Yin Yoga is a very simple, deep and meditative practice. We settle into an asana for 3-7 minutes and slowly relax our muscles to allow the deeper drier tissues--the connective tissues that wrap our muscles and make up our joint capsules--to be safely and therapeutically stretched, stimulated and strengthened.

The alignment rules of the postures are simple: we listen to our bodies and lead ourselves into the shape that follows the natural contours of our spine, pelvis and hips. However, bringing ourselves into this simplicity can be quite challenging. The practice of being still and quiet for minutes at a time can be trying enough, let alone while dropping into a deep and often burning stretch across wide sheets of connective tissue. And listening to our bodies to find the natural, organic alignment of the pose requires a discrimination, an understanding and familiarity with the moment to moment changing sensations in the body.

A little discussion, a few slide shows and of course diving into the practice will help shed light on Yin Yoga; but the backbone of this training is the living study of skeletal variations. An understanding of the joints through direct experience. Feeling the full range of motion in ones own body as well as the bodies of ones fellow students is a crucial step toward building the Shapes of Yoga Asana.

Joe Barnett has been teaching for over a decade. He teaches many styles of movement and has certifications in Yang (Vinyasa) Yoga, Yin Yoga and Acro Yoga. 

However, his main focus of study is the techniques in Functional Anatomy for Yoga Asana. Joe is a senior student of Paul Grilley, a true Yoga Scientist who is largely responsible for the current rise in the popularity of Yin Yoga and Functional Alignment. Using Paul’s Taoist Analysis of Yoga and the Body, Joe recently began traveling the country training yoga teachers and students how to understand and feel the full range of motion of their joints and their students’ joints; and how to use this wisdom to effectively and therapeutically build the postures in yoga.