What is Yin Yoga?
Yin Yoga is a quiet, slow and meditative practice. Using props to hold postures for an extended period, Yin stimulates the body’s connective tissues and nourishes the joints, providing the perfect balance to more dynamic, ‘yang’ yoga styles.
Some Yin Yoga sessions may conclude with a seated meditation to leave you feeling grounded and restored. You may come across Yin-Yang sessions which typically open with the more typical flowing vinyasa style, warming the body up before making your way down to Yin.
About Yin Yoga
Sitting with discomfort and trusting in the reliability of slow and consistent progress is part and parcel of a Yin practice. Teachers will often guide you to find your edge and sit with it – not pushing or straining beyond it, but simply recognising your limits and leaning up against them. It is a process that requires a depth of personal honesty and compassion.
Yin does not promise quick fixes, or easy change but with consistent practice it offers all these things and more – an astounding level of calm, stillness and personal ease.
Yin is not only a perfect balance for the dynamic yoga or other sports practitioner, but a great practice for anyone who feels the need to counteract the fast-paced features of their daily life. In an ever-moving world, stillness can be a great luxury.
Meet your Yin yoga teachers!
At Yogarise, we are lucky to have some of the Best Yin Yoga Teachers in London. Read on to find out more about them!
Austin Ince
Austin Ince is an experienced yoga teacher, who came to yoga in an attempt to avoid surgery for a painful lower back condition. The outcome was transformational and he no longer required an operation. Impressed with the results of a daily yoga practice and the life-changing effect it had, Austin turned his back on the music business deciding to become a teacher to share the benefits of yoga with others.
Austin’s classes are energising, creative and flowing, balancing a strong physical workout with a calming restorative element. He keeps instructions clear, interesting and light-hearted, whilst never losing sight of the serious benefits to his students. He believes that to grow as a teacher it’s important to remain the eternal student. Austin teaches Dynamic Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, Rocket Yoga, Alignment based Vinyasa Yoga and Yin Yoga.
He completed his 200hour teacher training in Ashtanga Yoga & Rocket Vinyasa Yoga with It’s Yoga – San Francisco, before continuing his Advanced Rocket Vinyasa Yoga training with The Yoga People. Austin then adding a further Anusara based 500-hour Advanced Teacher Training with Suzanne Slocum-Gori, Noah Mace, Nico Luce and Dr Genieve Burley. He has also studied with the Tapasya Hot Yoga teacher training at Triyoga with Kristin Campbell and has a certification in Yin Yoga from Bernie Clark. He has furthered his Yin trainings with Sebastian Pucelle, Murielle Burellier and with Norman Blair; in all completing over 200 hours training in yin and meditation.
As well as teaching classes and giving private one-to-one instruction, Austin has tutored on Yoga Alliance US certified teacher-training courses in London and Goa and is a 500hr yoga teacher.
Austin teaches in Peckham, Streatham, and Queens Park
Laura Kinnunen
Laura Kinnunen, originally from Finland, came to London in 2008 and was quickly sucked into the fast-paced life working in the City.
With a background in dance and physical activity, Laura found Ashtanga yoga and soon realised that regular practice brought with it a sense of calm, focus and stability in her otherwise hectic life. With encouragement from her teachers, Norman Blair & Melanie Cooper, Laura completed an Ashtanga Vinyasa & Yin Yoga 200hr training in 2015 at Zolder Studio.
Laura teaches in Peckham
Letty Mitchell
Letty Mitchell is a senior Yoga/meditation facilitator and Movement Artist born and raised in Peckham. With over 15 years teaching experience her guidance is centered in the power of embodiment, mental health awareness, and self-empowerment; channeling intuition with knowledge of Yoga, somatics, mindfulness, anatomy, energy work, neuroscience, as well as spiritual philosophy.
Her work portfolio has made a mark in the medical, wellness, fashion, fitness and creative industries. Contributing her expertise through classes, trainings, articles and dialogues, to a plethora of brands, organisations, and institutions. Letty has worked with the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland, teaching sessions on mindfulness for heart/lung surgeons and surgeons in training. She has been a guest speaker twice at their annual conference sharing her expertise on the impact of mindfulness on mental/physical health for both patients and healthcare providers. She was a faculty member for online webinars supporting the wellness of Allied Healthcare Practitioners and Nursing Staff during the pandemic.
As a movement artist, Letty curates’ alternative sensory immersive experiences, where creativity, spirituality and wellness are used to support and nurture a deeply intimate connection with the body, the breath and the power of attention. Letty has worked with a plethora of aspirational artists, musicians and creators to build a growing community where the practices of Yoga and embodiment can be used in pursuit of wellness, self-expansion and creative liberation. Amongst the variety in her work, Letty’s ethos has always been; To help people in their self-realisation. To create spaces for healing. To be in the power of creativity.
Letty teaches in Peckham.
Eleanor Hann
Eleanor is a South East London Native who trained as a teacher with Yogarise. Yoga has been a foundation throughout Eleanor’s life. Starting with formal dance training, she now works creatively as a Director and Choreographer. Yoga has been key in building a healthy and loving relationship with her mind, body and spirit, and she carries this into her classes to help others heal and grow. Eleanor’s yoga flows are influenced by her dance background. Prepare to get lost in her classes, connect to your body through Asana and breathe with curated playlists to let go and be present. Eleanor leans into her Nicherin Buddhism for inspiration.
Eleanor teaches in Streatham.
Junior Valentine
Junior Valentine is a proud South London native – born and bred – with a background in performance. Since the age of six, he has developed a deep love for the arts and the discipline that it carries.
Junior’s classes are fun energetic with a dash of sass, combine creative sequencing and a spirit of playfulness with a dose of inspiration to help deepen your practice with a hint of spirituality. He doesn’t take yoga too seriously; he believes you take what you want and need from the practice.
Junior invites you to come and share in the joy, experience the authentic honesty with each other and like-minded energies. Junior teaches Ashtanga, Mandala & Shamanism Vinyasa, Rocket, & Forrest yoga.
Junior works deeply with energy through Reiki and QI-gong, his thirst for knowledge is forever expanding. In his spare time catch him singing a tune, throwing some shapes or splits on the dance floor.
Junior teaches in Peckham
Louise Brown
Louise Brown started her yoga journey in London spending years practicing Rocket, giving her the wings to fly and a passion for inversions, breath, bandhas and pranayama as well as a desire to delve deeper, before moving to Los Angeles in 2017. Her training at Liberation Yoga in LA filled her heart and practice with love, courage and deep spiritual roots. She loves to share this practice with others, putting together creative and inspiring sequences always coming from an inclusive place. Her classes include spirituality, meditation and pranayama, encouraging people to come back to themselves one breath at a time.
Since moving back to London she has continued her learning with trainings in Hatha, Vinyasa, Mandala, Rocket & Yin yoga. She loves to be a constant student, seeking wonder and knowledge through all of her teachings, finding inspiration from her students and teachers alike.
She teaches across London and loves to share this practice as part of a community. With a focus on creating joy in movement and cultivating space in body and mind. She gives thanks to her teachers past and present and is passionate about sharing this transformational practice.
Louise teaches in Peckham
Andrew Sabapathy
Coming from a Massage therapy background, Andrew found that a lot of his clients’s issues stemmed from mobility issues. His passion for stretching led him to become a level 3 yoga teacher with the YMCA and then continued his study to become a mat work Pilates instructor, which is when the real understanding of breath, coordination and movement began. He furthered his education with TEN Health. Since 2021 his journey has led him to teach for the NHS and at The Houses of Parliament London. Currently he’s also a qualified 200hr Vinyasa teacher, 50 hr Yin teacher and an Ashtanga teacher. His classes are creative, dynamic, and enlightening, all tied together with a sense of humour and a smile.
Andrew teaches in Queen’s Park.
