beginners: The 7 Yin Postures To Learn First

Basic Yin yoga poses

According to the ancient yogic texts of Patanjali, Lord Shiva was teaching an astounding 8,400,000 yoga postures! But not to worry, if we're talking about Yin yoga poses, there are only seven foundational Yin yoga poses for beginners that yogis should learn first.

Because of the intentional long holds of Yin yoga, the basic Yin yoga poses may be a bit easier to remember than some other styles of yoga.

In a Yin yoga class, you won't be practicing nearly as many asanas as in a Vinyasa yoga class, where you're transitioning from pose to pose with each breath.

Now, this does not mean Yin yoga is any easier! Many would say Yin yoga is actually more difficult, and I would agree.

But memorizing beginner Yin poses is easier because there are only seven main Yin yoga asanas. Of course, there are many variations of each pose, but first, let's look at the foundational Yin yoga poses for beginners that you should learn first before moving onto advanced variations.


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The 7 Yin Poses Beginners Should Learn First

7 basic Yin yoga poses infographic. 
1. Shoelace pose
2. Saddle pose
3. Caterpillar pose 
4. Dragonfly pose
5. Dragon pose 
6. Dog pose  
7. Twist pose

1. Shoelace pose

Woman sitting upright with her knees stacked on top of each other doing Yin yoga shoelace pose.
Shoelace pose Yin yoga

Shoelace pose is a very deep hip opening Yin yoga posture. There are many ways to get into this posture, but one that I find is the easiest is to first begin by first getting on your hands and knees. Then cross one leg behind the other before sitting back into the posture. Yin yoga shoelace pose may not be accessible for some people for various reasons – tight hips or knee contraindications, for example. Beginners may find sitting on a bolster to be very helpful in relieving pressure in the hips. If your knees are not stacking over one another, don't worry, that takes time.

2. Saddle pose

Woman lying on her back doing Yin yoga saddle pose.
Saddle pose Yin yoga

Saddle pose is a great hip-flexor and quadricep stretch. The easiest way to move into the Yin yoga Saddle posture is to simply sit upright on your shins and then lean all the way back, allowing for a natural curvature of the spine. Tight knees could make getting into this posture a challenge, but as with every Yin yoga posture, slow is the way to go when it comes to moving into the pose.

3. Caterpillar pose

Woman stretching over her legs doing Yin yoga caterpillar pose.
Caterpillar pose Yin yoga

Caterpillar pose is a seated straight-legged forward bend that focuses on stretching the ligaments in the back of the spine. Getting into some version of Yin yoga Caterpillar pose is likely accessible to most people by simply sitting on the floor and putting the legs out straight in front. But how far a person can get into the asana will depend in part on outer hip, hamstring, and low back flexibility. Notice how in this variation, the back is more rounded than in other styles of yoga.

4. Dragonfly pose

Woman sitting on the ground in Yin yoga dragonfly pose.
Dragonfly pose Yin yoga

Dragonfly pose is a juicy wide-legged straddle forward fold. This Yin yoga pose targets the backs of the thighs (hamstrings), hips, inner groin, and inner knees. Yin yoga Dragonfly pose is a challenging posture for many people as tight groin muscles can be quite restricting. Even after a couple of minutes in this pose, you may find yourself able to get much much deeper than when you first sat into the pose.

5. Twist pose

Woman lying on her back with one leg stretching over the side of her body doing Twist Yin yoga pose.
Twist Yin yoga

Twist pose is a lower cross-body twist where the knees fall to one side while the body is open to the other side, very similar to a Supine twist. Yin yoga twists are thought of as postures that “clean” or purify the organs, and this twist, in particular, can also help to release the lower back and open up the shoulders. This is likely a fairly easy posture for most people, although how far the twisting knee is able to get towards to floor may be greatly different for different people.

6. Dog pose

Woman in downward dog facing yoga position doing Yin yoga dog pose.
Dog pose Yin yoga

Dog pose is thought of to be more of a Yang yoga posture versus a Yin yoga posture, and if you practice Yang styles of yoga you’ve been in Dog or Downward Facing Dog many many times! Yin yoga Dog pose is fantastic for stretching the entire backs of the legs and for building strength in the shoulders. Most people can get into some variation of this pose, but tight calves and hamstrings may make touching the ground with the heel of the foot impossible. If this is the case, bending your knees might be something to consider.

7. Dragon pose

Woman lunging with one leg forward and bent doing Yin yoga dragon pose.
Dragon pose Yin yoga

Dragon pose is a posture that releases the hip sockets and gives a nice stretch to the quadriceps and hip flexors. Yin yoga Dragon pose is very similar to Low Lunge or Anjaneyasana, altho

The intention behind Yin yoga

The intention behind Yin yoga is to work deep into the fascia and tendons. Other Yang styles of yoga may focus on muscle strengthening or lengthening, while Yin focuses on joints, ligaments, tendons, and even bones.

Yin yoga postures are typically held for several minutes and often include various Yin yoga props, including bolster pillows, blocks, straps, and blankets to relieve the strain from the bones and muscles and to let the body ease into the postures with structural support.

A brief history of Yin yoga

While Hatha yoga is said to have 84 yoga poses, Paul Grilley, the creator of Yin yoga as we know it today, defines Yin yoga as having 7 archetypal poses. But despite the fact that there are just seven archetypal poses in Yin yoga, each Yin yoga asana has several variations.

Surprisingly, Yin yoga is a relatively newer form of yoga. According to Wikipedia, Yin yoga was brought to North America in the 1970's by Paulie Zink and adapted by modern-day American yogi Paul Grilley to be what it is today.

Ideally, Yin yoga is meant to complement other, more vigorous forms of yoga and/or exercise. Yin yoga is enormously beneficial. However, for a balanced body, cardio and strengthening would complement Yin yoga well.

Interestingly, when looking at various Yin yoga pose variations, many Yin poses are very similar and, at a quick glance, may appear to look like exactly the same asanas that are commonly practiced in Hatha or Vinyasa yoga classes. But things are not always as they appear!

Sleeping Swan, for example, is very similar to Pigeon Pose in other styles of yoga, and Yin’s Dragon pose is quite like Low Lunge (or Anjaneyasana in Sanskrit). And there are many more examples of Yin postures that nearly mirror other styles of yoga. Look for the subtle differences between Yin and Yang variations of poses though, because they are certainly there.

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Takeaway on Yin yoga poses for beginners

The Yin practice is highly recommended to offset all of the Yang we experience in life on and off the mat!

Learning the Yin yoga poses for beginners described above will set the foundation for your Yin practice to evolve. From there, you can move into modifications and variations, but of course, a strong foundation is where it all begins.

To learn more about the basics of Yin yoga, including how to create a perfect home yoga room to practice Yin, or need now Yin yoga props for your practice, peruse the related articles at the bottom of this post.

FAQ about Yin yoga

Can a beginner do Yin yoga?

Absolutely. In fact, I think Yin yoga is one of the most beginner-friendly types of yoga that exists. That's not to say that Yin yoga is not difficult, but because of Yin's long holds and simplicity in nature, it is less complex than other types of yoga.

How long should you hold a yin pose?

Yin yoga poses are most often held for 3-5 minutes.

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Heather
Heather

Heather is a Certified Yoga Teacher the visionary behind The Yogatique, her passion project. She created The Yogatique to help yogis & other growth-oriented individuals discover premium high quality trainings and classes in the yoga & wellness space. Heather is a RYT-200 and a practicing yogi of more than 15 years. She is also a global citizen who has been living abroad for 10 years. Her passions include health & fitness, studying healthspan & longevity, exploring the road less traveled, & SEO. Heather can be reached at heatherj@theyogatique.com, or you can connect with Heather on LinkedIn.

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