Yin Yoga Podcast

Season 8 | EP. 8

I had such a good conversation with Emrik, and I honestly could have kept going for hours. Emrik is a Yin Yoga teacher and therapist based between the Netherlands and Hungary, and what he has built over the course of his career is unlike anything I've come across in the Yoga world.

We're talking about a formally accredited bachelor's degree in Yin therapy. Not just a certification. Not just a teacher training. An actual bachelor's degree, recognized by insurance companies in the Netherlands. It's the kind of thing that makes you go, "Wait, why isn't everyone doing this?"

But beyond the credentials, what really got me in this conversation was Emrik's philosophy. About learning, about healing, about what Yin Yoga actually is and what it's capable of.

What we talked about:

• How Emrik built a bachelor's degree program in Yin therapy and got it officially accredited
• Why insurance companies in the Netherlands now cover Yin therapy sessions, and what that actually means for the profession
• The Yoga licensure debate and why getting licensed isn't necessarily the golden ticket people think it is
• Embodied, experience-based learning and why Emrik tells his students they don't have to remember anything

• DNA methylation and how Yin Yoga can actually help "close" gene expressions that are causing noise in your nervous system

• What he's currently studying with neurosurgeon Jack Kruse around light, magnetism, and the mitochondria
• His upcoming English master's program in integrative medicine and Yin therapy

One thing Emrik said that I haven't stopped thinking about: Yin Yoga is the missing part of being alive. I felt that one right in my heart.

If you're a Yoga teacher, a therapist, or just someone who loves going deep into the why behind the practice, this episode is for you.

Resources and links mentioned:

Website: https://yinassociation.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yinassociation/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YinAssociationBook in Dutch: https://migems.nl/over-leven-met-yin/

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Season 8 Ep. 7

What We Aren't Talking About in Yin Yoga

We talk a lot about fascia, long holds, meridians, and the nervous system in Yin Yoga. And those are all valuable conversations.

But in this episode, I wanted to go a little deeper and explore the quieter, subtler parts of a Yin practice that don't always get airtime, the things that are harder to measure, harder to teach, and maybe harder to talk about.

These are some of the most important conversations I think we can be having as teachers and dedicated practitioners, and I'm so glad you're here for it.

In this episode I cover:

• The rebound (what I call the resonance or linger) and why it's one of the most skipped and most valuable parts of a Yin class
• The difference between a rebound and a counterpose
• How my nervous system as a teacher shapes the entire room, and the role of co-regulation in a group Yin practice
• The difference between teaching students to stay still versus stay present
• Why physical stillness does not automatically create awareness
• Practical cues I use to guide students inward during holds
• Silence as a teaching tool, and why I think many of us teachers are more uncomfortable with it than our students are
• How over-talking can interrupt your students' process
• The role of boredom in Yin Yoga and why it might be a threshold worth crossing
• How Yin can challenge achievement-oriented students, and how I like to reframe it for them
• Why less intensity can actually create more awareness
• The real gifts of a consistent Yin practice that have nothing to do with flexibility

Episodes I mention:

Honouring the Rebound

How to teach exceptional classes

How to hold brave space

Trauma, the Nervous System and Yin Yoga- with Alyssa Stefanson

Mindfulness in Yin

Interoception 

Do we need to go deeper 

Accessible Yin

Yin Yoga is not entertainment

Constructive rest

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Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley

Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra 

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Season 8 | Ep. 6

Yin Yoga Lessons: Learning to Stay

In this episode, I'm diving into something I've been thinking about a lot lately, the lost art of staying.

Like, actually being able to sit with yourself without immediately reaching for your phone or looking for the next distraction.

I talk about how Yin Yoga, with its longer holds and quieter pace, is honestly one of the best tools I know for learning how to stay with sensation, with boredom, with restlessness, with whatever's showing up. And why that matters way beyond the Yoga mat.

As a mid-Gen Xer, I have a pretty clear memory of life before smartphones, and I think that frame of reference has been really eye-opening for me lately. I've been craving a more analog life, and I think a lot of us are feeling that, even if we can't totally name it.

We also get into:

• Why boredom isn't actually the enemy (spoiler: it's where creativity lives)
• The rebound/resonance after a Yin shape — and why it's actually the hardest part of staying
• How the inability to stay shows up in our bodies, our emotions, and our attention spans
• A little guided reflection you can use yourself or with your students

If you're a Yin teacher, there's also some good stuff in here around how to weave this theme into your classes, either as a full theme or just in little cues you drop in throughout practice.

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Season 8 | EP. 5

Bernie Clark Returns: Prana, Fascia Science, and the Art of Slowing Down (Part 2)

Part two with Bernie Clark is here, and we are going deep into his newest book, Prana: One Breath, Many Worlds. This one is equal parts storytelling, history, and science, and there was so much to unpack.

We get into:

Helene Langevin's research and how it builds a real bridge between ancient Eastern practices and modern Western science.

Dr. Motoyama's AMI machine

The history of how prana has been understood across the ages

Bernie's very personal story of burning out from too much yang and what finally brought him back into balance.

We also talk about pranayama safety and what Yin teachers need to keep in mind when including breath practices in class.

If you haven't listened to part one yet, go back to the last episode and start there.

And if this book isn't on your shelf, go get it.

Find The Book Here

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Season 8 | EP. 4

Your Questions Answered with Bernie Clark

So excited to share this conversation with Bernie Clark, one of the most well-known voices in the yin yoga world. Bernie and I got talking and, true to form, it went long — so I split it into two parts. This first episode is all about your questions. You sent them in, I asked them, and Bernie delivered in the most thorough and nuanced way possible.

We start with a catch-up on Bernie's anatomy course, which is now available on demand after its final live run. If you learn better by watching than reading (same), it's worth checking out.

Then we get into the good stuff:

Can yin yoga increase bone density?Bernie takes us into the biology lab for this one. We talk about Wolf's Law, the mechanostat theory, osteoblasts vs osteoclasts, and what the research actually says about how bone grows. Short version: yin probably won't actively build bone, but it may help slow resorption — and more importantly, it can reduce fall risk, which is where most osteoporosis-related fractures actually happen.

Does flexing the foot in swan/pigeon protect the knee?Bernie breaks down why this cue has more validity than he originally thought (fascia is involved), but also why we need to stop using it as a fear-based universal correction. The knee isn't the target in swan — the hip is.

The Lizzie Lasseter postA lot of you sent me this one. We go through it point by point — GOGI tendon organs, proprioception, neural drive, end range of motion. Bernie cites actual research. I rant a little about pitting yoga styles against each other. We both agree: let's stop using pseudoscience to make one practice seem superior to another. Bernie wrote a full response article and I've linked it in the show notes.

How long is too long to hold a yin pose?Minimum around two minutes for the tissues to actually start releasing, with about 95% of the physical benefit happening by four minutes. Beyond that, the reasons to stay longer are more psychological, emotional, or energetic than physical — and that's totally valid.

We also take a detour into scope of practice as yoga teachers, which honestly could be its own episode.

Part two is coming next — Bernie and I dig into his new book, Prana: One Breath, Many Worlds. Can't wait for you to hear it.

Links mentioned:

• Bernie's anatomy course (Functional Anatomy for Yoga Teachers)
• Bernie's response to Lizzie's post
• Previous Bernie Clark episode (split into two parts)
• Yin yoga for athletes episode with Tiffany
• Episode with Niamh on osteoporosis
• Hypermobility and Yin Yoga- Libby Hinsley







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Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley

Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra 

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Season 8 | EP. 3

The Quiet Shift: From Yin Yoga Instructor to Teacher and Guide

There's a transformation that happens when you've been teaching Yin Yoga for a while, and most people don't even notice it's happening until they're already on the other side of it.

In this episode, The subtle but powerful evolution from instructing to truly teaching and eventually stepping into the role of a guide.

In this episode, I cover:

• The real difference between a Yin Yoga instructor, a teacher, and a guide and why it matters
• Why most Yoga teacher trainings are actually instructor trainings (and what to do about it)
• The class where I forgot my lesson plan turned out to be the best class I ever taught
• Why I ignored my intuition for years before I finally started chanting to my students during Shavasana
• What it means to hold brave space for your students
• The power of bookends in your classes and why repetition is actually good for your students' nervous systems
• How to know which student feedback is worth listening to and what to let go of
• Why being a great Yin Yoga teacher means you're forever a student

Episodes mentioned In This Episode:

How To Hold Brave Space

How To Teach Exceptional Yin Classes

Yin Yoga for the Upper Body

When Less Is More: Do you Need to Go Deeper

The #1 pose




Also Mentioned

Book mentioned Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson 

Being a Bodhisattva Bodhisattva Prayer 

Video Monty Python Black Night 

 

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On Spotify, let me know in the comments how this landed for you. And if you know a Yin Yoga teacher who needs to hear this, please share it with them.

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Season 8 | Ep. 2

How Often Should You Practice Yin Yoga?

In this episode, I'm diving into one of your most asked questions: how often should someone practice yin yoga? Spoiler: the answer is "it depends," and I get into all the reasons why.

The stock answer you'll hear a lot is that yin and yang should be practiced equally to stay in balance. And while that's not wrong, it's way oversimplified. I break down why that answer doesn't account for so much of real life.

We talk through all the factors that actually matter when figuring out the right amount of yin for someone:

• Health and ability — chronic illness, injury, recovery (including substance abuse recovery), and how that changes everything
• Stage of life — parents of little kids, seniors, anyone who's already running on empty
• How active you are outside of yoga — athletes, cyclists, people with physically demanding jobs (yes, I used my partner as an example!)
• Why you came to yoga in the first place — not everyone is here for the physical benefits. Some of us want to quiet the mind, learn to meditate, or go on an inward journey
• Nervous system nourishment — yin offers something that a movement-based class just can't in the same way
• Trauma and the body — for people working through trauma, yin can be a powerful space to practice staying and befriending the body
• Introverts and highly sensitive people — you don't always need more stimulation. Sometimes the chill, quiet class is exactly right

We live in a yang-dominated world. Sometimes a little extra yin isn't an imbalance; it's the antidote.

Oh, and we hit 100,000 downloads! Huge thank you to everyone who's been listening, sharing, and sending in topic ideas. Y'all are the reason this podcast exists.

Links mentioned:

• Episode on Yin Yang Theory
• Episode on Yin Yoga and Osteoporosis/Osteopenia
• Episode on Highly Sensitive People
• Episode with Tiffany Cruikshank on Yin Yoga for Athletes
• What the World Needs Now is Yin Sweet Yin




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Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley

Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra 

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Season 8 | Ep. 1

In this episode,

I'm diving into AcuYin, what it is, whether it's worth adding to your toolkit, and why I have some serious reservations about it.

We talk about the real depth of Chinese medicine, why acupressure points are way more powerful (and individual) than most Yoga teachers realize, and where I think short continuing ed courses on this topic fall short.

If you're a Yoga teacher considering an AcuYin training, this one's for you.

Plus, a little celebratory moment, we hit 100,000 downloads!

Thank you for your support!

Season eight, here we go....

Also mentioned in this Episode:

Yin Yoga is Not Chinese Medicine with Dr. Karina Smith

Teaching Saddle? Help Is On the Way

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Season 7 Ep. 12

Today I'm talking about one of my favourite paired organs in Chinese Medicine, the liver and gallbladder.

They're connected to spring, and the wood element, and understanding them can transform your Yin Yoga practice and your life.

The liver sees the path. The gallbladder walks it.

Key Functions:

• Ensures smooth flow of chi (emotional, digestive, menstrual)
• Controls the sinews (fascia)
• Associated emotion: anger, frustration, passion

Imbalance signs: Irritability, tight muscles, headaches, PMS, feeling stuck

Key Functions:

• Governs decision-making and courage
• Executes the liver's vision
• Courage = clarity + action

Imbalance signs: Indecision, timidity, difficulty taking action

• Liver = the dreamer, the architect
• Gallbladder = the general who makes it so
• Liver without gallbladder = frustrated dreamer
• Gallbladder without liver = action with no soul
• Together = vision + courage + forward momentum

• "Without anger and frustration, there would be no evolution, revolution, or change."
• "Vision plus courage—that's what we need."

Winter is for going inward. Spring is for planting seeds and taking action. SPRING is when I create my vision board and start new habits—not January!

🎙️ Podcast break! Back April 17th

💡 Send me your Yin Yoga questions: Instagram 

@nykdanuyoga

@YinYogaPodcast

or comment on YouTube/Spotify/ My Blog

Also mentioned in this Episode: Root to Rise: Yin Yoga Spring and the Wood element 

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Season 7 | ep. 11

In this episode, I dive into why the world desperately needs more Yin energy right now – and I'm not just talking about Yin Yoga (although definitely that too). I'm talking about the overarching philosophy of Yin and why embracing these qualities is an act of resistance against hustle culture.

I explore seven key reasons why we need more Yin, sweet Yin:• Yin as resistance to hustle culture• How Yin helps us avoid burnout through rest and regulation• Why listening (to ourselves and others) is a Yin superpower• Creating depth instead of constant stimulation• Embracing compassion and softness in a competitive world• Honouring natural cycles instead of endless growth• Supporting nervous system regulation

I also share some personal stories, including a vulnerable moment about a health scare that really put things in perspective for me, plus journal prompts you can use to bring more Yin qualities into your daily life.

If you're feeling burnt out, overstimulated, or just exhausted by the constant pressure to do more, this episode is for you.

Also mentioned in this episode: h⁠ttps://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-podcast/yin-yoga-podcast-what-is-yinyang/⁠

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⁠Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley⁠

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