The first week covers fascia and connective tissue, the anatomy of joints, the theory of exercise, aesthetic vs functional alignment, and why yin poses are named differently. We also begin our discussion on meridians and chakras. The asana practices include these 60 min practices: classic yin yoga, yin with yang transitions, intro to yang yoga, and a guided yin meditation.  

"I really loved this discussion! To me Yin is less about thinking and perfecting alignment, breath, dristi, bandha... and much more about working intuitively with our own bodies... I really love how you add more and more tiny layers of available variation for us to try all the way through our training.For me personally, this course is like stepping out of rigidity and into acceptance, allowance." - Carrie T.

Module 1 Guided Practice Videos

• Classic Yin Yoga Sequence (65 min)
• Introductory Yang Yoga Sequence (60 min)
• Yin with Yang Transitions (57 min)
• Instinctive Meditation: Welcoming (17 min)

Module 1 Learning Videos

• Intro to Yin & Yang (8 min)
• Fascia & Connective Tissue (14 min)
• Anatomy of a Joint (11 min)
• The Theory of Exercise (11 min)
• Aesthetic vs Functional Alignment (8 min)
• The Names of Yin Poses (4 min)
• Intro to Energy, Meridians & Chakras (20 min)
• Intro to Yang Yoga (4 min)
• Intro to Instinctive Meditation (8 min)

Assignments

• Make an audio recording of yourself leading a full body yin session, just for yourself(script available), then practice with your recording. You will not need to submit the recording, but you will fill out a form to summarize your experience.
• Read Teaching Yin Yoga, Pages 1-22

This week dives deep into anatomy and proportion looking at skeletal variation in the hips, spine, upper body and ankles. We also build skills on using language in yin. The asana practices are 31-80 minutes and include yin dragons & saddles, yin & warrior flow, wall yin, yin/yang fusion, and a guided yin meditation for healing rest.

"Fascinating! I just love seeing the differences in the bones and learning how that impacts movement. Thank you for articulating this. I will be looking at students much differently now." -Karen W.

Module 2 Guided Practice Videos

• Yin Practice: Dragons & Saddles (65 min)
• Yin Yang Yoga: Warrior Flow Into Yin (50 min)
• Wall Yin (53 min)
• Yin Yang Fusion (80 min)
• Healing Rest Yin Meditation (31 min)

Module 2 Learning Videos

• The Movements of the Joints (8 min)
• Skeletal Variation: Intro & Upper Body (26 min)
• Skeletal Variation: Hips & Spine (26 min)
• Skeletal Variation: Proportion (12 min)
• Skeletal Variation: Ankles & Squats (10 min)
• Skeletal Variation Roundup (22 min)
• Some Language Tips (5 min)

Assignments

• Choose one of these two assignments, to get a tactile experience of compression and tension:
  • Choice 1: With an adult friend or a fellow student, practice Hands-On Yin. This may be done in-person or over Zoom. You will not need to submit a recording, Just fill out a form summarizing your experience.
  • Choice 2: Follow a 1 hour yin yoga video that will be provided, which features graduates of this course.
• Read Teaching Yin Yoga pp. 37-47

Learn the functional approach to yin, broken down into segments on the thigh, the torso, the pelvis and the shoulders. Learn how yin poses are constructed as part of the system of seven archetypes. There’s a guided chakra meditation plus three 60-75 minute guided asana sequences: yin for the hips, yin for the spine, and flying dragon yang flow into yin.

"I enjoyed and learned so much from your brief anatomy videos. The 'less is more' approach really works for me - I’ve always found it really hard to absorb anatomy and relate it to my teaching, but this really works." -Kitty M.

Module 3 Guided Practice Videos

• Yin Yoga for the Hips (74 min)
• Yin Yoga for the Spine (77 min)
• Yang Yoga: Flying Dragon Flow Into Yin
• Intuitive Chakra Scan Meditation (32 min)

Week 4 Learning Modules 

Intro to the Functional Approach (9 min)

• Target Areas of the Thigh (20 min)
• Thigh & Meridians Roundup (7 min)
• Target Areas of the Torso & Arms (15)
• Torso & Arms Meridian Roundup (7 min)
• The Tilt of the Pelvis (3 min)
• Shoelace Archetype (22 min)
• Dragonfly Archetype (15 min)
• Caterpillar Archetype (19 min)
• Twist Archetype (17 min)
• Saddle Archetype (36 min)
• Dragon Archetype (12 min)
• Downward Dog Archetype (15 min)

Assignments

• Yin Assists (with an adult friend) or Yin with Sandbags (solo assignment)
• Read Teaching Yin Yoga, pp. 23-36 and 48-52

 The final week is dedicated to meridians in yin yoga, with segments looking at the energy channels in the legs, torso and arms. Here we also have a robust discussion on yin sequencing, and a tutorial on teaching yin to inflexible people and older adults. Guided practices are 32-85 minutes in length and include upper body yin, yang yoga animal parade, yin yang fusion, and our finale – the functional yin extravaganza practice!

"This whole lesson on the spine - wow - just makes my body feel different!! Lots of sensations throughout but by the end I just feel so much new energy!" – Josie P.

Module 4 Guided Practice Videos

• Upper Body Yin Yoga (70 min)
• Yin for Inflexible People (85 min)
• Yang Yoga: Animal Parade (32 min)
• Yin Yang Fusion 2 (63 min)
• Functional Yin Extravaganza (81 min)

Week 5 Video Learning Modules

• Meridians in Yin Yoga (11 min)
• Meridians in the Legs (13 min)
• Meridians in the Torso (11 min)
• Meridians in the Arms (8 min)
• Yin Sequencing (36 min)

Assignments

• Read The Art of Teaching Yin Yoga, pp. 33-69
• Read "Tech Tips for Teaching Online" (article)
• Read "Yin Teacher FAQ" (article)
• Final Practice Teaching Video. Film yourself teaching a yin yoga class on your own. You may also choose to teach an adult friend or family member, either on Zoom or in person, 40-60 min.