How Yin Yoga Unlocks Stored Emotion
The sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees – Lao Tzu
Have you ever found yourself unexpectedly emotional during a long-held hip focused pose? I know it sounds a bit cliché, but it happens a lot. I recently witnessed several people cry in a Yin class, and most of the time we were in deer or sleeping swan (=hip poses)..
During the slow pace of Yin Yoga we might access and potentially release emotions that are stored deep within our bodies. But it is not as you might think!
Do emotions reside in fascial tissues?
Stress or trauma is not per default felt and accumulated in the brain, it can also manifest in the body. But that does not mean that we store our grief from 2 years ago under our right hip. It is a bit more indirect:
The fascial matrix, this intricate web of connective tissue that encases every muscle, organ, vessel, bone etc. acts as a sophisticated storage system for physical tension (that sometimes can be due to emotions). Every re-pressed opinion, an overridden boundary, late nights working - if this happens a lot, your muscle tone changes. When we experience a lot of stress, trauma or intense emotions, particularly over a longer timeframe, our muscle tone and fascial system change. The tension that our emotion causes might get stuck in our tissues, as our posture changes - think of rounded shoulders, collapsed chest, clenched jaw…
Fascia responds to these tension patterns and postural changes. And when you settle into a Yin Yoga pose for a couple of minutes, you are not just passively stretching the muscles, you are communicating to the layers of connective tissue that might have adapted to holding this tension (that once arose from an emotion).
There is also the element of time in Yin Yoga. Time to notice, to be with ourselves. The nervous system slows down, you become more receptive and notice what is shifting, what is going on on the inside.
The word emotion means energy in motion, and this is meant to move through us. As mentioned above, if emotions are not resolved and instead carried around for a long time, this can lead to changes in body tension and posture - which is sensed by fascia.
During Yin practice, as we breathe into these held spaces and invite softening, tension can ease and with this, your emotional load may rise to the surface.
Relief often comes first, as the nervous system recognizes safety and begins to unwind patterns of chronic holding. Students frequently report feeling lighter, more spacious or deeply peaceful after releasing areas of tension they didn't even realize they were carrying. You might hear some deep sighs, sometimes some tears.
Grief may emerge from feeling supported and held, and that isn't necessarily connected to recent events; it might be the accumulated sadness of years of small disappointments, the simple weight of being human and constantly holding it all together.
"If you understand others you are smart. If you understand yourself you are illuminated." - Lao Tzu
The component of The Five Elements of Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers us a more intentional approach to emotional regulation through Yin Yoga. By placing the body into poses that compress / gently pull on tissues along which we find specific meridian lines associated with the Five Elements, we influence our overall energy flow. Every element has a specific quality and emotional expression and we can use this for enquiry.
Wood Element (Liver/Gallbladder Meridians): Associated with anger, frustration, and the emotion of being "stuck." Poses like Dragon, Shoelace, and Twisted Dragon target these wood element energetic pathways, can help relieve irritation and cultivate patience and flexibility - both physical and mental.
Fire Element (Heart/Small Intestine Meridians): Connected to joy, excitement and contentment. Heart-opening poses like Anahatasana and supported Fish can help regulate overwhelming emotions and reconnect us with authentic joy and compassion.
Earth Element (Spleen/Stomach Meridians): Relates to overthinking, worry, and digestive issues- both physical and emotional. Poses targeting the front body like Saddle and supported backbends help us cultivate trust and groundedness.
Metal Element (Lung/Large Intestine Meridians): Associated with grief, sadness, and the process of letting go. Arm variations and poses that open the chest and shoulders support the healthy processing of loss and the cultivation of acceptance.
Water Element (Kidney/Bladder Meridians): Connected to fear, willpower and our deepest reserves of energy. Forward folds, Child's pose variations and poses that compress the back body help us work with anxiety and cultivate courage and wisdom.
The Practice of Allowing: Emotional Regulation Through Acceptance
A regular Yin practice can help with emotional regulation through quiet enquiry, time to listen inward and to sense the body. We become less reactive to daily stressors.
The stillness we cultivate in Yin poses teaches us that we can be present with whatever arises without immediately needing to fix, change or escape it. The practice teaches us to be less reactive and more accepting.
"At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want." Lao Tzu
Be well,
Simone