Restorative yoga is all about resting your body and activating your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). It’s a unique form of yoga where postures are held for between 2 and 20 minutes. It may seem a bit like yin yoga, where the focus is on stretching fascia and connective tissue and holding stretches for a long time, but in restorative yoga we don’t stretch or strengthen, simply rest.
It can be helpful for those who have a lot of anxiety or stress but it often takes a while for our nervous systems to feel safe enough to fully relax. So if you’re struggling with restlessness know that you’re not alone and it does get better. The more you practice restorative yoga, the easier it becomes (well that’s been my experience anyway).
Restorative yoga was developed by B.K.S Iyengar and Judith Lasater.
Principles of rest and relaxation
In restorative yoga, there are four things that can help you to relax:
- Quiet – if you can find somewhere quiet to practice, this will help you to switch of and fully rest.
- Darkness – if practicing during the day or in a bright place, you can draw the curtains and/or put something over eyes. I use a clean sock but you can also use a face flannel, eye mask or eye bag. If it feels uncomfortable to have something on your face you can skip this step.
- Warmth – you may want a blanket, socks, jumper etc to keep your body warm while you practice.
- Support – this is where the props come in – pillows, cushions, duvets, blankets, bolsters, towels, even bulky items of clothing – but also you may want to add weight to your body to help you relax further. This could be something like a cushion, small bean bags or weighted blanket. This can go on your hips and abdomen area if lying on your front or on your lower back. You might also like something on your forehead and hands and feet.
All of the above are optional