Yin Yoga Podcast

Nyk Danu

Welcome to A Yin Yoga Podcast with your host Nyk Danu - Certified Yoga Therapist, Mentor of Yoga Teachers, Yin Yoga Teacher trainer and total Yin Yoga Geek. If you have a crush on Yin Yoga and are ready to dive deep, you are in the right place. My guests and I will discuss all things Yin Yoga, including anatomy, philosophy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Meditation, Taoism, teaching tips, and so much more. You can expect these conversations to be long format, informal, lo-fi and delightfully imperfect. Welcome to the Yinside!

  1. Knee Pain and Yin Yoga: What Teachers Need to Know

    6d ago

    Knee Pain and Yin Yoga: What Teachers Need to Know

    Season 8 | Ep. 10 Knee Pain and Yin Yoga: Modifications, Surgeries, and What Your Teachers Need to Know Hey Yinies! Welcome back to the Yin Yoga Podcast. This one is near and dear to my heart because, honestly, I've been living this topic in real time. Between the X-rays, physio appointments, knee braces, and, yes, the electric scooter I bought to get myself to the studio, knee pain has been my main concern lately. So, I brought back Beth Coyne Lewis, a physiotherapist and Yoga teacher, to help me (and all of you) make sense of it all. If you missed our last episode with Beth on hip pain, go back and listen to that one first. But if your knees are what's on your mind right now, you're in exactly the right place. In this episode we cover: A breakdown of the main structures of the knee: bones, cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, the IT band, and why all of it matters for Yin teachers and studentsThe difference between acute injuries (ACL tears, falls, sports injuries) and gradual wear-and-tear issues like arthritis and meniscal degenerationTracking issues and what they actually mean, including my own 20-plus-year journey with themHypermobility and connective tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos, and how to safely support those students in your classesCommon knee surgeries, including meniscal repair, partial and full knee replacements, and what recovery actually looks like today (way better than you might think)Beth's own experience of having a knee replacement 12 years ago and returning to teaching YinPose-by-pose modifications and alternatives for students with knee pain, including saddle, sleeping swan, child's pose, sitting cross-legged, seiza, squatting, and kneelingWhy figure four on your back is not just a modification, it is a variation that works better for a lot of bodies (including mine)How to talk to students about their medical history without overstepping your scope as a Yoga teacherWhy Yin is so much more than the physical shapes, and how that matters especially for students in recoveryLinks and resources mentioned: Also mentioned in this episode: Hyper mobility and Yin Yoga Teaching Saddle pose Help In On The Way Deepening Yin - The Power of Props Blog post for this episode with an anatomy image on my website If this episode was helpful to you, please leave me a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts. And Spotify or a comment on Spotify. You can also find a blog post with more details and images on my website, and there's a comment section there too. And if you want to suggest a topic or send me a note, Instagram DMs are always open. See you in the next one, Yinnies Want to support my work? Leave me a tip. See all episodes at a glance Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the Page To Join my Yin Yoga Classes on Zoom To subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library: Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra  Find me on Instagram  @nykdanuyoga @YinYogaPodcast

    1h 12m
  2. Yin Yoga and Hip Pain-What Teachers Should Know

    Jun 12

    Yin Yoga and Hip Pain-What Teachers Should Know

    Season 8 | Ep. 9 I am excited to share this conversation with you. In this episode, I sat down with Beth Coyne Lewis, a recently retired physiotherapist, Yin Yoga teacher, and someone who has personally navigated a knee replacement and a hip labral repair. Beth also completed my 100-hour Yin training, so we already knew each other going in, which made for a really easy, honest conversation. This episode came about because of a question that popped up in the Yin Yoga Network Facebook group (not my group, just one I help admin!) about knees or hips, and I thought, most Yoga teachers, especially those with just a 200-hour, have not been given the tools to support students dealing with hip issues. Beth was the obvious person to call. What We Talk About: The difference between true hip joint pain and outer hip pain, what to actually do when a student tells you they have had a hip replacement, and why the type of surgery matters so much when it comes to movement restrictions. We also talk about props, asymmetry, scope of practice, and the shadow side of certain Yoga traditions when it comes to pushing through hip pain. And we spend some time on something I feel really strongly about: Yin Yoga is not just a physical practice, and sometimes the breath and mindfulness aspects are exactly what a student needs most. A Little More About Beth: Beth is currently teaching Yin, Vinyasa, Nidra, chair, aqua, and Yoga for grief. She teaches at a studio and at the Jewish Community Centre through a grant program for people over 60. She is also an advanced clinical aromatherapist and a level one and two Reiki practitioner. When she is not doing all of that, she is probably baking sourdough and spoiling her cats, McCartney and Harrison. Part two is coming, and we are tackling knees, which feels very timely for me personally right now. Stay tuned. Want to support my work? Leave me a tip. See all episodes at a glance Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the Page To Join my Yin Yoga Classes on Zoom To subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library: Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra  Find me on Instagram  @nykdanuyoga @YinYogaPodcast

    1h 11m
  3. Yin Therapy with Emrik Suichies

    Jun 5

    Yin Therapy with Emrik Suichies

    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 accreditedWhy insurance companies in the Netherlands now cover Yin therapy sessions, and what that actually means for the professionThe Yoga licensure debate and why getting licensed isn't necessarily the golden ticket people think it isEmbodied, experience-based learning and why Emrik tells his students they don't have to remember anythingDNA methylation and how Yin Yoga can actually help "close" gene expressions that are causing noise in your nervous systemWhat he's currently studying with neurosurgeon Jack Kruse around light, magnetism, and the mitochondriaHis 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/ Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow Yin Yoga lover. It really does help more people find the show, and I appreciate it more than you know. Want to support my work? Leave me a tip. See all episodes at a glance Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the Page To Join my Yin Yoga Classes on Zoom To subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library: Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra  Find me on Instagram  @nykdanuyoga @YinYogaPodcast

    1h 15m
  4. What We're Not Talking About in Yin Yoga (but should be)

    May 29

    What We're Not Talking About in Yin Yoga (but should be)

    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 classThe difference between a rebound and a counterposeHow my nervous system as a teacher shapes the entire room, and the role of co-regulation in a group Yin practiceThe difference between teaching students to stay still versus stay presentWhy physical stillness does not automatically create awarenessPractical cues I use to guide students inward during holdsSilence as a teaching tool, and why I think many of us teachers are more uncomfortable with it than our students areHow over-talking can interrupt your students' processThe role of boredom in Yin Yoga and why it might be a threshold worth crossingHow Yin can challenge achievement-oriented students, and how I like to reframe it for themWhy less intensity can actually create more awarenessThe real gifts of a consistent Yin practice that have nothing to do with flexibilityEpisodes 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 Want to support my work? Leave me a tip. See all episodes at a glance Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the Page To Join my Yin Yoga Classes on Zoom To subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library: Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra  Find me on Instagram  @nykdanuyoga @YinYogaPodcast

    57 min
  5. Yin Yoga Lessons: Learning To Stay

    May 22

    Yin Yoga Lessons: Learning To Stay

    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 stayingHow the inability to stay shows up in our bodies, our emotions, and our attention spansA little guided reflection you can use yourself or with your studentsIf 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. Enjoying the pod? You can support the show through PayPal Here: Want to support my work? Leave me a tip. Or leave a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, leave five stars and drop a comment on Spotify, or share this episode with someone who needs a little reminder to slow down. See all episodes at a glance Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the Page To Join my Yin Yoga Classes on Zoom To subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library: Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra  Find me on Instagram  @nykdanuyoga @YinYogaPodcast

    36 min
  6. Prana One Breath Many Worlds - Bernie Clarke

    May 15

    Prana One Breath Many Worlds - Bernie Clarke

    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 Want to support my work? Leave me a tip. See all episodes at a glance Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the Page To Join my Yin Yoga Classes on Zoom To subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library: Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra  Find me on Instagram  @nykdanuyoga @YinYogaPodcast

    1h 2m
  7. Bernie Clark Answers Your Questions

    May 8

    Bernie Clark Answers Your Questions

    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 postPrevious Bernie Clark episode (split into two parts)Yin yoga for athletes episode with TiffanyEpisode with Niamh on osteoporosisHypermobility and Yin Yoga- Libby Hinsley Want to support my work? Leave me a tip. See all episodes at a glance Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the Page To Join my Yin Yoga Classes on Zoom To subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library: Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra  Find me on Instagram  @nykdanuyoga @YinYogaPodcast

    1h 19m
  8. The Quiet Shift: From Yin Yoga Intructor to Teacher & Guide

    May 1

    The Quiet Shift: From Yin Yoga Intructor to Teacher & Guide

    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 mattersWhy 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 taughtWhy I ignored my intuition for years before I finally started chanting to my students during ShavasanaWhat it means to hold brave space for your studentsThe power of bookends in your classes and why repetition is actually good for your students' nervous systemsHow to know which student feedback is worth listening to and what to let go ofWhy 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    If this episode resonated with you, I'd be so grateful if you took a moment to leave a five-star rating on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or a written review on Apple. 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. Sharing is caring, as they say. Want to support my work? Leave Me a Tip   See all episodes at a glance  To Join my Yin Yoga Classes on Zoom To subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library: Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra

    1h 2m
See All (115)

4.8
out of 5
45 Ratings

About

Welcome to A Yin Yoga Podcast with your host Nyk Danu - Certified Yoga Therapist, Mentor of Yoga Teachers, Yin Yoga Teacher trainer and total Yin Yoga Geek. If you have a crush on Yin Yoga and are ready to dive deep, you are in the right place. My guests and I will discuss all things Yin Yoga, including anatomy, philosophy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Meditation, Taoism, teaching tips, and so much more. You can expect these conversations to be long format, informal, lo-fi and delightfully imperfect. Welcome to the Yinside!

Information

  • Creator
    Nyk Danu
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    115
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Nyk Danu
  • Show Website
    Yin Yoga Podcast

You Might Also Like