Consistently getting on your yoga mat can improve flexibility and leave you feeling physically and mentally refreshed. But a particular type of practice called Yin yoga can offer athletes more than just a calmer mind and a good stretch. Experts say that Yin poses can work like acupuncture, opening up energy flow and releasing tightness deep in the body.
“In acupuncture we insert needles in points we think there is tension or blocked energy,” says Deborah Stotzky, MS, founder and acupuncturist of Holistico Wellness + Beauty in New York City. These points typically lie on a network of pathways, called meridians, which also correspond to specific organs. Opening up energy flows helps organs perform their functions optimally, Stotzky adds. Unblocking the kidney meridian, for example, can hike up energy and also release fear and anxiety.
“Yin yoga is like acupuncture without needles,” she adds. “Similar to acupuncture, the poses open up the meridians.” It works like this: In Yin yoga, you’ll hold poses for longer than you would in a typical Vinyasa class—at least five minutes—stretching and releasing the body’s connective tissue, specifically around the hips, pelvis, and low back (the densest area of connective tissue in the body). “It’s thought that the meridians lay within the connective tissue, so by lengthening it, you stimulate any blocked or stagnated energy and allow it to flow,” says KayKay Clivio, senior manager of yoga experience at Equinox and creator of Equinox's Yin Yoga Meditation class, on schedules now.
Athletes can expect big benefits: “After a Yin yoga session, you go back to training with more space in both the body and mind,” says Stotzky. “This allows you to really excel in whatever physical activity you are doing, whether it’s weightlifting, running, or other types of yoga.”
Ahead, four Yin yoga poses that are great for all levels of yogis. Aim to hold each pose for at least five minutes or longer (on both sides when applicable) to release connective tissue, get a deep stretch, and get energy flowing. Do them individually or as a sequence.
