Yin

What it is

   A quiet, meditative yoga practice, also called taoist yoga. Yin focuses on lengthening connective tissues and is meant to complement yang yoga—your muscle-forming Anusara, ashtanga, Iyengar, or what have you. Yin poses are passive, meaning you're supposed to relax muscles and let gravity do the work. And they're long—you'll practice patience here too. 

 

Best For    Preparing the body and mind for meditation practice. You'll develop a deeper, more thorough understanding of your entire body, aiding both your meditation and yang yoga.

Who's gotta have it   Athletes and yang-aholics whose joints may be getting crowded by muscle; yin can create space and restore range of motion. Beginners in meditation—the long-held poses lend a good opportunity to practice quieting the mind.

Need to know     Be prepared for long poses—they can be held from 5 to 20 minutes at a time. Yin yoga enables you to release deep bundles of tension in our key joints: ankles, knees, hips, the whole back, neck, and shoulders. The goal is increased flexibility and appreciating your individual abilities. "The fact that someone bends further than you isn't an indication that they are healthier," says Paul Grilley, anatomy scholar and yin yoga teacher. "It is only in relation to our own skeleton can we ask, 'Am I adequately flexible and strong?'"

Trends and trivia   None to speak of. It's under the radar—for now.