Yin Yoga Benefits

[soulflower]

I’ve also seen descriptions for gentle yoga. Is gentle yoga different from yin and restorative yoga? If so, can someone describe gentle yoga? Thanks.

[toaster]

Originally Posted by bee

I feel like there are a lot of people who think restorative and yin are the same -- perhaps youtube has done this. With a quick glance at the peloton yoga offerings, it seems like they don't quite understand restorative yoga either -- they pretty much call anything that's not power yoga "restorative" -- but maybe I looked to quickly. If someone can tell me I'm wrong about that, I won't mind.

Bee, I don't know about Peloton, but I think you are right in that they styles routine get mixed up! Even when I do YouTube classes with teachers I like who I know are well-trained, I'm still surprised at what they will sometimes call "restorative," as they are referring to some poses that can be an intense stretch! I think that sometimes people think anything that uses props is restorative, which is a shame because it also means there are a lot of misunderstandings about props in yoga, too.

soulflower, that's why things can get really confusing. Although "restorative" and "yin" are particular specialty types of yoga, "gentle" is not, and it can mean a lot of different things. If it is a gentle class taught by a vinyasa yoga instructor, it could mean more of a slow flow. It could mean a beginners class, or it could mean a hybrid class that includes some restorative. Probably the best way to decipher a particular class labelled gentle would be to review both the class description and the instructor's background.

[warriorprincess]

For me, restorative yoga is like meditation in that I want to like it, kind of love it when I do it, but generally don't have the patience for it.

[TracyQ]

Originally Posted by Pat58

My first yin yoga class "cured" for lack of a better word a chronic groin muscle pain I had had from a hiking injury years earlier. That's not why I tried the class, but the next morning I woke up without the pain for the first time in four years. It hasn't come back. I like it for the back and hip stretches.

This is amazing. The Yin practice I linked to above did something similar for me.

[TracyQ]

Originally Posted by warriorprincess

For me, restorative yoga is like meditation in that I want to like it, kind of love it when I do it, but generally don't have the patience for it.

I think finding the patience to do it will be my biggest challenge.

[sherry7899]

I enjoy yin and restorative yoga, but I admit to getting fidgety sometimes.