Yin Yoga originated from an anatomical point of view. Have you ever noticed how beautiful human bodies are in their differences? At the level of our being, we are all the same, but at the level of our physical bodies, we differ because our bones are different. Because of this, not only are our body shapes different, but also our movements. With different bones our joints have a different range of motion. In Yin Yoga there is no “perfect alignment” or the perfect posture that applies to everyone. Instead, Yin Yoga respects individual differences, which is why it offers many variations for postures and uses props. The gentle long-duration stretches (3 to 5 minutes), mostly lying down, are particularly designed to melt connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, fascia). This connective tissue is more stiff and dry (yin) than the other tissues in our body, such as muscles (yang). The older we get, the drier our connective tissue is and the stiffer we move around. Active stretches that still feel comfortable are key to staying flexible.