***Katarina Svabcikova***
*Yoga Therapist* *@iu_health* & *@indianapolis_trauma_therapy_ce, Weekly Yoga Classes* *@komposeyoga* *@invokestudioindy, @vibeyogastudio 50hr Yin Yoga Training Instructor.*

Q: What are the differences between Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga practices?

A: From the outside, restorative and yin yoga may look very similar, but they are quite different. Yin Yoga pose targets a "passive" stress on the muscle and connective tissue whereas a Restorative Yoga pose supports you and your body in the effortless experience of prolonged rest. So in summary, Restorative Yoga focuses on Relaxing and Resting the muscles. Yin Yoga focuses on Opening and Stretching the muscle and connective tissue.

Q: Is this class offering suitable for both students and current yoga instructors?

A: Yes absolutely! In addition to being able add yin yoga to your teaching repertoire, it will also broaden your perspective about the skeletal variations of every student in your class. It will inform you about what we actually want to feel in any given pose rather than cueing for the aesthetic "cookie-cutter" shapes.

Q: What is your experience with yin yoga?

A: Katarina has been teaching yin yoga for 3 years now and has led two other Yin Yoga Teacher Trainings. She has certified 21 yin yoga teachers in 2023.

Q: What are some of the key takeaways participants will receive over the course of this training?

A: One of the main benefits of this training is that every participant will understand that every body is different. One pose can be a medicine for one student and poison for another. In this training I will be demonstrating how our bones are unique to you. Our bones are as unique as your eye cornea or dental records and so you will learn how to skillfully accommodate skeletal variations of your students so they can settle into the poses with more ease while still feeling the "target area". You will be able to competently support your students in offering them suggestions to change the positions so they can feel more settled without compromising any joint or creating a potentially injurious situation.

Sign up for her next Yin Yoga Teacher Training here!

Want to learn more about our instructor, Katarina? Follow along on her blog, The Yoga Essence Project, as she shares her practice with the yoga community!

Here are some additional resources to learn more about yin yoga:

Bernie Clark’s “The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga” (available in studio)

Yin Yoga Practice