What are the 5 dimensions of Yin Yoga?

Yin Yoga, a slow-paced yoga, is said to work with the yin energy flowing through our body. The five dimensions that it is known to work in are physical, energetic, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Doing Yin Yoga regularly provides benefits in all these five aspects.

How is Yin Yoga different from Vinyasa?

The main difference between Vinyasa and Yin Yoga is that Vinyasa is more of an active and energetic yoga style. Meanwhile, Yin Yoga is a passive style of yoga that requires you to hold poses for longer amounts of time. Vinyasa has its poses linked to each other and the breath, and they are of comparatively shorter durations, to be done in a flow-like manner. The poses challenge the body’s major muscle groups like the Glutes and Quads, while Yin Yoga focuses on lengthening the joints and connective tissues. However, both styles of yoga are beneficial, serve different purposes, and are paired well together. For example, doing a Vinyasa one day a week and Yin once a week is a great way to create a sense of balance in your exercise routines.

What are the five elements of Yin Yoga?

As mentioned earlier, Yin Yoga works on the yin or qi, also called chi, energy flowing through different channels or meridians in our body. Each posture works with one of the five commonly known elements. These are water, wood, fire, metal and earth. They are supposed to be controlling and supporting different meridians and emotions. Water is associated with the organs, kidneys, and bladder, and wood with the gallbladder and liver. Metal correlates with the lungs and large intestines, while fire correlates with the small intestines and heart. Lastly, the earth supports the spleen and stomach (3) .

What are the 5 archetypes of Yin Yoga?

In Yin Yoga, there are numerous poses and stretches for different purposes. However, these poses are said to be driven by any of the five main archetypes. These key archetypes are the Shoelace, Saddle, Caterpillar, Dragonfly, and Twists. All of these archetypes target different muscular and skeletal groups in the body. Shoelace targets the gluteus muscle group; Saddle targets quads and hip flexors; Caterpillar targets the spine and hamstrings; for Dragonfly, the target area is the groin; and for Twists, it is the spine and the lateral body (5) .

Blog Editorial team Ally McElroy

Ally McElroy

Yoga Teacher

“I show you how to find peace, confidence, & joy through life & work with yoga.”

Career Highlights

I’m a certified 500-hour yoga instructor
I work with a diverse range of yoga styles including Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Chair, Prenatal/Postnatal, and Yoga Sculpt

Education

I got my degree in elementary education, but during the global pandemic, I decided to flip my life around. And I’m glad I did!

About Me

Yoga is my method of fostering a positive and inclusive environment in which you can thrive. I love connecting with my students beyond the yoga mat, and I strive to empower them to move more mindfully and connect with their inner selves.
I’d love to guide you through your yoga journey towards improved well-being. Let’s make that magic happen!