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Why do you need restorative yoga in your life?

We ALL need to find a way to relieve our stress. Stress takes an immense toll on our physical bodies, our mental health, and our overall well-being. It creeps into all areas of our life: relationships, work, parenting, sleep, social life, and more.  This can affect overall happiness and contentment with life.

A refuge from the daily stresses of life is what we all need. I’m going to share with you a very simple practice that will bring some peace and calm to your life and melt away the stress – restorative yoga!

I have developed a sequence of restorative yoga postures that can provide a respite for you from the stresses of daily life. This practice will calm your nervous system and leave you feeling refreshed, tranquil and peaceful.

What is restorative yoga?

This type of yoga is not a workout, but it is a work-in. We focus on our inner world – create a calm, comfortable place in our bodies through supported asana (poses) and conscious breathing. In this way we can truly surrender, let go of tension and stress in our bodies and minds. It is a deeply relaxing practice that emphasizes the meditative aspect of yoga, joining body and mind.

Restorative yoga is a passive style of yoga that is all about slowing down, dropping into stillness, and cultivating rest and deep relaxation. How amazing does that sound?! It IS amazing and a much-needed practice in our lives.

Restorative postures are held for a longer time than you may expect. Poses are often held for 5+ minutes each. Your body is supported in the restorative yoga postures, often with several props to be able to “drop-in.” To be able to surrender and let go of all the mental, emotional and physical stresses of life. In my class, we will stay in the poses for approximately 2 minutes each to give you a taste of restorative yoga in a ~30-minute class.

Props are used to support the body when executing restorative yoga postures to encourage the muscles of the body to relax. Many of the postures are held almost effortlessly. In some of the restorative yoga postures, you will receive a gentle stretch (e.g. Bananasana). If you find you cannot relax your body in a pose, try using all of the props suggested for the pose.

The real “work” in restorative yoga is to find what works to make your body the most comfortable. Also, to pay attention to your breathing and become aware of body sensations and thoughts that arise during the practice.

What props are recommended for the practice?

Props really are a necessary part of any practice that has restorative yoga postures. When I do a restorative yoga practice I use the following props:

Yoga blankets

I frequently use up to 3 blankets at a time to support a restorative yoga posture! These blankets are durable and machine washable. They fold up and stack nicely to support the body as needed.

Yoga Blocks

I often use yoga blocks in my daily practice and I definitely use them when I am doing restorative yoga postures! Sometimes I use 3 blocks in a pose! I prefer to use foam blocks as they are softer than some other types of blocks. I use the 4 x 6 x 9-inch blocks.

Yoga Bolster

This is the bolster I use in my restorative practice. It is 24” long x 6” high x 12” wide and has a washable cotton cover. It is firm and supports the body well in restorative yoga postures, much better than regular cushions or pillows. I highly recommend having a bolster to use.

In some restorative classes, I have seen a smaller bolster used, such as this one. It comes in a variety of beautiful colors:

Yoga Mat

A yoga mat is a must-have item for anyone that wants to practice yoga! I prefer a mat with a little extra cushioning and I do stack a few mats if I’m on a hard floor. Here is the mat I have been using for the past few years. It has a 5 mm cushion base, is eco-friendly and mine is this lovely purple color!

Eye Pillow

An eye pillow is an optional prop to use while doing restorative yoga postures. It can deepen relaxation by eliminating extraneous light and if you choose scented eye pillows the light scent can enhance relaxation as well.

5 Restorative Yoga Postures for Stress Relief

I have developed a restorative yoga sequence that incorporates 5 asanas (poses) to lower your levels of cortisol and calm your nervous system. In this section, I will give information about the benefits of the poses and how to execute each pose. Near the end of the post, I have included a video class of this sequence. The Sanskrit name for each pose is provided in parentheses.

1. Child’s Pose (Balasana) or Devotional Pose (Bhaktasana)

Benefits:

• gentle stretch for the spine, back, hips, thighs and ankles
• relieves back pain
• relieves tension in the chest, shoulders, lower back and hamstrings
• relaxing
• calms and soothes the brain
• reduces stress and fatigue

Step by step instructions:

1. Come onto all fours in table position. Take the knees wide with the big toes to touch. Bring your bolster between the knees lengthwise on your yoga mat.
2. Inhale and lengthen the spine, exhale roll your torso down onto the bolster. Turn your head to one side.
3. Bend the arms at the elbows and let the arms rest comfortably beside the bolster.
4. Relax here for 2-3 minutes, focusing on the breath. Feel the back body fill up with air.
5. Repeat with the head turned to the other
6. Repeat on the other side, making a slow transition to the other side. Remain here for 2-3 minutes, relaxing, breathing consciously, noticing the sensations in your body and your thoughts.

2. Banana Pose (Bananasana)

As this is a restorative class, we want to come into a gentle, comfortable side stretch. You want to be able to relax and surrender.

Benefits:

• releases tension and stretches the obliques and intercostal muscles (between the ribs)
• opens hip joints
• releases tension in pelvis
• relaxes muscles
• releases tension in muscles along the spine
• opens the entire side body
• calming pose
• stretches IT (iliotibial) band
• opens gall bladder meridian

Step by step instructions:

1. Lie down on your back on your mat. Reach your arms overhead.
2. Keep your legs straight, walk both legs to the far right side of your mat. Keep both sit bones on the floor. You can cross the left ankle over the right or not.
3. Scoot the upper body toward the right side of the mat, bringing your body into the shape of a banana. Keep both shoulders down on the mat.
4. Ground the body down into the mat, consciously relaxing your entire body, feeling a gentle stretch along the side body. Stay for 2 minutes.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Contraindications/Modifications:

• If you feel tingling in the arms when they are overhead, place a folded blanket or bolster under the arms, or cactus the arms/bring arms to the sides.
• If you have lower back issues, do not go too deep into the pose. Keep it gentle.

3. Supported Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Benefits:

• Headache relief
• Encourages deep relaxation
• Soothes the nervous system
• Lessens anxiety and mild depression
• Improves digestion, circulation and respiration
• Calms the brain
• Nourishes women’s health through all life stages (menstruation, pregnancy*, menopause, post-menopause) * unless you feel nausea/dizziness on your back

Step by step instructions:

1. Lie on your back on your yoga mat, knees bent, feet on the floor. Bring your heels close to your hips, feet hip-width distance apart. Arms are alongside the body.
2. Press into the feet and lift the hips up off the floor. Slide a block underneath the body in the area of the waistband of the pants. The block has three heights. Only use the lower two heights for the restorative version of this pose (4″ or 6″ height). Place the block so it feels sturdy and supports the weight of your body.
3. Step the feet further apart now so the legs can relax and you do not have to put much effort into holding them in position.
4. Let your body relax into the pose. Arms can rest alongside the body with the palms up.
5. Stay here for 2-5 minutes, focusing on the breath, body sensations, and thoughts.
6. When you are ready to come out of the pose, walk the feet back into a hip-width distance apart. Press into the feet and lift the hips, remove the block and roll down through the back.

4. Reclined Butterfly Pose, Reclined Bound Angle Pose, Reclined Goddess Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Use props in this pose to be able to relax and surrender completely.

Benefits:

• Reduces stress and calms the mind
• Gentle stretch for the groins, hips, knees, and thighs
• Gentle chest opener
• Offers relief from menstrual discomfort and menopause symptoms
• Increases mobility on the hips
• Stimulates the abdominal organs

Step by step instructions:

1. Collect props to use for this supported version of the pose: bolster, blankets (2), blocks (2).
2. Place the bolster lengthwise on the mat. Sit with your lower back up against the bolster.
3. Take your blanket and roll it up into a long, noodle-like shape to make a long blanket roll.
4. Bring the bottoms of your feet together, knees bent, knees wide.
5. Place the blanket roll on top of your feet and tuck the ends of the blanket under the thighs, giving support.
6. Roll down onto the bolster and tuck the shoulders in toward each other slightly, opening the chest.
7. Relax fully into the pose. Releasing any holding in any parts of the body. Focus on your breathing, any bodily sensations and notice the thoughts that come and go.

Variations:

If it would make the pose more comfortable use the blocks under the knees/thighs for additional support. The blocks can also be used under the forearms, as armrests. It can bring more comfort to place a folded blanket on the bolster, under the head.

5. Corpse Pose, (Savasana)

Savasana is said to be the most important of all the yoga poses. I have dedicated an entire post to this pose. Check it out here.

Benefits:

• releases muscular tension in the body
• relieves stress
• lowers blood pressure
• calms the nervous system by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest response)
• brings the mind and body into a meditative state

Step by step instructions:

1. Come to lie on your back on your yoga mat. Let the legs fall open and relax. Position the legs about as far apart as the width of the mat.
2. The arms are at your sides, away from the body with the palms up. Let the fingers curl up as you relax the hands.
3. Bring the shoulder blades in toward each other and slide them down the back. You will find this helps the shoulders to lie more flat on the mat.

Use props to make your savasana even more comfortable.  In order to be able to relax and surrender you need to be as comfortable as possible. Props can help you find more ease in the pose. Here are a few suggestions for how to use a few standard props:

• Blankets – If the floor is chilly, place a blanket underneath your body. Cover up with a blanket for warmth and security. Place a folded blanket over the abdomen. Place a folded blanket under the head. Ideally, the forehead should be slightly higher than the chin. Roll up a blanket and place it under the knees, this can be helpful for low back tension. I frequently use several, as can be seen in the pictures!
• Eye Pillow – Place an eye pillow over the eyes to decrease light distractions. The weight/scent/temperature of the eye pillow can be soothing. They can be heated to bring an even more serene experience. When teaching, I heat eye pillows on a heating pad during class so they are ready for students to use during Savasana.
• Blocks – Blocks can be placed under the knees.

Give yourself the ultimate gift of self-love. Join me in this 30-minute Restorative Yoga for Stress Relief Class! Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more yoga content!!