My story with slow forms of yoga and why you should consider practicing them. In Yin, or Destress classes the tempo is slow- we go into physically passive poses close to the ground which are held for a few minutes each. Staying there that long really gives the chance for us to slow down and be. Staying with our breaths gives the body and mind an opportunity to actually relax and gradually stretch out and release both the physical and emotional tension we so carefully hold in our bodies, in our connective tissue. This slowing and destressing soothes the tension in the nervous system and helps us move from the ‘fight or flight’ stress-mode and activate the parasympathetic nervous system sending ourselves a signal that it’s safe to rest now.