Yin Yoga in Your Bed

On the first day of my 100-hour yin yoga teacher training, we talked about the importance of building a daily practice. My teacher, Sally Miller, says that practicing a little bit every day is better than a longer practice once in a while, so she suggested that we start by doing one yin yoga pose each day. Establishing and sticking to a daily practice of any kind has always challenged me, so I asked a serious question.

“Can I do my one yin yoga pose in bed?”

The room erupted with laughter. After a group discussion about whether this question exposed me as a lazy millennial, Sally suggested that I give it a try. It worked – I found it much easier to practice when I gave myself permission to practice in the place that made me feel most comfortable. When we met again the following month, some of the other training participants shared that they had tried it too – and they loved it!

While I admit that I don’t always do one yin yoga pose each day, I love to practice in my bed for a few reasons:

• I can practice first thing in the morning. I don’t like to jump right out of bed when I wake up, and doing one yin yoga pose is a more productive way to procrastinate getting started on my day than scrolling through my phone.

• I can practice right before I go to sleep. If I’m not crashing as soon as my head hits the pillow, practicing one yin yoga pose helps me wind down and get a good night’s sleep.

• I can practice when I’m traveling, even without a mat or props. Hotel beds are my favorite for yin yoga, especially the king size ones. They are comfortable and there are so many pillows to use as props! Even at home, my bed is always there, so I can still do my practice even when I’m feeling too lazy to roll out my mat.

Not all yin yoga poses can be practiced in your bed, as some require a little more support than your super comfy mattress might give you. Some poses work especially well in bed, so I’ve put together my favorites in the sequence below. You can choose one pose or all of them in any order. Make it your own!

When practicing yin yoga poses, please remember:

• Discomfort, such as a pulling sensation, may be okay to stay with and breathe through. If you feel any pain, or numbness/tingling, please stop and come out of the pose.

• The times listed are maximum times for each pose. You can choose to stay in the poses for less time, even just a few breaths.

• Try to let go of all muscular effort while in the poses.

• Look for your first edge and stay there – don’t go to your maximum range.

• After each pose, come to a neutral resting position and pause for 5-10 breaths.

For more detailed instructions on each pose, you can watch Sally’s Youtube videos.