Megan Cuzzolino

I teach several styles of yoga, and just like the yin-yang symbol shows us: you’ll find a little of each in the other.

Put together, they create balance.

yang is a more active energy, associated with fire, strength, and vibrancy.

This usually comes across in a Vinyasa practice.

If you've tried yoga but weren't sure which type it was, it was most likely vinyasa. The term "vinyasa" is used to refer to a few different things - the most obvious of which being a style of yoga, and a type of yoga class.

But the deeper meaning refers to conscious placement and the linking of breath to movement. We find rhythm and meditation in a sequence of postures by connecting the movement in our bodies to our breathing pattern. While vinyasa yoga is a part of the hatha "branch" of yoga, it differs from what we call hatha because of this continuous flow. 

"Vinyasa" is also associated with a specific sequence of poses (also known as Sun Salutation, or Surya Namaskar), but it can be any sequence linked together in this way. 

It is often thought to be a fast-paced style of yoga, but it doesn't have to be. In fact, sometimes the greater challenge lies in taking it slow and moving more deliberately. I tend to teach a medium-paced vinyasa class, as I like to emphasize proper alignment and linger in poses to really feel everything they can offer (this is where the yin comes into the yang).

Yin is a more passive energy, associated with relaxation and a slower pace.

but don’t mistake yin yoga for something “easier.”

In a culture where we’re typically on the move (yang energy), yin yoga will challenge you to stay. It will help you sit longer, and more comfortably, in meditation by holding grounded postures for upwards of 5 minutes. By sinking into poses that we are used to holding for 10, 20, or maybe 30 seconds, we access deeper layers of fascia, allowing us to find space in the connective tissue around joints. It is not only a delicious physical practice, but it is an opportunity to notice how your body and mind react. There is a strong connection between yin yoga and the fight or flight response, and by pushing through our habits to resist or run, we sink deeper, release control (relaxing muscles, quieting the mind), and learn to breathe through the blocks, the parts where your mind or ego is insisting you can’t do it, where fear arises, where old stories come up. By passing through this “junk” you stretch beyond what you thought possible and find freedom in letting go.

If you struggle with anxiety and/or sitting still, I highly recommend you try yin yoga.

Restorative yoga is even more passive,

and often mistaken as yin yoga, or vice versa.

Much like Yin yoga, poses are grounded and held for a longer time in Restorative, which not only gives the body time to open up on it's own, but can be a deep mental exercise. Restorative is more passive than Yin as the use of props (blocks, bolsters, blankets, straps) offers a lot of support in each pose. Restorative is not about getting super deep into poses, but being really gentle with the body and introducing some supported opening and a whole lot of mindfulness. It's a little bit like taking a nap and doing yoga at the same time. It's much needed down time for the body and mind, tapping into the “rest and digest” response in the body, which is the counterpart to “fight or flight.”

Most Yin practices can be converted into Restorative by adding the support of props to keep the body from going so deep. If you have injuries or are hyper-mobile, Restorative is a great relaxing (or, yin) option.