Restorative Yoga is a style of Yoga where we comfortably set ourselves up in a posture and relax into the position for 3 to 15mins. We use props such as bolsters, blankets and blocks to ensure comfort. The benefits of this form of practice are below:
Gives you time for you
How often do you take time out for you? How many balls are you juggling in your life? Do you put yourself after everyone and everything else? A restorative Yoga class gives you time for you. Time where you can rest, find balance and restore yourself. This style of Yoga allows you to feel refreshed, regain energy and restores you on a cellular level.
Calms the nervous system
Restorative Yoga helps balance the nervous system. When we feel stressed or anxious, our nervous system moves into fight or flight mode. By taking time out to rest our body and mind, it also calms the nervous system and moves us into a more balanced rest and digest state.
Increases Body Awareness
We often feel tightness and stiffness in our body. By spending time in each posture, we become fully aware of what’s happening in the body. When we do this, we can then release the tension in the body. Awareness of what’s happening in your body is the first step to releasing tension and healing.
Relaxes the body and calms the mind
When we find stillness in a posture, our body relaxes. The longer we hold, the more relaxed the body becomes. Once the body is calm, the mind often starts to calm. The mind starts to become still and we can find a deep relaxation throughout the entire body and mind.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness can be defined simply as focusing the mind on one thing or anchor. We train the mind to focus instead of chatter. The more we practice, the more our mind learns to be calm. The anchor can be just about anything; counting, breath, mantra or chanting, the body, a candle and the list goes on. When we are in a restorative class, we practice mindfulness by focusing the mind throughout the practice. The whole class can become mindful. We can learn to focus and be still through the whole class.
Self-acceptance
In our everyday, we often don’t like who we are or the way we look and feel. We want to change something about ourselves. In a restorative class, we practice self-acceptance. We accept our body as it is in the present moment. If we have an injury or soreness, we don’t push into that or past that. We learn to listen to the body and we use props or change positions to ensure comfort in the body. We accept who we are and the way we are. We have no need to change. Just accept and work with our body in the moment.
Inspire Yoga and Wellbeing has regular restorative classes. Book Classes Here
We have a Restorative Workshop coming up – Find out more.
