Hi, I’m Celeste, owner of Protea Life and founder of Protea Movement Studio. I want to take a moment to talk about one of the core offerings in our studio: Yin Yoga. Whether you're brand new to yoga or a long-time practitioner, Yin is a class that invites a different kind of challenge and transformation.
This morning, I took a Yin class with Barb, and it reminded me just how impactful this practice is. As someone who has practiced and taught yoga for over two decades, many of the terms and concepts are second nature to me. But I realize that for many people, yoga can feel intimidating, especially when the terminology is unfamiliar. So, let’s break it down.
What Is Yin Yoga?
From the outside looking in, Yin can seem like nothing is happening. There’s no fast movement or sweat. But beneath the surface, there is deep, intricate work going on, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
In Yin, we hold passive postures for several minutes, often targeting the deep connective tissues like fascia, ligaments, and joints. It’s especially beneficial for people who train hard or sit for long periods, basically, most of us. By releasing tension in these deeper tissues, Yin supports greater mobility, injury prevention, and recovery. But it also does something more subtle and profound: it invites stillness. And stillness can be deeply uncomfortable.
The Discomfort is the Practice
Yin asks you to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. You might find yourself in a seated forward fold, and after a minute or two, your brain starts chattering: Am I doing this right? Is this supposed to hurt? Should I come out of this?
That’s where the real work begins. As teachers, we help students anchor into their breath and remind them that thoughts will arise, and that’s okay. The goal isn’t to silence the mind, but to shift focus. To breathe into the sensations. To feel.
And yes, sometimes that feeling is emotional.
I’ve had athletes come into class expecting a good stretch and end up with an unexpected emotional release. One student broke down crying in pigeon pose. His body had been holding tension for years, tension he didn’t even know was there. Our hips, our shoulders, our spines, they store so much, and Yin gives them space to soften.
You Have to Feel to Heal
One of the phrases I use often in class is: We have to feel to heal. That doesn’t mean we get lost in the emotion or the sensation. It means we acknowledge it. We stay with it. We don’t run away.
There’s one student who comes to mind, a woman who had anxiety about freeway driving for over 20 years following an accident. She started coming to Yin regularly. At first, she just let herself feel the overwhelm. She didn’t try to fix it. She just showed up. After a few months, her anxiety eased. She got back on the freeway.
Yin didn’t solve everything, but it gave her a container to feel safe, to process, and to begin again.
What to Expect in a Yin Class
You won’t be moving fast. You might do five or six poses in an hour. We hold each one for a few minutes on each side, with “rebound” time in between, moments of rest to allow the body to integrate what just happened.
You might cry or get bored. You might feel tension, emotion, or quiet. All at once you might feel everything. That’s okay. That’s the practice.
At Protea, we call this the Settle Series. We offer restorative classes on Monday evenings and midday sessions that are perfect for a lunch-hour reset. These classes aren’t about pushing yourself, they’re about giving yourself permission to soften, slow down, and be present.
An Invitation
Whether you flow daily or have never stepped foot in a studio, I encourage you to try one Yin class. All of our teachers will guide you through the experience and hold space for whatever comes up. You don’t need to be flexible or strong. You just need to be willing to meet yourself on the mat.
We’d love to see you in class.
Prefer to watch?
Celeste explains it all in the video below.