It is this latter category that concerns teachers the most – should a student who is inflexible and/or unable to stay present start his yoga journey with Yin Yoga? That is the real question. Students will have different combinations of these attributes: some will be flexible and grounded and these so-called beginners will have no problem with a Yin Yoga practice, while others will be inflexible and distracted and these students may be highly challenged by Yin Yoga. There are also beginners who are naturally very distracted mentally and will find it hard to stay present, and there are beginners who are very grounded and present and will have no problem with the mental requirements of a yoga practice. There are beginners who are naturally very flexible and will have no problem doing the postures being described, but there are beginners who are very inflexible and will struggle with many poses. This is a difficult question to answer until we define our terms: what do we mean by “beginner”? To say someone is a beginner at yoga is not all that helpful. Stay! Stayyyy … But, for anyone who has tried this simple practice, you soon discover that “simple” does not mean “easy.” It is sooo simple that anyone can do it – but should anyone do Yin Yoga? Even beginners, who have never done any yoga before? Yin Yoga is a simple practice, very simple … just come into a pose, become still and stay.

Yoga for beginners