Comparison
Gravity Stretching vs yoga: what is the difference, and which one is for you
Explained by the founder of the method
People ask us this almost every week: is this just yoga, only hanging? No, and the difference is not in the equipment, it is in who does the work. In yoga you hold the pose. In Gravity Stretching you hang on the lianas, the lianas carry your weight, and the body lengthens on its own while you breathe. One is about holding, the other is about letting go. Both are good. They are simply for different things.
Both in one sentence
Gravity Stretching
Gravity Stretching is a stretching method in which you do not stretch yourself: you hang on soft lianas with handles for the hands and straps for the feet, the lianas carry your weight, and gravity gently lengthens the spine and opens the joints while you relax and breathe.
Yoga
Yoga is a practice of postures, breathing and attention in which you hold and move through poses using your own strength and balance, often on a mat, sometimes with blocks and belts, and the stretch comes from your own effort and control.
The differences, side by side
| What differs | Gravity Stretching | Yoga |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the stretching | Gravity. You hang, the lianas hold your weight, the body lengthens by itself | You. You move into the pose and hold it with your own muscles |
| Your main task | Relax and breathe. The first thing you learn is to do nothing | Hold, balance, align, keep the breath steady through effort |
| Equipment | Individual lianas hung from the ceiling, handles for the hands, straps for the feet | A mat, sometimes blocks, a bolster, a belt |
| Weight on the spine | Taken off. The spine gets space, pressure comes off | Stays on. In standing and seated poses the spine still carries the body |
| Flexibility needed to start | None. Five of the seven levels are open to anyone | Beginner classes exist, but many poses ask for flexibility before you can settle into them |
| Feeling after the session | Lighter and taller, usually from the first time | Worked, calm, sometimes pleasantly tired |
| Group and pace | Up to six people, about an hour and a half, a trainer beside you the whole time | Groups from a few to dozens, 60 to 90 minutes, the teacher leads from the front |
Who each one suits
Gravity Stretching is for you if
- your back feels heavy after a day at the desk, on a scooter, or after the waves, and you want it to feel lighter today, not in a month
- you have tried stretching through effort and it never quite let go
- you are not flexible and do not want to become flexible first just to start
- you want a practice where you finish wanting to stand tall, not lie down
Yoga is for you if
- you want strength, balance and control of the body in a pose
- you are drawn to the breathing and the philosophy as much as to the body
- you like a class with flow and rhythm, and effort feels good to you
- you already have a practice you love, and you want to keep it
When it is better not to come to us
If what you want is a workout, a flow that makes you sweat, or a strong athletic practice, yoga will give you that and we will not. Our whole method works on release, not effort, and if effort is what you are after, you will leave us bored.
If your pain is sudden, sharp, or comes with numbness or weakness in a leg or an arm, start with a qualified professional, not with any class. Once the acute part has settled and you have been cleared to move, come and hang. We begin softly, little by little.
And if you love your yoga, keep it. Many of our people do both: yoga for strength and rhythm, the lianas once a week to take the weight off the spine. They are not rivals.
Common questions
Is Gravity Stretching a kind of yoga?
No. It borrows nothing from yoga poses. In yoga you hold a posture with your own strength; in Gravity Stretching you hang on the lianas and gravity does the lengthening while you relax. There are no poses to hold and no sequences to learn by heart.
Can I do both yoga and Gravity Stretching?
Yes, and many people do. Yoga builds strength and control, the lianas take the weight off the spine and let it get its space back. A lot of yoga teachers come to us for exactly that, because their own practice loads the spine and nothing in it unloads it.
Do I need to be flexible, like in yoga?
No. Five of the seven levels are open to anyone, at any age and any flexibility. You do not stretch yourself here, so there is nothing to be flexible for. The lianas hold you, and the body lets go at its own pace, by a millimetre at a time.
Which one is better for a stiff back after sitting all day?
For the feeling of a heavy, compressed back, the lianas work faster, because they take the weight off instead of adding effort on top of it. Most people feel lighter after the first session. Yoga helps too, over time, but it asks your back to keep carrying you while you stretch.
See the method itself, then feel it in a studio
Go deeper
This is wellness education, not medical advice. If pain is severe, sudden, or comes with numbness or weakness, see a qualified professional first.