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july 2017yogajournal.com.auPHOTO: RIKE_/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM;CELIA GALPINFOR A LONG TIME I considered what I
taught and practiced a Restorative Yin
style of yoga. I still stand by that, but in
recent years, as the popularity of Yin
Yoga and Restorative Yoga has grown,
there’s an increasing curiosity among
students around the differences between
the two. Let me begin with the
similarities. Both styles are branches of
Hatha Yoga, which balance the right and
left sides of our bodies. Both styles are
‘yin-like’ in comparison to the more
‘yang-like’ yoga where the practitioner
strengthens, flows and heats up the
body. In Restorative Yin, the practitioner
lengthens, slows and cools down the
body. Both styles are passive and both
styles are restorative in nature. The main
difference is that in a Restorative Yoga
class the practitioner is asked to be
completely comfortable. Whereas in a
Yin Yoga class, some discomfort is
welcomed.
Restorative Yoga is ideal for people
recovering from illness or injury as many
props are offered and the poses are
gentle. Based on the teachings of the late
B.K.S Iyengar, Restorative Yoga at its
core is a practice of passive healing. It is
intended to carry the student into a deepstate of relaxation by completely
supporting the body in propped-up
asanas. These props help to create
release, and therefore allow the
practitioner to surrender completely.
When practicing Restorative Yoga, the
physical sensations are minimal as the
body finds space to gently surrender and
soften into the support of the props.
In Yin Yoga props can be used or not,
and depending on the particular teacher
and practice, it can be quite challenging.
Introduced by Paul Grilley in the late
1980s, Yin Yoga is based on the ancient,
Taoist concepts of yin and yang – the
opposite and complementary principles
in nature. It works synergistically with
the principles of traditional Chinese
medicine to shift chi or qi through the
body.
In Hatha Yoga the Sanskrit word for
chi is prana. The word prana in English
means life force. All yoga works with life
force, but Yin Yoga works with the
bones, ligaments, joints and fascial
network as well. Once in the asana,
the practitioner is asked to stay in this
stillness and breathe for as little as two,
and sometimes for as long as 10 minutes.
Although Yin is a passive style of yoga,Tara Fitzgibbon explores the similarities and differences between the
deeply nourishing practices of Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga.
the length of time in postures combined
with the intensity of sensations can
make this practice challenging, as
well as deeply powerful. When the body
begins to unravel and the mind comes
into stillness, a real sense of peace can
occur. It is the permission to let go of
whatever the practitioner is holding onto
that makes this yoga one of the most
popular styles today.
In essence, both Restorative Yoga
and Yin Yoga give us permission to rest,
to slow down and pause from everyday
‘busy-ness’. Savasana is the foundation
of both of these styles, and a teacher who
knows how to teach this asana properly
will give their students the best gift of all
— deep rest.Rest, restore, replenish
Tara Fitzgibbon is a
senior teacher with a
deep passion for, and
many years of experience
in teaching Yin and
Restorative yoga. She runs
regular classes, workshops
and teacher trainings and is holding a Yin
Yoga Retreat and Teacher Training this August
in Byron Bay. For more information, visit
http://www.terrafirmayoga.com