What’s the Difference Between Yin and Restorative Yoga?
There are many crossovers, and one might feel pretty similar, leaving each of the classes. However, as always, there is so much complexity around what is going on in the body.
First of all, both practices are massively beneficial to stilling and calming the mind and creating a general relaxation response. They are both an incredible gesture of self-care towards yourself and creating an intimate space to observe. If you're looking just to chill out, either of these practices will be useful.
Yin is a practice that is really beneficial for fascial health. Fascia is a connective tissue inside the body that creates structure and support, facilitates communication and is rich with sensory nerves, which feeds back information to the nervous system. Yin helps to strengthen, hydrate and organize this fascia through tension and compression. Yin classes often involve props and put a targeted area under good stress to create a reaction within the fascia. It is an excellent practice if you are looking to improve your mobility and strengthen your connective tissue.
On the other hand, restorative is a practice where we use tons of props to support us in a posture. We are looking for minimal sensation in restorative. Rather than affecting the physical body (although everything is connected anyways), this practice helps create parasympathetic tone. The parasympathetic nervous system is our "rest and digest" system that facilitates healing and restoration within the body. By supporting our body and slowing down our heart/mind, we can help to regulate the balance between the sympathetic NS (fight/flight) and the parasympathetic NS. Restorative has a strong meditative quality to it. We hold poses for several minutes and move at a snail's pace. It is the bomb if you are anxious, stressed, overworked, have sleeping issues and soooo much more.
Now, although I value intellectual understanding of the science behind these practices, I also think lived experience is the most important thing to inform us, so try both and see what resonates the most!
We have several yin and restorative classes a week, join us!