Try something new: Stretch for 5 minutes before sleeping every night

Yup, just one.

This style of stretching is called yin yoga. The “yin” in yin yoga comes from “yin and yang”, which means this style of yoga focuses on slow stretches that target the deep connective tissues found in your tendons and ligaments.

In a typical one-hour yin yoga class, you’d do six to eight poses.

This is because yin yoga poses are held for anywhere from 3-20 minutes, although 3-5 minutes is a more common timeframe.

Why are the poses held for so long? To access deeper tissues and focus on one area of the body.

Although you can do full-body yin yoga, most instructors will zoom in on just one area such as the hips, shoulders, or back.

The longer holds will allow you to use your breath and relaxation of muscles to sink deeper into the poses and give yourself the stretch you deserve.

Regular yin yoga practice will increase your circulation, improve flexibility, release tight fascia, improve joint mobility, and encourage relaxation.

By staying in poses for extended periods of time, you will not have to think so hard about what to do, what’s next, or whether you’re doing it correctly.

You can focus on slowing down your breath and simply being present in the stretch, which gives your mind the perfect opportunity to relax.

Our minds are usually busy, moving at super speed all day long. Yin yoga is known to bring some peace. As your body slows down and stays in poses, your mind too will come to rest. This is why yin yoga is such a meditative practice.

People who practise yin yoga often experience more calmness, less stress, more control of their emotions and actions, and less irritability.

You can easily practise yin yoga at home by finding six to eight stretches you enjoy, creating a quiet space to stretch, and holding each pose for 3-5 minutes on each side.

If you’re a complete beginner, doing just one pose every night can help to relax your mind and body, while easing you into the practice of yin yoga.

Here are three lower body stretches to try.

Benefits: Forward folds release your hamstrings, the muscles located at the back of your thighs. Releasing tight hamstrings will make your legs feel more relaxed when sitting or standing. Many of us have tight hamstrings from sitting and standing for long periods of time.

How to do it: An easy way to do a forward fold is to sit up straight with both legs extended straight out in front of you, raising your hands above your head, and reaching your hands and chest towards your toes as you bend forward.

If this is too much, you can make the following adjustments to make it more enjoyable:

1. Bend your knees to give your hamstrings and back more space.
2. Sit on a block/elevated surface to help lengthen your spine.
3. Do a single-leg hamstring stretch instead so you can focus on one hamstring at a time.

Benefits: The low lunge is a versatile pose that can be used to stretch your back, hips, hip flexors, hamstrings, and quads. The most common variation stretches the hips and hamstrings of your front leg and the hip flexors and quads of the back leg.

How to do it: To do this, place one foot between your hands and step the other foot back. Drop the back knee and align your front knee with the front heel. From here, either place your hands on the floor, on your front knee, or on your hips as you lift your lower belly up to your chest to lengthen your spine. Try to square your hips by pulling the front hip back and the back hip forward until your pelvis is facing straight forward. Finally, sink your hips down to deepen the stretch.

Benefits: This is a great stretch for your lower body as it targets the glutes, hips, hamstrings, and lower back.

How to do it: Start in a low lunge position and bring the front foot outside your hands. Shift your weight to the front leg and start pushing your front knee and hip to the side. If you need more space, you can walk your back knee one step back. You can rock side to side to release tension, then sink to the side again.

If you’re unable to place your hands on the floor for support, get blocks, books, or a pillow so you can rest your hands and make it easier to balance.

Yin yoga isn’t stretching for your ego — it’s stretching for your soul.

Don’t go too deep into poses as you’ll be holding them for a long time. Stay at about 70-80 per cent of your maximum depth in order to comfortably hold the pose. The aim is to feel a stretch without tensing your muscles, holding your breath, or sweating profusely.

Remember: Yin yoga is a relaxing and meditative practice.

It’s easy to get distracted and restless when you’re doing yin yoga, especially if it’s your first time.

Here are some tips:

1. It can be helpful to count the beats of your inhalations and exhalations so you can focus and stay grounded.
2. Try not to adjust yourself halfway through the pose as that can be distracting.
3. Some people enjoy playing relaxing music, grabbing a pillow or a blanket as a prop, and taking short naps. If you do this, just remember to set alarms for each pose so you don’t end up falling asleep.
4. If you’re someone who can’t quieten their mind, try journalling and taking deep breaths before your practice to let go of some mental tension before you begin your physical practice.

Yin yoga is a journey that is similar to meditation — it takes time and consistency, and it will feel different every time. Be patient and persevere to reap the benefits.

Carissa Wong is a 200h Certified Yoga Teacher who focuses on alignment, mobility, and strength. She started practising yoga in 2016, and has been teaching since mid-2020. Currently, she teaches private 1-on-1 yoga classes (online and in person) and creates personalised stretch and strength plans.

You can find Carissa on Instagram (@MovewithCarissa), and her e-books “Form & Alignment” and “Banishing Back Pain” here.

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