Why I Love Yin Yoga (And How to Use the Same 5 Poses for Morning & Night)
If you know anything about me, you know I love Yin Yoga!
This slow, meditative practice has been a cornerstone in my own healing and teaching journey and what makes it so beautiful is that there's no one right way to sequence a Yin Yoga class.
Unlike more rigid yoga styles, Yin Yoga offers a creative and intuitive approach to sequencing. You can structure your practice based on a specific intention, whether that's releasing physical tension, working with the meridians for emotional balance, or syncing up with the energy of the season or time of day.
Morning vs. Evening Yin Yoga:
Same Poses, Different Energetic Results
While prepping the training manual with Lucianna for our recent Yin Yoga Teacher Training, we played around with a fun idea: What if we used the same five yin yoga poses to start your day, and to wind it down at the end of the day?
Through years of combined experience we know that just by changing the order of poses, the entire energetic effect of your practice can shift.
Let’s dive in 👇
Morning Yin Yoga Sequence
This version starts slow and grounded, gradually moving toward more stimulating shapes to gently energize your system for the day ahead. Great for mornings when you want to wake up with intention and avoid rushing into your to-do list.
Morning Yin Yoga Poses:
Pentacle – Begin in full surrender, opening the body and breath.
Supine Twist – Gently wring out stiffness from sleep.
Deer Pose – Ground through the hips and mobilize the spine.
Dragon Pose – Invigorates the legs and activates the root energy.
Toe Stretch – To get you up and going.
Savasana – A short rest to integrate.
Evening Yin Yoga Sequence
This sequence is designed to help you decompress from the day, clear mental clutter, and transition into deep rest. It's a gentle invitation to slow down, release stored tension, and float off to dreamland.
Evening Yin Yoga Poses:
Deer Pose – Begin by settling the hips and unwinding emotional stress.
Dragon Pose – Softens the lower body and grounds you.
Toe Stretch – A calming tension-release before stillness.
Supine Twist – Realigns the spine and relaxes the nervous system.
Pentacle – Complete surrender to gravity.
Savasana – Let yourself melt.
Yin Yoga Props Are Your Best Friend
In both of these Yin Yoga sequences, I didn’t include props in the photos—but I always recommend them. Yin Yoga is about meeting yourself where you are, and props like blankets, bolsters, pillows, and blocks help you hold each pose for 3–5 minutes with ease and support.
Why Try This Dual Yin Yoga Practice?
Whether you're a Yin Yoga teacher or a student, experimenting with the same poses in a different order is a powerful way to:
Explore how energy flows differently in the body depending on sequence
Learn to create intention-based classes for your students or yourself
Discover what your body and mind need at different times of day
This is just one of the many creative tools we explore in our Yin Yoga Teacher Training—designed to deepen your personal practice and give you the skills to confidently share yin with others.
If you’re curious about how to create your own Yin Yoga sequences, or want to join us for the training, head over to my contact page and send me a message, or drop a comment below. I’d love to hear how your morning vs. evening practice feels!