Trees and Shrubs : How to Trim a Yew

Yew trees come with legends and lore.

Here is some information from the article "Mythology and Folklore of the Yew," by Paul Kendall, on the website Trees for Life, Restoring the Caledonian Forest.
http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/forest/mythfolk/yew.html
Yew trees were "... held sacred by the Druids in pre-Christian times. They no doubt observed the tree's qualities of longevity and regeneration (drooping branches of old yew trees can root and form new trunks where they touch the ground), and the yew came to symbolise death and resurrection in Celtic culture."

Legends and lore also surround trimming the yew.
Yew trees are extremely poisonous.

Here are some links with demonstrations and information about the best ways to trim these magnificent plants.

How to Prune a Yew. The Garden Continuum. Medfield, Massachusetts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWr3jr3RV68

Patricia Reed gives the following guidelines, with the complete article link and directions following this summary:

Prepare your tools and yourself.
Dampen a cloth with rubbing alcohol and wipe down the trimming tool to protect the yew cuts.
Use gloves for yourself and prepare a place to dispose of yew branches and berries, which are both poisonous and therefore deadly to animals and humans.
Measure at least half way from the plant's top, and make your cut.
Usually a slanted cut is best for keeping the yew healthy.
After trimming, give the yew lots of water, with fertilizer and mulch.
Generally, the yew should be broader at the bottom so that sunlight filters to the entire plant.

How to Prune an Overgrown Yew Shrub. By Patricia H. Reed. SF Gate.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/prune-overgrown-yew-shrub-41252.html

Here's a discussion forum:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/shrubs/msg0808553919152.html