What Are Meridians in Yin Yoga?

One of the things that makes yin yoga so special is that it works on more than just your muscles. When we hold postures for longer periods of time, we’re not only targeting the fascia and joints—we’re also accessing the body’s energy lines, called meridians.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), meridians are pathways that carry qi (life force or energy) through the body. Think of them like invisible rivers flowing through your system, helping to nourish your organs, support your emotional health, and keep your whole body in balance. When qi is flowing freely, you feel calm, strong, and well. But when it's blocked or depleted, you might feel anxious, tired, tense, or even physically unwell.

Yin yoga gives us a way to work directly with these meridians. Each pose gently compresses or stretches the tissues around specific pathways, helping to clear stuck energy and encourage flow. It’s subtle, but powerful.

For example, forward folds often stimulate the urinary bladder and kidney meridians, which are connected to fear, willpower, and deep rest. Twists and side bends might work with the liver and gallbladder meridians, which relate to anger, frustration, vision, and clarity. By practicing with intention, we can support not just the body, but also the emotional and energetic layers of our being.

You don’t need to memorize charts or be an acupuncturist to feel the effects. Just start to notice how you feel after certain shapes. Do you feel more grounded? More open? Less reactive?

The more you practice, the more attuned you become. Yin yoga is a quiet practice, but the transformation it offers runs deep—right down those meridian lines.

Curious to learn more? I dive into all of this in my yin yoga teacher training. Join me if you’re ready to explore what’s beneath the surface.

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