Why Restorative Yoga?
“Place your body in a meaningful way, as though caring for a loved one. Use a cushion for your head, if you like, and a bolster behind your knees. If you’d like a blanket, please place one hand on your belly so I’ll know and I’ll come bring you one. As you settle your bones into the ground, begin to notice your relationship to your surroundings. What is the temperature of the air? What is the texture of the floor beneath you? What is the furthest sound you hear? Now, can you go a little deeper? What does your skin feel like against your clothing? What is the curvature of your spine like in relationship to the floor? Are your muscles at ease? If they are not at ease, can you begin to relax them? Let yourself sink in. Allow yourself to be supported.”
It sounds relaxing doesn’t it? Imagine an entire yoga class where each posture you place your body in has the same intention of connecting you to deep conscious rest. Restorative yoga is not like other asana (posture) practices. This practice is designed entirely around down-regulating the nervous system. The branch of the nervous system called the autonomic nervous system (think automatic) is responsible for processing all of the information in our surroundings. It lets our body know when it is safe to sleep, time to digest, ok to share a secret with a friend, or cuddle with a loved one on the couch. It also lets us know when it’s time to mobilize, to get up and go, to be on alert, to get a job done, to run, or even raise our voices, or our fists.
One of the problems our autonomic nervous system faces these days is over stimulation. The average office worker receives approximately 121 emails per day. That’s 121 possibilities for alert and readiness. We receive and send about 42 text messages a day. More alerts! Our bodies are constantly being told they need to be vigilant, pay attention and get ready. In contrast, on average we get less than 7 hours of sleep per night (down one full hour from the 1940s) and even less 5-6 hours if you’re a newer parent. We eat standing up, or in our cars, if we even eat at all. And then we exercise to the point of exhaustion and sometimes even collapse. It becomes simple math; the number of hours spent in stress activation versus the number of hours spent in de-activation leave us at a daily deficit! It’s no surprise then that the number of autoimmune conditions is also on the rise. Over time our inability to regulate our stress can lead to all kinds of symptoms and ailments potentially compounding into serious diseases.*
So why is restorative yoga so valuable? This practice teaches us to become aware of our body’s relaxation response. It teaches us how to regulate our breath, how to be quiet without being asleep, how to unclench our bodies, how to be observant of our reactions and patterns, and how to slow down. For many of us, these skills are imperative for navigating the ever-mounting stress built up around our lives. And though at first glance this practice may seem like the easiest form of yoga, for many it can be the hardest thing you’ve ever tried to do.
Want to learn more about this amazing tool? Come join us June 5, 6, 12, 13 for our Restorative Yoga Training. We can’t wait to support you in better rest!
*To learn more about stress, symptoms and coping, join us for the next round of RECALIBRATE: a six week nervous system restoration course.