My favourite yin poses for rest and relaxation

Yin yoga includes softly held poses to nurture the body’s deeper and denser tissues, stimulate the flow of energy through the subtle body and restore, rewire and replenish the nervous system. It’s an antidote to the busyness of day to day life and allows you to release unnecessary tensions in the body and mind, settle into stillness and explore a quieter way of being.

Some poses are more yin than others (because everything’s relative) and these poses can therefore be more beneficial if you’re looking for a more restful and relaxing practice - maybe a practice before going to bed. Here are a few of my go-to poses when I’m looking to feel more relaxed.

Child’s pose​​

Child’s pose is a firm favourite of mine. It can be practised in several different ways, although I prefer to have my arms by my sides so my shoulders can relax more and my forehead resting on something. I then like to feel each exhale moving down from my body into my mat. You can rest your forehead on a block or blanket if that feels more comfortable.

Although it’s one that I love, I know that child’s pose isn’t for everyone. If it doesn’t feel comfortable for your ankles or knees (or anywhere else for that matter), you could practise constructive rest pose instead (feet wide on the mat and knees touching).

Supine butterfly

I regularly start and end my practice in supine butterfly, where the soles of the feet rest together and the knees relax out to the sides. If it feels like there’s too much effort in the outer hips or inner thighs you could try placing blocks or any other support beneath the legs.

Legs up the wall

This is a wonderful pose and the good news is you don’t even need a wall to practise it! My favourite version is to lie over a bolster as shown on the photo but you can use a block, cushion or blanket or just lie directly on your mat. Legs can be fairly straight, wide, or if you’re at the wall you can take them into the butterfly shape (soles of the feet together and knees wide).

I hope that these poses will help you to rest and relax. When choosing poses to practise, bear in mind that not every pose is suitable or appropriate for every body and there are many variations of and alternatives to poses. Always pick an option that feels good to you and serves the purpose of your practice. Enjoy finding a more restful state of being.