Top 5 Hidden Gem Yin Yoga Channels

In this video my friend Matt Depuis and I are going to share with you some of our favourite heart centered yoga teachers who are sharing their yoga on YouTube that you may not have come across because they are “smaller” channels. These are teachers that are generously sharing their teachings on YouTube on a regular schedule, that have good sound and lighting and are offering high quality instruction. In this video we will share why we enjoy their teaching and we hope that you will check them out.

1. Claire Renee

Yin Yoga for Liver Meridian

I appreciated Claire’s description of the meridian channels as they relate to the organs and traditional Chinese medicine at the beginning. One thing that I loved in her class was the way she used the block as a prop under the knees and then leaning back to do ankle stretch. I had never seen that and it was definitely an effective way to do a long yin hold for the fronts of the ankles. She discussed some of the symptoms of liver imbalance throughout the class. I love how she encouraged us to take up space in savasana and reflect on how we feel differently from the beginning and even just a few postures before.

2. Yoga Candy

Spooky Light Yin Yoga

I enjoyed this class, and it was in alignment with Halloween just around the corner. Candy is a giggly girl who makes you feel at home throughout the practice, and she is fun to follow and listen to. She takes the stress away from trying too hard to follow a yin yoga class on YouTube and makes you enjoy the practice. Throughout doing this with her, I felt connected to my inner child and had a fun time. One pose that was new to me and that I particularly enjoyed was a half frog with a strap around my ankle. The opening of my groin and hip on one side combined with the pulling of my leg and stretch in the front of my front thigh on the other was a great combination that left me feeling great on the rebound.

Candy has also been on YouTube since 2011 and has over 700 videos and classes to choose from. This is one channel that slipped between the cracks and deserved to be noticed not only for all the hard work that she has put through it but also because the quality of the instructions and the fun that you get doing her classes is worth your time.

3.Zen Yin Yoga with Michelle

Yin Yoga for Menopause

October was menopause month and October 18th was world menopause day. Michelle started the video by sharing her journey with menopause and some of the things that helped her including her experience with hormone replacement and diet. The talking introduction was 10 minutes and then we went into a 35 minute yin yoga practice.

The class was intended to calm the body, to release cortisol and bring hormones into balance, and to relieve hot flashes. It was meant to soothe the mind, body and hormones. There were two different pranayama (including sitali and nadi shodhana breath) for cooling the body and hormones. Michelle also brought affirmations into the practice. The poses were soothing, calming and cooling. We did dragonfly, wide legged child’s pose, supported bridge and waterfall in addition to the pranayama, with a lot of focus on breathing in each pose.

4. Yoga with Elani

Yin Yoga for Low Back Care

Elani's channel features different styles of yoga, including: gentle yoga, Hatha, vinyasa, yin yoga, chair yoga, and meditation practices. The Class I did was a Yin Yoga class for low back care. This Class had a voice-over where Elani gave you very gentle and soft guidance throughout the entire yin sequence. She is very clear and calming while instructing her class, and I find that this makes her classes very suitable for beginners or anybody who just wants to jump on their mat and try a yin yoga class right away without much experience. Her soft-spoken voice combined with her smooth background music provides a very calming and relaxing environment throughout the whole class.