Yin Yoga: We Tried It

Looking for something to relieve stress and make you more flexible and better at your workouts? Yin yoga might be your thing. Frequently called the most ancient form of yoga, yin is meant to work your deep connective tissue through gentle poses that you hold for long periods of time. To give you an idea of why this can increase your range of motion, consider this: Muscle accounts for just 40 percent of resistance against flexibility. Connective tissue is responsible for most of the rest.

Increasingly, athletes and yoga instructors are incorporating Yin components into retreats and larger programs because they're thought to complement and enhance the "yang" movements of more muscle-focused yoga styles and weight training.

But Yin's been soaring in popularity in recent years even more thanks to its approachability -- the poses are extremely easy to learn and good for beginners, and the practice (which aims to open up deep tissue areas around the spine and hips) is believed be energizing, restorative, and a good way to rehabilitate your body and make overall movement easier.

My foray into Yin yoga began last week, when I realized that my 67-year-old non-yoga practicing, couldn't-care-less mother was a whole lot more flexible than me, the dutiful gym-goer (there was a toe-touching incident I won't dwell on). I signed up for a Yin class offered at Exhale ($23 a class), and psychologically prepared myself for a lot of soreness. I got none of it.

What happened was so much better: Yin's sometimes been compared to acupressure, and I can see why. Danielle, our instructor, walked our class through a series of simple poses, each applying a gentle, sustained pressure on one broad area. Throughout, she explained what organs we were affecting and what parts of our body we were opening up. At times, it really did feel like a spa treatment, especially since we'd often rest on rolled up towels or soft blocks that almost massaged a certain region.

I know it sounds a little too good to be true, but the crazy part was that it actually worked. Early on, I remember being frustrated at myself for not being able to open my body up more. But as I held the pose, I slowly felt my joints start to relax and sink down and out. Totally naturally and pain-free. Time and again, it seemed like my body was figuring out how to relax. In doing so, I was finally reaping the rewards of all my stretching and working out. It's been three days and I've retained a vastly improved range of motion. You bet I'll be back.

Pluses: A great way to improve flexibility and reap some basic mind-body yoga benefits. If you're working out a lot, it's a good performance enhancer.

Minuses: If you're looking to build muscle or burn a lot of calories, this isn't for you.

Takeaway: I'm pretty convinced this could be a good supplement for just about anybody -- it's fun, feels good and definitely loosens you up in remarkable ways. I've noticed some classes that use this as a warm-up for a more intense yoga. Something tells me that combination would be pretty unbeatable.

Learn More: Yin Yoga's official site, Yin guru Paul Grilley's site (and a quick video), Yin videos with founder Paulie Zink, Exhale's Yin class

Want to break a sweat with your asanas? You might want to try Core Fusion Yoga.