Butterfly, Dragon, Saddle and more: the six foundational Yin poses, their target areas, and how to safely adapt them with props.
Which poses do you actually need to start Yin Yoga? Honest answer: six are plenty for the first few months. Instead of memorizing twenty names, it pays off to properly understand a few poses — Yin thrives on repetition, not variety.
The six classics in this guide cover the body regions Yin sequences usually focus on: hips, thighs, spine and lower back — the most common target areas in a typical Yin class, which usually runs 8 to 12 poses over 60 to 75 minutes.
One thing upfront: none of these poses has a single "correct" end shape. Your anatomy — hip joint shape, leg and arm length — determines how deep you go, not your ambition. Two people in the same Butterfly can look completely different and both still be "right" (more on this in the guide on compression and tension).
Train Smart. Play Hard. — in Yin that means: adapt the pose to your body, don't force your body into the pose.
Sit upright, soles of the feet together, knees drop to the sides. Slowly fold forward with a rounded spine, resting your forehead on a block or bolster. Target area: inner thighs, lower back, hips.
Legs extended forward, upper body rounds over the legs. Unlike a Hatha forward fold, the spine stays deliberately rounded, not flat — exactly what separates the Yin from the Yang version of the same basic shape. Hands or forearms rest loosely beside the legs.
From all fours, place one foot between your hands, slide the back leg far behind you, top of the foot on the floor. Target area: hip flexors (iliopsoas), thigh, groin. Blocks under your hands take pressure off the front knee.
In full Saddle you sit between your heels and lean back; in Half Saddle, one leg stays extended. For sensitive knees: practice only the half version and place a rolled blanket behind the knee crease.
Stack both knees on top of each other, or cross the feet like shoelaces, then optionally fold forward. Target area: glutes, outer hip, IT band.
One knee forward toward the mat, the other leg stretched long behind you, upper body sinks over the front leg. Target area: hip rotators and glutes, similar to Pigeon from more active yoga styles, but noticeably more passive and held longer.
Saddle and Dragon load the knee directly — with a history of knee problems or surgery, practice only the half version and exit immediately if you feel sharp pain, tingling or numbness in the knee. Shoelace and Sleeping Swan load the hip heavily; if you already have issues there, go in more slowly and less deeply.
Photograph or write down which prop combination works for you in which pose. After three or four sessions you'll have your own "recipe book" — and won't need to experiment from scratch every time while the clock is already running.
Butterfly. It's easy to understand, adapts well with props, and doesn't load especially injury-prone joints like the knee. Most beginner classes start or end with it.
Because in Yin the spine itself is the target, not just the back of the legs. A rounded spine spreads the stretch across the whole spine; a flat back would activate the muscles and turn the pose into more of a Hatha exercise.
Only with modification. Practice Half Saddle instead of full Saddle, place a rolled blanket behind the knee crease, and exit immediately if you feel sharp instead of dull sensation. With existing knee problems, skip Saddle entirely when in doubt.
A typical full class runs 8 to 12 poses over 60 to 75 minutes. At home, 3 to 4 poses and 20 to 30 minutes are plenty, especially when starting out.
Yin Yoga: Using Props the Right Way