The benefits of restorative yoga
“I will let my body flow like water over the gentle cushions” – Sappho
At present, many of us can feel the impact of living with this constant sense of danger from the pandemic. It feels like it is always there, just lurking. Our nervous system is in some state of alertness as it can sense this for us. And if we don’t somehow find ways to stop and reset our nervous system, it can become habitual and then we are at risk of living with the impact of chronic stress and the residue that builds up in the body as a result. Whether we are living in a state of slight alertness or with chronic stress, our nervous system is preparing our muscular skeletal system to fight or run from the danger (sadly in this case we can’t). When we are resting, blood flows to the organs instead where it can repair and heal at a deep level. So, while we are resting or doing nothing (Being), the body is repairing itself. Our nervous system has an opportunity to reset, to feel relatively safe for a while. Our mind can calm. And we can just Be.
And this is where restorative yoga can be so helpful.
Restorative yoga is about learning the art of rest, learning the skill of just being. It can seem very counter cultural to just stop and be, when our culture is one where we are praised and given accolades for doing and achieving and being busy.
Yet there are so many benefits to stopping and resting. When we land back into our bodies, disconnect our senses from the external world and rest in silence, the benefits include:
Calmer and more present mind
An opportunity to reset the nervous system with deep relaxation
An opportunity to come home to self as stillness, our inner wisdom and knowingness
Improve sleep
Balances energy or prana
Increased interoception (knowing what is going on in our bodies, what are we actually feeling and from that an increased sense of agency)
Lowering blood pressure
Elevating and stabilising mood
Increased immune function
An opportunity to allow the body to repair
If you are new to restorative yoga (often called blanket yoga!), we use props to support the yoga poses so the muscles don’t have anything to do. Absolutely nothing! Judith Lasater (aka the queen of restorative yoga) defines restorative yoga as “the use of props to create positions of ease and comfort that facilitate relaxation and health”. It is a practice all by itself though often people recognise it as what it feels like when we go into savasana at the end of a more active or dynamic yoga class.
We use large numbers of blankets, bolsters, blocks, - or during lockdown whatever props you have available! This can look like sofa cushions, towels folder and laid upon each other to create a bolster type object, pillows etc. And we hold the yoga poses for some time – 10-20 minutes at a time so the body has a real opportunity to settle.
The impact of the practice can be just delicious. A calm mind and body. Being able to sense that stillness inside that is always there but we have difficulty sensing into when we are busy. Our body settles into cellular breathing in this state of rest – every single cell in the body slowing down. And each hour of restorative yoga is the equivalent of 4 hours of sleep.
Whilst we all can benefit from restorative yoga, it can be particularly useful for
Those of us living in a pandemic (!)
Time pressured people
Busy people who feel exhausted
People who feel stressed and/or anxious
Those with health issues particularly health issues that are auto-immune and stress related (e.g. cancer, chronic fatigue, long hail Covid health issues, rheumatoid arthritis, crones disease, etc)
Those living with chronic pain
