Yin Yoga Poses to Help You Unwind After Work

Wrapping up a workday doesn’t always bring the relief you want. Some days find you feeling tired and frazzled with a body that aches and a brain that feels completely fried. It’s at times like these that practicing a couple yin yoga poses can help you unwind.

Yin yoga is an effective antidote to the desk effect by encouraging your body to stretch, lengthen, and release from a perpetually hunched position. As you relieve tired body parts from physical tension and racing minds from emotional stress, you’ll set yourself up for a genuinely relaxing evening—and an even better night’s sleep.

Spend some in one, a few, or all of these yin yoga poses to take back your body, mind, and spirit, especially on your most stressful days.

8 Yin Yoga Poses to Help You Unwind After Work

Grab a block (or block-like prop, such as a cushion or stack of books), a folded blanket, and a strap for additional support in these extended holds. Each yin yoga pose should be lingered in for a minimum of 3-5 minutes, but always listen to your body and respect its limitations.

1. Child’s Pose

Child’s Pose can help open the hips, decompress the lower back, and bring length to the spine. It can also calm the mind by bringing your focus inward toward your body and your breath.

How to: Come to your hands and knees, bring your big toes together, and sink your hips toward your heels. Target the lower back by keeping your  knees close together; focus on opening your hips by keeping your knees wide apart. If your hips don’t reach your heels, you can instead sit on a block or cushion. Rest your forehead on the mat, a block, or stacked fists. Let your arms relax alongside your body, palms up.

Focus on feeling your breath coming in and out of your body. Tap into the sensation you feel in your back and hips. It’s natural for your mind to drift off during these holds; if that happens, go back to focusing on your breath.

Alternative Pose: Lie on your back and hug both knees toward your chest. It’s essentially the same shape and you will still decompress your lower back.

Stay in your chosen variation of Child’s Pose for 2-5 minutes or as long as you’d like. When you’re ready, slowly make your way to a comfortable seat. Stay seated on your mat for a few breaths.

2. Swan Pose

Swan Pose (the yin yoga pose variation of Pigeon Pose) opens the hips, stretches the glutes, lengthens the spine, and loosens the quadriceps, all while offering you an opportunity to retreat into yourself.

How to: Come back to hands and knees and bring your right knee in front of you on the mat. Wherever it lands comfortably is fine; don’t worry about alignment or angles. Try to square your hips toward the front of the mat and avoid collapsing into or rolling over onto the right hip, if possible. Prop a block or cushion under your right hip for support if needed.

Stay here or fold forward over your bent knee, lowering onto your forearms or resting your forehead on the mat, stacked hands, or a block.

Stay in your chosen variation of the pose for 2-5 minutes or as long as you’d like. When you’re ready, slowly return to a comfortable seat. Pause here for a moment before repeating Swan on the opposite side.

3. Shoelace Pose

Shoelace Pose helps to relieve back tension while providing a nice stretch for the hips and glutes.

How to: Begin with your legs extended straight in front of you. Swing your right leg over your left, placing your right foot outside your left hip. Stay here in Half Shoelace, or go further by bending your left knee and bringing your left foot beside your right hip.

Avoid sitting on your feet. If the pose feels intense, use a cushion or block under your sit bones. Sit in stillness as best you can for 2-5 minutes or as long as you’d like.

When you’re ready to release, do so slowly. Repeat on the opposite side.

4. Thread the Needle Pose

You’ll release a tight upper back and shoulders with Thread the Needle Pose.

How to: Start in hands and knees. Feel free to fold your mat or place a blanket beneath your knees if they are sensitive. Widen your knees if your body feels tight. Then thread your right arm under your left to bring your right shoulder and ear to the mat. (If that’s uncomfortable, you can rest the side of your head on a bolster or cushion.) Keep your left hand under your shoulder or reach it forward toward the top of the mat.

Stay here for 2-5 minutes or as long as you’d like before repeating on the opposite side.

5. Supported Fish Pose

This supported version of Fish Pose can help counter your hunched back while opening your shoulders, neck, chest, and upper back.

How to: Place a yoga block (on its medium or lowest level) at the top of your mat. Sit in front of the block, facing away from it, and then slowly lie back, aligning the bottom edge of the block with your shoulder blades. Let the crown of your head rest on the mat or you can place a second block on the lowest level , folded blanket, or pillow underneath it for support. Relax here with your arms by your sides, palms up.

Stay here for 2-5 minutes or as long as you’d like. When you’re ready, slowly sit back up and remove your props from behind you. Lie back down flat on the mat and allow your body to integrate for a minute or two.

6. Supported Bridge Pose

Bridge Pose helps to stretch your entire spine while releasing the front of your hips.

How to: Begin on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on your mat at hip’s width distance. Lift your hips, placing one or two yoga blocks on the lowest level beneath your sacrum. Less is more here so don’t overdo the intensity. Rest your hands wherever feels comfortable. Allow gravity and your breath to do all of the work here as you unwind.

When you’re ready, come out of the pose slowly by removing one block at a time, then lie on your back for a moment.

7. Reclined Twist

The spine should be moved in all directions each day, and twisting is among the most overlooked.

How to: Begin on your back. Place the sole of your right foot on your left thigh. Use your left hand to guide your right knee across your body toward the left. Stack your hips—right hip over left. Extend your right arm straight out to the right if comfortable. To go deeper into the twist, turn your head opposite your knees, keeping both shoulders connected to the mat.

Practice Reclined Twist Pose on both sides. Release the pose by hugging your knees toward your chest or practicing some gentle windshield wipers.

8. Corpse Pose

Once you’ve finished all of your poses, take a few minutes to lie in Corpse Pose, allowing your body to absorb all the benefits of your practice.

How to: Lie flat on your back with your palms facing up. Feel free to add a bolster beneath your knees for extra release and relaxation.