Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga: Similar or Totally different?

From the skin, Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga look fairly comparable. Each contain passive poses, on the ground. Each types contain liberal use of yoga props—Yoga Blocks, Yoga Bolsters, Yoga Blankets and Yoga Straps. However regardless of the seeming similarities, each the intentions behind them, and the felt experiences of the 2 practices, are very completely different. In case you‘d wish to make an knowledgeable alternative between Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga, which one is finest for you in a given scenario?

The reply, as with so many questions on yoga follow is: it relies upon.

Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga: The Similarities

In case you’re on the lookout for a slower, quieter yoga follow to decompress from a busy life, each Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga can present a nonetheless counterpoint. In each yoga types, we maintain poses for an extended time, from a minute to 5 minutes or extra. (In Restorative Yoga, we are able to comfortably maintain poses for so long as 20 minutes!) Each types use the help of yoga props to permit you to keep longer within the pose, and to manage the feeling you’re feeling. Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga each goal to calm the thoughts and physique, and emphasize a mild method.

How Do Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga Differ?

There are numerous variations between the 2 types. The primary is the intention behind every follow. In Restorative Yoga, the aim is to down-regulate your nervous system, and to shift you right into a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state. Yin Yoga’s intention is to entry deep connective tissue, comparable to fascia, ligaments and tendons. Restorative yoga goals to create a way of opening, with little to no stretching sensation. Whereas Yin Yoga emphasizes a gradual launch into every pose, practitioners are join mentally and emotionally with evolving stretching sensations.

Restorative Yoga: Advantages and Contraindications

Restorative Yoga is usually thought-about to be secure for anybody, even for individuals with accidents. Listed below are a number of the advantages:

• Calms the physique and thoughts.
• Soothes anxiousness.
• Shifts the autonomic nervous system from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest.
• Releases muscular pressure.
• Boosts the immune system.
• Helps higher sleep.
• Promotes deep relaxation.

There actually aren’t any contraindications for training Restorative Yoga. The one one I can consider is that this: Folks experiencing melancholy would possibly wish to concentrate on the supine poses fairly than the supported forward-bending poses. Ahead bending tends to advertise inward focus, which can or might not be a good suggestion for individuals experiencing melancholy.

Yin Yoga: Advantages and Contraindications

Listed below are a number of the advantages of Yin Yoga:

• Will increase circulation by stress-free tender tissue.
• Calms the thoughts and physique due to the slower tempo.
• Consideration to delicate physique sensation fosters focus.  
• Releases pressure within the fascia.
• Improves joint mobility.
• Brings steadiness to the organs via meridian stimulation. The idea behind that is that the meridians reside within the fascial layer of the physique. In line with the follow, longer holds take us deeper than the muscular layer of the physique, into the connective tissues. This influences the meridian system.

Opinions abound about whether or not Yin Yoga is contraindicated in sure circumstances. Some proponents contend that the aim is to emphasize, and to not stretch, connective tissues. Others emphasize the stretching side. Opponents of Yin Yoga warning that practitioners who’re hypermobile, pregnant, or who’ve osteoporosis mustn’t follow Yin Yoga. In case you’re interested by training Yin Yoga, it is perhaps good to discover these opposing opinions to find out whether or not the follow is best for you.

Listed below are usually, however not universally, accepted contraindications:

• These with latest or ongoing again, neck, sacroiliac (SI) joint or hip damage ought to keep away from or proceed with warning.
• Ligaments, notably these across the hip joints, are already extra versatile throughout being pregnant due to the hormone relaxin. Most of Yin Yoga’s poses emphasize lower-body stretching, so pregnant individuals ought to follow with care.
• Hypermobile individuals usually don’t want to extend joint mobility. As an individual born with a hypermobile physique, I benefit from the lengthy holds and quiet of Yin Yoga. However I follow for at least sensation. My physique doesn’t should be extra versatile, so once I follow passive poses with longer holds, I keep effectively inside my comfy vary of movement as a substitute of pushing my “edge.”
• Folks with osteoporosis ought to proceed with warning. Yin Yoga emphasizes a lot of seated forward-bending poses, which might exacerbate the kyphotic thoracic curve.

Once more, I encourage you to look additional into Yin Yoga. Right here’s a web site that goes extra deeply into cautions for Yin Yoga. This web site provides a unique viewpoint.

Working towards Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga

Each Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga encourage practitioners to maneuver slowly and with care. Restorative Yoga poses are designed to advertise opening, with minimal sensation, fairly than stretching. So it’s vital to set your self up with a lot of yoga props so that every one your joints are supported. Whereas there shall be some stretching sensation in Yin Yoga, academics urge college students to maneuver slowly and to not push their edge. In case you’re going to follow both type of yoga, it’s smart to follow with an skilled instructor who can present you find out how to prop your poses for max profit.

These two sorts of yoga follow don’t must be mutually unique. You may follow Yin Yoga if you really feel that your physique would love a soothing stretch. And you may follow Restorative Yoga when your nervous system feels frazzled. Take note of the aftereffects of every follow, so to make knowledgeable selections about which type to follow at what time. In both case, be sure you give your self a pleasant, lengthy Savasana (Leisure Pose).

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started educating in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third guide is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and folks sextet Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards.