Yin Yoga in Sintra

The slower, deeper side of yoga

Yin Yoga is about holding the postures for several minutes and letting time do the work. From the outside it looks like a simple stretch. But inside, you reach the deeper tissues of the body and a calm that usually stays buried under the everyday.

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What is Yin Yoga?

Yin Yoga is the slowest, deepest practice of yoga: you stay in each posture between three and five minutes, without effort, letting the body open at its own pace.

While most practices work the muscle, Yin Yoga reaches the layer that usually gets left out: the fascia, the ligaments, the joints. It isn't strength that takes you there. It's time.

These tissues are rich in water. When you hold them under a gentle tension for a few minutes, they hydrate and gain elasticity. Flexibility stops being a matter of stretching further and starts coming from the body's own structure.

The fascia is also a network tied to the nervous system. By staying in a posture and breathing slowly, you send the body a signal of calm. That's why each long hold works a little like a meditation: you don't need to empty the mind, the body takes care of that for you.

There's no perfect posture. There's yours.

“We don't use the body to get into the posture; we use the posture to get into the body.”

Bernie Clark

What you gain with Yin Yoga

Release tension

Long postures that release tension built up in the body and mind.

Sleep better

By calming the nervous system, Yin shows up in how well you sleep that same night.

Mobility and recovery

Deep joint work, ideal for those who run, surf or cycle.

See the benefits of yoga
Patricia sitting on the floor, knees drawn in and her arms around them, looking at the camera.

Who is Yin Yoga for?

There are three kinds of people who tend to find each other in Yin Yoga, and you might recognise yourself in more than one. People with full days and a mind always racing. Yin Yoga is the moment in the week when you finally stop for real, no screens and no rush. People who train and want to last. If you run in the hills, catch waves at the beach or spend the day on the bike, Yin is the part that's usually missing: the mobility and recovery work that helps keep the body free from injury. People who sleep badly, live under stress or have never done yoga. You don't need to know anything to start. You come in, lie down in a posture, and the class takes you the rest of the way.

How are the classes?

Each class lasts 90 minutes. Along the way, I correct you and guide you to the right point in each posture, the one where you feel it without hurting yourself.

  1. 01

    Breath

    We start by slowing the breath and settling the body, to step out of the pace of the day.

  2. 02

    Postures

    You stay several minutes in each posture, without force. It's time that does the work, not effort.

  3. 03

    Savasana

    You lie down for the final deep relaxation and let the body absorb what just happened.

  4. 04

    Meditation

    A few minutes of stillness to close, with the mind already calmer.

The yoga room ready for class, with four mats, blocks and blankets, at the Quinta do Pé Descalço in Sintra.

Yin classes are on Tuesdays at 7:30 pm at Quinta do Pé Descalço, with the hills right beside you and the garden all around. There's private parking inside the property. We're a small group, no more than eight people, so I can truly look after you. I also teach the classes online, live and with the same guidance.

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Never done yoga?

Then Yin Yoga is a great style to start with. There are no difficult postures and no rhythm to catch, and the benefits of yoga show up early. Come, try it, and then decide.

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Frequently asked questions

No. Yin Yoga doesn't depend on your flexibility; it depends on the time you stay in each posture. We adapt every one to your body with cushions and props. It's one of the easiest practices for someone starting from scratch.

Try Yin Yoga

Come, try a class, and then decide.

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