Yin or restorative yoga in Bucktown, ChicagoTwo slow classes by candlelight, and how to choose.

Candlelight Yin: long holds and a deep stretch

In yin you stay in a few gentle poses for several minutes each, mostly seated or lying down. The long holds give the body time to release into a deep stretch and the mind time to settle. The room is lit by candles and the pace is slow.

Kali Torr teaches the 60-minute class. She trained in the Sacred Valley of Peru and brings her Peruvian shamanic training and classical Eastern traditions into her classes.

Restorative: fully supported, no effort

Restorative yoga holds you up with bolsters, blankets and blocks. In the Candlelight Restorative Sound Bath you settle into fully supported postures, adjusted until you're completely comfortable, while Alejandro Salinas plays singing bowls and other instruments around the room. You're lying down for most of the 75 minutes, and there's nothing to keep up with. Alejandro came to yoga through the Iyengar tradition and has taught anatomy and clinical massage.

Our guide to your first sound bath goes through that class in more detail.

How to choose

They run on different evenings, and if you just need some calm, either one works, so go to whichever is on next. If one of these sounds like you, start there:

• Stiff or tight? Choose yin. Long, slow holds give tight muscles time to let go instead of being forced.
• Head too busy, or feeling overwhelmed? Choose the sound bath. There's nothing to figure out and nothing to keep up with. You lie down and listen.
• Something hurts? If the pain is sharp or new, check with your doctor first, and tell your teacher before class either way.

If you'd like to move a little more

Gentle Yoga combines the deep release of yin poses with slow-flow vinyasa and some core strengthening, with every movement connected to the breath. Monica Brown has taught Hatha Yoga since 2002 and teaches the 60-minute class. It's a good fit if you're new, stiff, or coming back after time off.

Or make an evening of it. Yin and the sound bath are each the second half of an Evening Retreat: yin follows Kali's vinyasa class on Tuesdays (Move & Melt), and the sound bath follows Strong Foundations on Sundays (Ground & Restore) and vinyasa on Wednesdays (Flow & Restore). One Evening Retreat Pass, $45, covers both classes.

When they run

A drop-in is $30 for any of them. If you're new to the Shack, the Discovery Pass gives you 14 days of unlimited yoga for $79, so you can try both in your first two weeks and see which one you come back to.

Before you come

Wear something comfortable, and something warm for the sound bath, since you'll be still for most of it. Mats are free to borrow and props are provided. Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early and tell your teacher you're new. The studio is at 1942 N. Leavitt St. in Bucktown, and our Find Your Practice guide covers the rest of what to know before a first visit.