The Art of Yielding: A Journey Onto Yin
What Yin Yoga Continues to Teach Hola’s Owner + Founder, Khrys Baltodano
My world hums with urgency. I move in a constant current of ambition, measuring time by achievements, filling space with action. I am a creature of momentum and efficiency, conditioned to equate effort with worth. A season of new motherhood — reshaping my understanding of time, of patience, of doing. The exhaustion of giving endlessly, the rhythm of life is no longer dictated by my own will alone— it is a dance of my needs and hers. A constant negotiation between presence and depletion, where love expands even as energy wanes. And yet, in the quiet periphery of all this striving, there exists another way—a way of yielding, of surrender, of becoming attuned to the deep, unhurried pulse of being.
This is the way of Yin.
To practice Yin Yoga is to embrace paradox. It is to find strength in stillness, resilience in release. It is to soften not in weakness, but in wisdom—an understanding that harmony is not forged through force, but through balance. For those of us who have spent years chasing intensity—through vigorous vinyasa flows, through endurance sports, through the disciplined push academic and career success, of yang energy—Yin arrives as a whispered invitation: slow down, listen, let go.
And yet…I’m not here to pretend that I’ve found some seamless way to embrace my Yin practice in this new season of life. It’s often assumed that because I’m a yoga therapist and a studio owner, my personal practice flows with ease and consistency. But my relationship with stillness is often complicated, fraught with resistance. Yin asks me to sit with what is—and sometimes what is feels too raw, too loud, too overwhelming.
There’s a quiet pressure in the yoga world—a subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle, undercurrent of self-righteousness. The idea that the more advanced your title, the more serene your life must be—or the more virtuous your choices. And I have no desire to contribute to this illusion of effortless spiritual ease. I want to be part of a yoga culture that values honesty over hierarchy, and humility over performance. There may have been a time when I unconsciously subscribed to that sense of spiritual superiority—but I’ve since let it go. Life, motherhood, and the honest work of being human have humbled me. I no longer see value in performing peace or pretending that my path is without struggle. What I crave—and what I hope to cultivate—is a practice rooted in authenticity, compassion, and the courage to meet myself exactly as I am. I don’t always arrive to my mat with grace. I don’t always want to slow down. And most days, Yin feels like the hardest practice of all.
It’s through movement that I’m able to access this part of myself. The body speaks in subtleties, in the quiet language of fascia and breath. Held postures unravel tension from the inside out, reaching the deepest layers of connective tissue, where stagnation dissolves and space is born. And the truth is, the body cannot be deluded into ease. It won’t be persuaded by force or pretense. To invite true relaxation, we must move with care, with honesty. And the thing is, you probably already know this. What’s missing isn’t more knowledge—it’s stillness. At some point, we need to stop chasing the next wellness trend—another wellness podcast, another cold plunge, and start trusting that the answers we’re searching for are already within us. They live in the silence we keep avoiding. Yin yoga is an opportunity to practice patience, to sit with ourselves, to observe without reacting, to lean into discomfort with the grace of a tide meeting the shore.
In Yin, we recover not just our bodies, but our ability to listen—to the rhythm of breath, to the stories held within our muscles, to the quiet knowing that emerges only in stillness. It is a path toward equilibrium, a return to the unforced elegance of presence. This is more than a practice; it is a philosophy. A radical reorientation toward receptivity. A reminder that the moon does not chase the sun, that autumn does not resist winter, that wisdom arises not from the grasping hand but from the open palm.
A yoga friend recently asked me what kind of students and clients I naturally gravitate toward as a teacher and yoga therapist. I believe that, for many of us in this field, we’re drawn to those we know we can serve most meaningfully. For me, that often means working with people who are, in many ways, mirrors of myself—driven, passionate individuals who crave ease and softness but have become deeply identified with intensity, striving, and excellence. And let me be clear: I don’t want to be less excellent. I don’t want you to be less excellent. But I do want us both to cultivate the wisdom to recognize when we’ve done enough—to acknowledge our efforts, to coast when we can, to rest without guilt, to pause before diving headfirst into the next mountain of ambition.
So if any part of that speaks to you, if you feel the pull toward softness even as you cling to strength—I invite you to step into this space of quiet transformation and join Erika Porter and me for a Yin Yoga Immersion Weekend. If you’re hoping for perfection, know that you won’t find it here. What you will find is a space to unravel, to breathe, to be met exactly where you are. This training isn’t about mastering stillness—it’s about befriending it. It’s about softening the edges of who we think we should be and resting into the truth of who we already are. If you’re yearning for a practice that honors both your strength and your tenderness, your striving and your surrender, I hope you’ll join us.
“Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.”
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
Join Khrys Baltodano + Erika Porter for Hola’s 2025 Yin Immersion Training
Schedule
Friday, May 16th 6PM-9PM
Saturday, May 17th 1PM – 9PM
Sunday, May 18th 1PM – 5PM
Investment
Early Bird (through April 23rd) $399
Standard $449
For Yoga Alliance-registered teachers, this training qualifies for 15 Continuing Education (CE) Hours.