Class at Well Bath
Yin Yoga
Ground level. Long held. Nothing to prove.
You settle onto the floor. The first shape holds you for five minutes, and something in the body starts to speak. Yin Yoga is a slow, floor-based practice. Postures are seated and supine, typically held for five minutes or more, giving the connective tissue time to release in a way that faster forms of yoga do not reach. The practice reaches deeper layers of fascia and opens areas that faster movement leaves untouched.
The breath is used to explore your edge, allowing time to create space in the area focused on and a sense of freedom and acceptance of where you are on the day. Adjustments are given to correct alignment and help you sense what is possible.
The class suits people at any level and is a good first door for anyone nervous about yoga: the pace is unhurried, the shapes are supported, and rest is built into the sequence. It pairs well with a stronger practice or bodywork earlier in the day.
Duration
75 minutes
Price
See the booking page for current pricing.
What people bring
Presentations commonly worked with
Yin sits at the quieter end of the yoga schedule at Well Bath. What people arrive with is often not so much a body problem as a body that has forgotten how to rest.
- Deep-held tightness in hips, low back and inner thighs
- Fascia stiffness from long hours sitting or driving
- Anxiety that responds better to stillness than to movement
- Chronic pain conditions where a stronger yoga class is too much
- Nervous-system reset after a busy stretch
- Sleep patterns that have thinned out over time
- Preparation for meditation practice
- Perimenopause and menopause, when the body is asking for less doing
Yin holds shapes for several minutes at a time. If you have connective-tissue disorders, acute joint inflammation or are early post-surgery, speak to your physiotherapist first, and to Joe or Lauren before booking.
What a session is like
From arrival to the last breath in the room
The class runs seventy-five minutes and is almost entirely on the floor. This is the shape.
- 01
Arrival
Come through the front door, take a tea, settle in the studio with a bolster and blankets ready.
- 02
Opening
Seated centring, breath awareness. A short introduction of what the class will do.
- 03
First held postures
Ground-level shapes held three to five minutes each. The teacher cues you to find your edge — enough sensation to be present, not so much that you tense.
- 04
Rest between
Brief pauses between postures to let the body register what has changed. This is part of the practice, not filler.
- 05
Deeper held work
Longer holds in the middle of the class. Some shapes reach five to seven minutes. Props are used liberally so the shapes can be inhabited rather than performed.
- 06
Long savasana
The final rest is five to ten minutes. Blankets, eye pillow if you want one, complete stillness.
Three months of Yin, Himalayan Hatha, and Prana Kriya together with weekly Tui Na massage and I am free of all medication and pain. Joe holds the space in a safe and gentle way, and encourages each person to explore their edge.
Emma, Yin and multi-modality regular
Weighing it up
Yin versus Restorative yoga
The two are often confused. Both are floor-based, both are slow, both use props. The intention behind each is different.
| Yin | Restorative | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensation | You find your edge. Real stretch is present. | You disappear into support. No stretch. |
| Muscles | Relaxed but present. The stretch reaches the fascia. | Fully supported. Nothing has to work. |
| Time held | Three to seven minutes per shape. | Ten to twenty minutes per shape. |
| Use of props | Moderate — bolster and blanket. | Heavy — every shape fully propped. |
| Best if you | Have tightness to work with and want to reach it. | Are burnt out or in acute recovery and cannot handle sensation. |
Lauren's Sunday evening class is Yin and Restorative combined — the softest end of the whole Well Bath schedule.
What the evidence says
Research and clinical literature
Yin-style long-held stretching has a smaller literature than active yoga; the evidence below covers the mechanisms involved.
-
Long-held stretching (two minutes and above) measurably increases hip range of motion in older adults, with retention at follow-up.
Journal of Physical Therapy Science · reviews · 2015
-
Slow long-form yoga interventions reduce perceived stress and improve sleep quality in randomised trials, though studies vary in structure.
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research · 2019
-
Fascial pliability responds to sustained low-load stretching in a way that short dynamic stretching does not, per soft-tissue mechanics research.
Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies · reviews · 2016
Questions people ask
Before you book
Do I need experience? +
What if the postures feel intense? +
Can I fall asleep? +
What do I wear? +
How is this different from Restorative? +
Can I come pregnant? +
What if I cannot get on the floor? +
Held by
Practitioners
Tui Na, Shamanic Breathwork, Prana Kriya, I Ching
Joe Macnab
Sole owner and lineage practitioner at Well Bath. Trained in Tui Na under Errol Lynch. Founding voice of the sanctuary.
Wake Up and Flow, Yin and Restorative
Lauren
Two sides of the yoga schedule: the early morning flow and the softer restorative evenings.
Other work by the same hands
Also with these practitioners
Joe Macnab
Introductory Wellness Evaluation
A one-to-one conversation with Joe. Where you are, what might meet you, what to try first.
Tui Na in Bath
An ancient healing art, over 2000 years old. Joe trained under Errol Lynch.
Shamanic Breathwork
A longer session with Joe. For those ready to move through something using breath.
Men's Fire Circle
A monthly gathering. Joe and Robby the fire keeper. A place to speak or to sit in silence.
Cupping in Bath
A traditional companion to Tui Na. Held by Joe.
Hot Stone Massage in Bath
Warm basalt stones held into the body. Held by Joe.
Prana Kriya Yoga
Joe's foundational class. Breath-led yoga in the Himalayan lineage.
Himalayan Hatha Yoga
Joe's traditional Hatha class. Steady, held, and grounded.
Breath and Bhajans
Joe's weekly class pairing breathwork with devotional chanting.
I Ching Consultation
Joe consults the ancient Book of Changes as an oracle in a one-to-one session.
Therapeutic Yoga 1-to-1
Joe's private yoga session tuned to the specific body in the room.
Classical Astrology Reading
A one-to-one classical astrology reading with Joe. Bring your date, time, and place of birth.
If you are arriving from
Yin Yoga tends to be met by people carrying
Book
Book Yin Yoga
Booking runs on Acuity, direct link below. If you are not sure whether yin yoga is the right fit, reach out and we will help you find the right first door into the sanctuary.
Prefer to talk it through first? Call Joe on 07986 380327 · Joe will get back to you within 24 hours.
Silo of the sanctuary
Also held at Well Bath
Introductory Wellness Evaluation
A one-to-one conversation with Joe. Where you are, what might meet you, what to try first.
Tui Na
An ancient healing art, over 2000 years old. Joe trained under Errol Lynch.
Shamanic Breathwork
A longer session with Joe. For those ready to move through something using breath.