The Yin Yoga Way: Function VS. Form episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 30, 2026 · 47 MIN

The Yin Yoga Way: Function VS. Form

from Yin Yoga Podcast · host Nyk Danu

Season 7 | Ep. 4In this episode, I'm diving into one of my favourite topics: why teaching yoga functionally is such a game-changer compared to the old-school alignment rules we've all inherited.I'll share my own journey from being an alignment-obsessed Iyengar teacher to having my mind blown by Paul Grilley's work on skeletal variation. Turns out, we're not all built the same on the inside, shocker, right?I break down real examples from my teaching (like that time dragonfly pose did the complete opposite of what my teacher said it would) and explain why cues like "bring your toes to point at the ceiling" or "never let your knee go past your ankle" don't actually work for everyone.You'll learn:- Why your students aren't "doing it wrong"—their bones are just different- How to stop over-cueing and start teaching what the poses actually do- Practical ways to make your classes more accessible and way less injury-prone- Why I now teach mountain pose completely differently than I used to- Whether you teach Yin or any other style, this is about serving your students better by ditching the "one right way" mentality. Want to support my work? Leave me a tip. https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/78PEVR5WF3ZSASee all episodes at a glance https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NOyRZM7cKC-h9kOMT-rIIeuatJgOf1CKT63LjAHk2LU/edit?usp=sharingYoga Teachers Get on the Waitlist: https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/ at the bottom and top of the PageTo join my Yin Yoga Classes on Zoom https://nykdanu.com/students/yoga/online-yoga/To subscribe to my https://nykdanu.com/students/yoga/video-library/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley : https://pranamaya.com/courses/anatomy-for-yoga/?ref=20 (affiliate link)Find me on Instagram Nyk Danu Yoga: https://www.instagram.com/nykdanuyoga/Yin Yoga Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/yinyogapodcast/

Season 7 | Ep. 4In this episode, I'm diving into one of my favourite topics: why teaching yoga functionally is such a game-changer compared to the old-school alignment rules we've all inherited.I'll share my own journey from being an alignment-obsessed Iyengar teacher to having my mind blown by Paul Grilley's work on skeletal variation. Turns out, we're not all built the same on the inside, shocker, right?I break down real examples from my teaching (like that time dragonfly pose did the complete opposite of what my teacher said it would) and explain why cues like "bring your toes to point at the ceiling" or "never let your knee go past your ankle" don't actually work for everyone.You'll learn:- Why your students aren't "doing it wrong"—their bones are just different- How to stop over-cueing and start teaching what the poses actually do- Practical ways to make your classes more accessible and way less injury-prone- Why I now teach mountain pose completely differently than I used to- Whether you teach Yin or any other style, this is about serving your students better by ditching the "one right way" mentality. Want to support my work? Leave me a tip. https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/78PEVR5WF3ZSASee all episodes at a glance https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NOyRZM7cKC-h9kOMT-rIIeuatJgOf1CKT63LjAHk2LU/edit?usp=sharingYoga Teachers Get on the Waitlist: https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/ at the bottom and top of the PageTo join my Yin Yoga Classes on Zoom https://nykdanu.com/students/yoga/online-yoga/To subscribe to my https://nykdanu.com/students/yoga/video-library/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley : https://pranamaya.com/courses/anatomy-for-yoga/?ref=20 (affiliate link)Find me on Instagram Nyk Danu Yoga: https://www.instagram.com/nykdanuyoga/Yin Yoga Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/yinyogapodcast/

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The Yin Yoga Way: Function VS. Form

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This episode is 47 minutes long.

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This episode was published on January 30, 2026.

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Season 7 | Ep. 4In this episode, I'm diving into one of my favourite topics: why teaching yoga functionally is such a game-changer compared to the old-school alignment rules we've all inherited.I'll share my own journey from being an...

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