What is Restorative Yoga:

Restorative Yoga is a gentle, relaxing yoga, practised at a slow pace. It focuses on deep breathing, relaxation and well-being. It reduces stress, enhances sleep, and rejuvenates the body. Restorative Yoga is different from the more active forms of yoga. It teaches the art of stillness while using support. It encourages the use of props to aid in the holding of yoga poses for longer durations. This allows the body to open more through passive stretching.
Its gentle and soothing nature makes it very accessible to all categories of yoga practitioners and can be adapted to suit their individual needs.
Restorative Yoga is usually practised in complete silence. This makes it a highly reflective experience.
During practice one has to close one’s eyes and draw one’s awareness inward while simultaneously surrendering yourself to a deep state of relaxation.Restorative Yoga is a gentle, relaxing yoga, practised at a slow pace. It focuses on deep breathing, relaxation and well-being. It reduces stress, enhances sleep, and rejuvenates the body. Restorative Yoga is different from the more active forms of yoga. It teaches the art of stillness while using support. It encourages the use of props to aid in the holding of yoga poses for longer durations. This allows the body to open more through passive stretching.

Its gentle and soothing nature makes it very accessible to all categories of yoga practitioners and can be adapted to suit their individual needs.

Restorative Yoga is usually practised in complete silence. This makes it a highly reflective experience.

During practice one has to close one’s eyes and draw one’s awareness inward while simultaneously surrendering yourself to a deep state of relaxation.

What is the Origin of Restorative Yoga?

Restorative Yoga is a fairly new trend and originated from the work of B. K. S. Iyengar. Iyengar yoga is a very physically demanding yoga with a strict schedule. The guru realized that his students needed a break between his hectic yoga sessions to restore and rejuvenate their bodies. He started introducing brief sessions of yoga using gentle, calming asanas in between the more demanding ones. Iyengar yoga is a style which uses props to enhance the flexibility and strength of the practitioner. So he started using props to help support the body during these restorative poses to offer a deeper level of relaxation. Soon this style of yoga was adopted by more and more teachers in their yoga classes. Now it has become an essential part of yoga studio curriculums.
Different teachers have evolved their own unique styles of teaching this soothing and relaxing yoga. However, the core principles remain the same, they all use relaxing physical postures, pranayama and meditation techniques that help the practitioner calm the mind and soothe the body. Restorative Yoga works on the body at both the physical and the physiological levels.

Pillars of Restorative Yoga

Restorative Yoga is founded on three core physical, mental, and emotional well-being pillars. These pillars work in harmony to create a holistic yoga style.

1. Physical: The focus of this pillar is to relax and rejuvenate the physical body of the yoga practitioner. The use of gentle poses, along with the use of props aids in relaxing the body and making it more flexible.

2. Mental: This pillar works on using focused breathing exercises and meditation techniques. This results in helping the mind to stay calm, be at peace with itself, and attain clarity.

3. Emotional: The third pillar helps nurture the yoga practitioner’s emotional well-being. Restorative Yoga’s soothing relaxing nature facilitates emotional release and stability.

Whether you want to practice or teach Restorative Yoga, getting familiar with these three core pillars is very important.

Why You Need to Practice Restorative Yoga

● You find it difficult to fall asleep at night.

● You feel fatigued when you wake up in the morning.

● Your mind is chaotic even when you are resting.

● You feel sharp pain shooting up your body on any sudden movement.

● You feel angry and irritated all the time.

5 Key Practices Taught in Restorative Yoga

While Restorative Yoga styles differ from tutor to tutor, 5 practices are always taught to students.

1. Pranayama and Meditation

Typically, a Restorative Yoga session begins with Meditation practice. This helps to soothe the mind and create a calming atmosphere. It helps to prepare one physically and mentally for a deep introspective and relaxing practice.

The Pranayamas taught in Restorative Yoga are simple and uncomplicated. They generally involve deep breathing or gentle breathwork without stressing the body.

2. Basic Asanas

The asanas taught in Restorative Yoga are very basic and easily doable by everyone. Most of the yoga postures can be done while lying down, or sitting safely on a chair, and involve simple movements.

Additionally, the poses can be done by using props like bolsters, chairs, blankets, blocks and straps.

3. Props

Props help you to support your body, increase your confidence in performing the pose and hold it for longer periods. Using props like bolsters, chairs, yoga blocks, blankets and stretch bands you move in conjunction with the gravity and release the tension in your muscles.

4. Long Holds

Poses in Restorative Yoga are generally held for 5 – 10 minutes. These long holds help you to feel safe and let yourself go. You may think that this is easy, but it is challenging to still an active mind for an extended period. This beneficial yoga lets you experience the state of ‘not doing”.

5. Deep Rests

While performing Restorative Yoga, it is very tempting to fall asleep, but this is not the goal of this style of yoga. Ideally, one should remain awake and be deeply aware while practising the asanas to derive maximum benefit.

5 Best Restorative Yoga Poses For Beginners

Some basic Restorative Yoga poses that will help you to get started are:

1. Child pose – Balasana: To make this pose more comfortable grab a bolster and place it between your knees in a sitting position. Now bend forward into the prop until your face touches the bolster. Relax and try to hold this position for at least 7 minutes.

2. Seated Cat Cow – Upavistha Bitilasana Marjaryasana: This pose is practised in most yoga styles and helps to move the spine in all directions. This cross-legged, seated pose involves breathing techniques of inhalation and exhalation. The seated version of the cat and cow pose is very gentle and opens up the body.

3. Supported Bridge Pose – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your legs hip-width apart. You can do this pose with the help of a yoga block for more stability. Hold this pose for 3 – 5 minutes. Belly breathe throughout.

4. Sleeping Forward Fold – Pashcimottasana: Sit on the edge of a bolster in a staff pose extend your legs out in the front and keep your back straight. Bend at the hips until your tummy touches the bolster. Breathe deeply and hold the pose for 5 – 10 minutes.

5. Supported Fish Pose –  Matsyasana:  Grab a bolster and sit on the mat with legs stretched out in the front. Place the bolster behind you until it is just touching your lower back. Gently lean back into the bolster with your arms dropping at your sides and your palms facing upwards. You can stay in this relaxing pose for as long as you like.

Supported Fish Pose –  Matsyasana:  Grab a bolster and sit on the mat with legs stretched out in the front. Place the bolster behind you until it is just touching your lower back. Gently lean back into the bolster with your arms dropping at your sides and your palms facing upwards. You can stay in this relaxing pose for as long as you like.

As a beginner to Restorative Yoga, you will find that one session is usually made up of 5 to 6 gentle poses. These poses are supported by props that ease you into the pose and help you to sustain it for a length of time.

Benefits of Restorative Yoga

Like other forms of yoga, Restorative Yoga also has several benefits. Some key benefits that are scientifically supported are:

1. Lowers the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. By practicing Restorative Yoga one can reduce stress and anxiety.

2. Restorative Yoga helps to shift the response of the sympathetic nervous system, from one of fight or flight to one of relaxation.

3. It further activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This system helps your body to keep its basic functions working as they should. It is a practice of passive healing.

4. The deep breathing exercises in Restorative Yoga and its slow moves help the practitioner fight depression and improve mood.

5. Research has shown that Restorative Yoga helps to reduce chronic pain, heals headaches and back pain, and also pain caused by osteoarthritis.

6. The quality of your sleep improves once you start practising Restorative Yoga. This in turn is good for your general well-being.

7. As Restorative Yoga is a gentle style of yoga, it can be practised by people with acute and chronic illnesses, and those whose health has been compromised.

8. Studies have shown that cancer patients get psychological and physical benefits when they practice Restorative Yoga regularly during treatment. They also reported an improved quality of life.

9. Research conducted in the US has shown that Restorative Yoga is one of the safest ways to exercise during pregnancy. Its moves can be easily modified to suit the individual needs of the mother.

10. Restorative Yoga opens up the spine and loosens the hips, so you can nail the more serious yoga moves.

Sequencing of Restorative Yoga

Restorative Yoga is a therapeutic practice. It provides deep relaxation by using props and positions to hold poses. It settles the mind and brings harmony to one’s body.

Supportive devices also known as yoga props like blankets, bolsters, stretch bands, blocks and sandbags, balance and support the yoga pose and help to ease it into a relaxed state.

It is different from the Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga styles, in that it is slow, grounding and cooling. In Restorative Yoga, the focus is on invoking the relaxation response of our nervous system.

There is no wrong way to sequence a Restorative Yoga practice. While sequencing a Restorative Yoga session, here are some points to keep in mind:

● Poses are held for at least 20 minutes. This gives the body enough time to relax fully.

● A Restorative Yoga session is usually made up of 3 to 4 poses and the class duration is for 60 minutes.

● Both morning and evening times are good for practising Restorative Yoga. In the morning our muscles are still a bit stiff and the use of supportive props is welcome. In the evening, the slow, relaxing movements of this type of yoga help one to calm the mind and promote a better quality of sleep.

How Restorative Yoga Helps One to Develop an Attitude of Gratitude

Restorative Yoga is the best practice if you are looking to tap into your gratitude space. The long holds and relaxing poses help you to become relaxed. The poses help you to comfort your body and the props used to support the asanas, allow you to stay in them for a length of time, almost 7 minutes. Restorative Yoga creates an enriching environment for the development of gratitude consciousness. Some of the ways the practice of Restorative Yoga helps are:

● It creates a state of heightened awareness, centring you in the present, the ‘now’. You learn to appreciate the present by concentrating on your breath, the props you are using and the serene environment you are practising in.

● Once you relax into the props that are supporting your pose, you can feel your stress melting away. You recognise the fact that rest is crucial for your body and are grateful for having the time, the space, and the means to attain it.

● All the emotions that are stored in your body are released with the practice of Restorative Yoga. You start feeling grateful for the inherent wisdom of your body to recognize and heal and restore you from emotional stress.

● As you go deep into the restorative poses you feel grateful for the functionality of your body, and its resilient power. You start appreciating your body.

● As your body enters a highly relaxed state and opens up with the various supportive poses, you start feeling a great surge of prana or life force flowing through your body. You feel grateful for the vitality and strength you feel after a Restorative Yoga session.

● Restorative Yoga enhances a state of deep relaxation. You feel a connection to your higher self, the Universe, nature and divinity. This connection and oneness with the Divine Entity creates in you a sense of profound gratitude.

Restorative Yoga sessions act like a nurturing vessel, where you can drop the stresses and worries of your daily life. By doing so you open your heart to an immense flow of gratitude.

Conclusion

By practising Restorative Yoga, you are creating a slow and gentle sequence that teaches your body to rest safely. It is highly accessible and adaptable to an individual’s needs and is generally considered safe for most people to use. It is soothing and relaxing for the nervous system and is thus beneficial to the whole body. 

A continuous and intentional practice of Restorative Yoga reduces stress and anxiety, regulates heart rate and blood pressure, and aids digestion, along with other benefits. Take the time to indulge in the practice of this form of yoga and take advantage of all the benefits it offers.