The Yin Side is a boutique yoga space on Causeway Road in Haruru, in the Bay of Islands, that teaches yin yoga and offers Reiki. The owner, Francie, came to Northland from Ireland nearly twenty years ago and completed her first yin training with Yin Culture in Opoutere in 2019. Classes are mostly on the floor, with long, passive holds supported by props. The website says yin suits all body types and fitness levels and that no experience is needed. It lists a 90-minute class, a 3 Hour Yin Journey and private one-on-one sessions by request. The website also says the classes are not suitable for anyone who is currently pregnant.
Customers praise the immaculate space, the cosy props, the calm atmosphere and the teacher's gentle, soothing voice and kind manner. One student who has practised yoga for 34 years calls it one of their all-time favourite experiences. Another says yin is the best type of yoga for them. A newer student admits it took a while to embrace the slowness of yin. In a studio like this, the long holds and props are the practice itself, so the slowness some find hard is part of the point. Our pick in Haruru for a slow, supported yin class.