By finding ease in the pose, you can give your body a chance to rest from the stressors of daily life and help restore the nervous system.Ī restorative yoga practice may be a full hour-long class with several poses, or it could be choosing to do a pose for a few minutes before bed or to find a break in the middle of your day. By resting in positions, the body can gently release tension. Restorative yoga uses props like bolsters, blankets, straps, and more to support the body in various positions, which are held for several minutes or longer.
Iyengar in India as a therapeutic style of yoga for injuries or illness. The restorative yoga practice was developed by B.K.S. When I taught it to teenagers in a treatment facility, they liked to call it “yoga nap time.” What is Restorative Yoga? In our busy world, restorative yoga can be a chance to slow down, breathe, and chill out. I’ve come to truly appreciate and use restorative yoga to pause, restore, and release stress. While it was challenging to rest the mind at first, with time, even in that first class, I experienced brief moments of stillness. The class was guided into a handful of poses using props, and all we had to do was lie back and relax. Instead, we were doing rest poses from the start. That’s about a thirty minute practice right there! For added yum factor you can always add an eye pillow spritzed with your favorite grounding and calming essential oil, like lavender or frankincense.When I took my first restorative yoga class, I was confused and craved the fast movement I was used to in vinyasa yoga classes. If it is hard to hold your legs up then tie your strap around your thighs to hold you up. Now simply relax.įor added yum factor raise your hips up a little more. You will land with your low back on the blanket and your no space between you and the wall. Sit sideways on the blanket, with one hip against the wall and use your hands to hold you as swivel your legs up the wall. If you have a heavy sandbag you can pop it on your flexed feet up the wall, but even without it this shape grounds your kidneys towards the Earth and supplies the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system the “rest and digest” system with a little extra love to help reverse that “fight or flight” feeling we get from stress.įind a wall and put a slightly folded up blanket against the baseboard. It releases tension that collects in the jaw and lower back areas. This inversion is a wonderful prescription for anxiety and stress.
The higher the block setting the deeper the twist will be so if it’s hard to relax here then lower the blocks. You can always pop a blanket between your knees or under the top knee and shin bone for support. Thread your arms under the bolster and dig in for the cuddle. Let your bent knees fall towards the bolster and turn to face it in a twist. Sit next to an upright bolster that has been propped up on the highest setting of your block (or several stacked). Who doesn’t like a good snuggle? This little gem is a yummy twist with the benefits of a hug! Hugs are wonderful for helping us plug in and feel connected to what is important to us. Add another smaller blanket under your ankles or knees if they are uncomfortable, and place a block or small cushion under your forehead, let your arms drape down by your side.įor added grounding you could put small sand bags in the palms of your hands or have a kind friend put a larger sand bag on your lower back. Turning inwards and getting heavy in this shape helps us to reconnect with ourselves.įrom sitting on your bent legs fold a blanket and put it between your lower and upper legs, or sit on a low block. If this is challenging for your hips you can wrap a strap around your low back and thighs to give you a higher place to rest your legs. With your feet together or slightly apart and your knees bent over a bolster lay down on your back with your hands resting on either side of you. Relax unwind and let your props support you from the ground up! Gravity will take hold and allow you to be cradled in this shape so that you can simply let go! Here are a few to try, and remember use as many props as you can! And stay in the shape for a minimum of 8 minutes, because that is roughly how long it can take for the nervous system to find calm. This is very grounding and can recenter you within a half hour of the practice, allowing you to reconnect with your true self rather then your over stressed self.
The idea is that when you hold particular shapes for 8 minutes or longer, with full support from whatever props you need, your body is able to balance your nervous system into a place of rest rather than a wired and tired place. Iyengar for folks who are injured or in “high stress mode”.
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