The Deep Rest of Restorative Yoga
I am incredibly excited! This weekend, in my seaside village of Scarborough, Cape Town, I am offering a 2-hour Autumn Restorative Yoga immersion to mark the passing of the Autumn Equinox and to honour the change of seasons.
The reason I’m so excited is because it gives me the perfect opportunity to do what I love the most: create a safe space into which my clients can relax, exhale, and allow themselves to be fully supported for a short while.
I’m also excited because for a lot of the yogis that have signed up, it will be their first time experiencing this most gentle of yoga practices, and I know just how nurturing it can be. They are in for a treat!
Keen to find out more? Let’s take a deep dive into what the fuss is all about.
What Is Restorative Yoga?
Restorative yoga, suitable for practitioners of all levels, is a restful practice that holds yoga poses (asanas) for a longer duration using props like yoga blocks, blankets, and bolsters. It is a practice of deep relaxation that emphasizes the meditative aspect of yoga—the union of body and mind. Through the use of props for support, many of the postures are held almost effortlessly.
When your body enters a state of relaxation, your mind can also consciously relax as physical tension melts away. The only work required during a restorative yoga practice is to pay attention to your breath, become aware of any sensations or thoughts that may arise, and then gently release them.
The general trend in Western yoga is to make it a practice geared toward athletic, aerobic, and acrobatic styles. During typical vinyasa classes, for instance, you move quickly from one pose to another as you build heat and increase your strength and flexibility over time.
While these energetic styles of yoga focus on muscular engagement, restorative yoga relaxes your muscles by using props to support your body. In some restorative postures, you will also receive a gentle stretch. Restorative yoga poses are held anywhere from five to 20 minutes, and the classes are typically mellow and low-energy, making them a great complement to more active practices (as well as our busy lives) and an excellent antidote to stress.
Stillness is a powerful antidote to the business of our modern lives.
Benefits of Restorative Yoga
Yoga is widely touted as a physical practice that can improve strength, stability, and flexibility, enhance respiratory and cardiovascular function, and even alleviate symptoms of chronic pain. The mental health benefits of yoga are also well-documented, from reduced stress, anxiety, and depression to improved sleep hygiene and overall quality of life.
The benefits of restorative yoga are similar to the many benefits of other styles of yoga, including:
Increased relaxation: Deep breathing calms the nervous system to promote relaxation, and research supports a restorative yoga practice as an effective way to relax. One study suggests restorative yoga is more effective for inducing relaxation than regular passive stretching.
Better sleep: The more relaxed you are, the better your chances are for a good night's rest. A 2020 meta-analysis looked at 19 studies on how types of yoga—including restorative yoga—can impact sleep quality. Researchers determined that yoga is an effective intervention for managing sleep problems by increasing melatonin and reducing hyperarousal.
Improved well-being: Yoga practices, in general, are commonly associated with improved physical and mental well-being in the general population.
Better mood: Research shows that yoga can help those with stress, anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders manage their symptoms.
Reduced pain: Studies show that different styles of yoga including restorative yoga are helpful interventions for managing musculoskeletal pain.
Gentle on the body: Restorative yoga practices are gentle on the joints, and consistent practice can strengthen the connective tissues surrounding the bones and joints.
Additionally, clinical research into restorative yoga has found it can be a good resource for cancer patients, noting improvements to psychological well-being. Research also shows that restorative yoga can decrease depression in cancer survivors; improve symptoms of anxiety, depression, and pain symptoms in cancer patients; and help patients manage the toxicity of cancer treatments.
Taylor TR, Barrow J, Makambi K, et al. A restorative yoga intervention for African-American breast cancer survivors: A pilot study. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 2018;5:62-72. doi:10.1007/s40615-017-0342-4
Similar to other styles of yoga, restorative yoga offers a number of physical and mental health benefits, with the added bonus of promoting deep rest and relaxation, which can itself improve overall well-being.
What to Expect in Restorative Yoga Class
Whether attending class online or in person, prepare yourself for deep relaxation. Expect the teacher to communicate the props - blankets, bolsters, towels, eye pillows - you'll need for the class. The teacher will likely play soft ambient music and will dim the lights if you're at a yoga studio.
If it's chilly, keep your socks and a sweatshirt on since you will not be warming up your body the way you would in a more active yoga class. In some poses, the teacher may suggest you cocoon yourself in blankets for extra warmth and coziness.
After you're set up in a pose with all your props, you will hold the pose for an extended period, sometimes for 10 or 20 minutes. In these passive poses, the focus is on ease and release. You may even fall asleep. This can be a sign that the nervous system is recalibrating to a "rest and digest" state versus "fight or flight."
You will continue to focus on your breath throughout the restorative yoga class. The teacher may talk you through a meditation or play music, depending on their style. You may only do four or five poses throughout an entire class.
Once you learn the basic set-ups for a few postures, it's easy to do restorative yoga at home. You will need to assemble a few props, but many poses can be done with just a few blankets or pillows.
At the end of your restorative yoga class, your body will feel open and refreshed. You may even be a little sore the next day from the deep opening and release facilitated by the postures.
With gratitude and complete credit to Ann Pizer who wrote the article for VeryWellFit.com that forms the backbone of this blog post.
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