Bend Like Bamboo

What this practice is

This is a full-body flexibility class, held the Yin way: long, slow, and unhurried. Over about ninety minutes you’ll work gently through the shoulders, upper back, hips, quads, hamstrings and spine — and by the end you’ll feel lighter, looser, and more open. Nothing here is forced. Flexibility in Yin comes from staying, not straining, so the more often you return to this practice, the more it gives back.

It’s become the most-practiced class on the channel, and there’s a reason people keep it running on the TV: once you settle in, it carries you.

Who it’s for

Anyone who wants to feel less tight and more free in the body — whether you’re brand new to Yin or well into your practice. Every pose has an option to stay softer and an option to go deeper, so you decide the depth as you go. If you sit a lot, if you feel stiff, or if you simply want a long, calming reset, this one is for you.

What you’ll need

A strap (or anything strap-like — a belt, a scarf) is needed for a few of the poses. If you have blocks, keep them nearby; if you don’t, you’ll be fine without them. Most of all: a warm, quiet space where you can be still for a while.

How Yin works — the three things to remember

This class gently teaches the three principles the whole practice rests on:

• Find your edge. Come to the point where you feel a real stretch — a slight challenge — but never pain and never force. That edge is different in every body and every day.
• Be still. Once you’ve found your edge, settle. Resist the urge to fidget, and when the mind wanders (it will — that’s human), gently bring it back to the breath.
• Give it time. Yin holds are long — here, around five minutes per pose. The length is where the change happens. If you need to come out sooner, always do; you can build up to the full holds over time.