Viniyoga Restorative Yoga

What is Vinyoga Restorative Yoga?

I recently learned about Viniyoga when I was dealing with lower back pain and was looking into the type of yoga exercises that might help.  My mom always swore by yoga for dealing with body pain and back pain (she started doing yoga in the 1970s, well before the big yoga craze).

Apparently Viniyoga (not to be confused with vinyasa yoga!) is the type of yoga people Google the most. Interesting. So its probably worth finding out more about it.

This video leads you through an easy and short yoga-break with Viniyoga:

I was curious as to what makes Viniyoga different from other types of yoga, and the key difference, I learned, is that Viniyoga is considered a very restorative yoga. It is gentle and helps people relax. It is not difficult to do, unlike some of the difficult yoga poses practiced in other forms of yoga which really require you to have a lot of flexibility or physical strength.

That’s what makes Viniyoga so good for people dealing with pain, and looking for gentle and therapeutic exercises to help alleviate or remedy their pain.

One definition I read when I searched “What is Viniyoga?” is that Vinyoga is tailored and personalized to each individual, based on their own specific needs. It takes into account  factors like health, age, and physical condition, including past or current injuries that may need addressing. I always thought this was true of yoga in general, because that was the way my mom always practiced yoga – she used or recommended specific yoga exercises (poses) depending on specifically what felt stiff, or where the pain was, or any other specific areas that one felt they needed help with (for example, yoga for better posture, or yoga for thyroid issues, etc.).

But the explanation I read stated that other types of yoga are often taught in a one-size fits all approach (so if that’s true, my mom was way ahead of her time in more ways than one).  Whereas Viniyoga takes a holistic, therapeutic approach to using yoga in the way each individual needs it to improve their own personal situations regarding health and well-being.

Most importantly, its not strenuous. Its really intended to be restorative on the body, and to give a deep feeling of relaxation and well being.

These are the videos I used for Viniyoga for lower back pain:

Viniyoga  for Neck Pain, Shoulder Pain or Upper Back Pain

Unfortunately, I also often suffer from neck, shoulder, and upper back pain (probably from so much time spent on the computer writing each day), so I found these Viniyoga exercises really helpful for that type of pain:

Regardless of what type of pain or stiffness you are experiencing, or whether you just need to relax or decompress, and are looking for the restorative benefits, Viniyoga Restorative Yoga can help. Just take the time to research the right poses for your particular situation and needs.