Yin Yoga embraces the balance of effort and surrender. The hallmark of yin yoga is that poses are held for about three to five minutes at a time in order to the stretch the connective tissue around the joints and bring the practitioner to a state of mental calmness. Yin Yoga, more still and calm, is a contrast to the majority of western yoga practices. Yoga taught in the U.S. has evolved into being very yang: lots of movement, with an emphasis on stretching and strengthening