Restorative Yoga for Holiday & Everyday Wellbeing
Mind-body wellbeing and equilibrium is especially crucial if we aim to exit a potentially frazzled holiday season with grace and enter into a new year with steadiness, clarity, and a calm sense of awareness.
In that sense, physical and mental restoration is imperative for mind-body wellbeing – at any age and in any stage of your life – whether you’re recovering from the holidays or a long week, preparing for a new year or implementing a new self-care routine, navigating a period of grief or discomfort, or are just craving deep relaxation.
You don’t necessarily need a ton of props, but you can use things you have at home like blankets and pillows, so restorative postures are accessible almost anywhere 🙂
Benefits
Restorative yoga postures can help to:
- Circulate the breath and optimize lung capacity.
- Create a sense of support and safety physically and emotionally, which positively impacts the nervous system as a whole (in other words: stress-relief).
- Release muscle and joint tension – whether chronic pain or post-physical exertion.
- Improve your ability to remain both calm and alert, which can relieve symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, overthinking, and more.
- Benefit overall longevity by giving the body the space it needs to restore.
Breath Benefits
While in restorative yoga postures, tension held in the muscle fibers that connect to the organs have the ability to release and restore to a more optimal state.
This impacts the digestive system, nervous system, lymphatic system, and of course the respiratory system.
Tips
- Breathe fully and calmly in and out of the nose; do your best to release any areas of gripping or stagnation with each exhalation.
- If you’re laying on the belly in prone postures, imagine the breath flowing through the exposed back.
- If you’re laying on the back in supine postures, let the breath fill all sides of the torso while allowing the back to remain supported and at ease – don’t thrust the ribs upward or keep the breath stuck in the chest.
- Soften the belly, back, shoulders, and neck – breathe easily and enjoy.
Nervous System Benefits
When the body is in a relaxed yet alert state (i.e. you’re calm and receptive, but also aware of your inner and outer experience), the nervous system can restore and rest.
Humans have become so good at DO-ing that we can sometimes have trouble BE-ing (i.e. being still without sleeping or checking out).
Restorative poses give the body and mind an opportunity to feel safe by being completely supported physically, which makes us feel safe and supported emotionally (i.e. less stressed).
When the sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, freeze) isn’t on high alert, the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) is activated – whatever we choose to activate more, the more active and natural it will become.
Tips
Restorative poses may feel especially challenging if / when you’re highly emotional, grieving, or recovering from being unwell.
Take care, know that these strong waves of emotion can shift over time – whether generally, or during your time in restorative postures – and don’t stay in these poses too long if you need to modify.
Muscle & Joint Benefits
When we support the body in restorative yoga postures, we give it a chance to unwind physical tension, which releases emotional tension as a result.
If the body is in physical pain or emotional dis-ease, it can benefit tremendously from being fully supported because it gives the muscles, joints, fascia, and the mind space to restore – whether the feeling of restoration is immediate or comes over time.
Tips
During your time spent in these poses, remember to release tension with each breath.
If you feel yourself gripping anywhere, adjust your props or posture so that the body is in the most easeful state it can be in – even if it feels mentally or emotionally challenging to be still.
Longevity Benefits
For the reasons listed above, among others, restorative poses can be considered imperative for longevity in the sense that they restore our physical and mental state.
When we experience the profound effects of physical and emotional restoration, we can intellectually understand why and how to implement these qualities within and throughout our daily life.
Start Here
Whether you’re new to restorative yoga or need some ideas for your practice, consider starting with simple poses like these – all of which I use often.
- Supported adho mukha virasana / child’s pose: Sit on the shins with a bolster between the thighs, letting the torso rest on the bolster and the cheek rest on a folded blanket, arms alongside.
- Prone savasana / resting pose with a belly roll (or “surfboard” pose): Lay on the abdomen with a tight, thinly rolled blanket across the belly and a bolster or another rolled blanket under the front of the ankles.
- Supported supta baddha konasana / bound angle: Slip a bolster under the back and a folded blanket under the head; place the feet together with knees bent, arms resting by the sides.
- Viparita karani / legs up the wall: Lay on the side with the knees bent and the butt touching the wall. Roll onto the back and gently elongate your legs up the wall, and place a neatly folded blanket under the head. Inverting is very restorative 🙂
Integrate & Practice
Learn 4 soothing restorative yoga postures to cultivate calm in this 15-minute video.
Enjoy one of my favorites, a 27-minute restorative flow for mind-body restoration.
Bonus Restorative Classes:
If you’re seeking eco-conscious yoga props and tools, check my curated Amazon list for ideas (I receive a small commission).
Let me know of any questions or if you need personal modifications.
Enjoy exploring these and other restorative yoga poses to improve your personal life – and potentially even your professional performance to boot.
How do you care for and restore your body and mind?
Take good care,
S
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