RESTORATIVE YOGA POSES: A GUIDE TO DEEP RELAXATION AND PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM ACTIVATION

Restorative yoga is a great way to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain. It can also improve sleep quality, boost mood, and increase energy levels.

When you think of yoga you probably think about a practice which aims to stretch and strengthen the body, usually through some active movement and stretching. You may be familiar with Hatha or Vinyasa styles of yoga which have certainly gained a lot of popularity. These are probably the most common types of yoga you’ll find in your local studio and also see depicted on TV and in the media. However, since you’ve found this blog post you might actually be aware that there are other types of yoga which take a different approach. Restorative Yoga is one such type of yoga that uses props to support the body in passive poses. This allows the body to fully relax and release tension. This is because Restorative Yoga Poses actually interact with the parasympathetic nervous symptom in a number of interesting and beneficial ways.

First, the slow, deep breathing that is practiced while in Restorative Yoga poses helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the “rest and digest” response, which helps to slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure, and relax the muscles and slow, and the good news is deep breathing can help support all of these functions! Second, the supported poses in Restorative Yoga help to release tension from the body, and this is often a pretty common reason why people try Restorative Yoga, since we all seem to have a little extra tension in our bodies from time to time. Third, the calming environment in which Restorative Yoga is typically practiced can also help to promote relaxation and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is, of course, not unique to Restorative Yoga Poses as a similar calming environment is typical of most yoga and meditation practices, although many people find themselves more at home trying Restorative Yoga Poses than they would sitting upright and cross legged trying to “clear their mind”.

Research has shown that Restorative Yoga can have a number of positive effects on the parasympathetic nervous system, including:

Reducing stress and anxiety

Improving sleep quality

Reducing pain

Improving mood and well-being

Overall, Restorative Yoga is a great way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and promote relaxation and well-being.

Restorative Yoga is a great way to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain. It can also improve sleep quality, boost mood, and increase energy levels. If you’re looking to try it for yourself, we have a number of fantastic Restorative Yoga practices in our On Demand Video library. One such practice we can encourage you to check out would be our Nightly Nourish class, which is a Restorative Yoga practice you can try just before bed.

[……]

Read more

Restorative Yoga & Meditation

Transformative Home Practice – Discover the Benefits of Restorative Yoga

Open to individuals of all skill levels, including complete beginners

Slow, supported yoga poses, each held for 10-15 minutes at a time using props like folded blankets, pillows, cushions, and blocks

Engages with parasympathetic nervous system, recognized as the “rest & digest” system

Focus is on joint range of movement, flexibility, and mobility

Incorporate mindfulness in relation to your senses – sight, touch, smell, hearing, taste, and thought

Ideal for those times where you may be feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, or when recovering from illness or injury. The invitation is to cultivate a habit of self-care and self-compassion through deep relaxation.

Cost: €15 drop-in / Package 4 classes for €40 / €50 for monthly membership to join any hatha or restorative drop-in classes each month.

Testimonials

Córa’s Restorative Yoga and Mindful Movement is wonderful. I find the mindfulness aspect easier when combined with yoga instruction, and the class is gentle enough for those recovering from/ with chronic injury or illness. Very calming effect. I also found it very effective if you are a carer – this is a class where you genuinely feel no stress but do feel cared for yourself.

I attended Córa’s 5-week Restorative yoga course. I found it to be very relaxing and really helped me to listen to my body so now I can identify the areas in my body I am holding stress and take action.

[……]

Read more

Why A Restorative Yoga Practice Is ALWAYS A Good Choice

I’ve written before about the importance of rest, but as we head into the winter months after a long period of uncertainty, this has never been more important.

Speaking to several students over the past few months, it feels as if things are very busy for many of us.

This isn’t surprising, as this is the first time in a while that we have been ‘back to normal’, while at the same time, living in a country that currently has the highest rates of Covid in Europe. This is on top of the usual coughs, colds and seasonal bugs that are starting to do the rounds.

The beauty of Iyengar yoga, and having a yoga practice, is that our practice can be a perfect fit. It can change according to your mood, the season, the time of day, your energy levels and so on.

And interestingly I have been choosing a predominantly restorative practice for the last few weeks.

A Bit More about Restorative Yoga

BKS Iyengar is credited with having ‘invented’ restorative yoga as a concept. Due to the ill-health he suffered in his formative years, Iyengar had to fashion props from bits of wood or everyday objects in order to get into yoga poses. His inventive use of props meant that the benefits of poses could be felt without over-straining the body.

Restorative yoga is about allowing the pose to do you, rather than you doing the pose. You have to allow the body to inhabit the pose, and then let the breath inhabit the body, and the mind inhabits the breath. When you become fully passive in the pose there is a sense of weightlessness and submersion in the pose.

Why Restorative Yoga isn’t Resting Yoga (necessarily)

The name restorative can be misleading however. Some students get overexcited when the bolsters come out, but restorative yoga doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be resting.

Restorative yoga is about restoring the natural balance of the body, physically, emotionally, and hormonally. Sometimes this is done through supported backbends, long holds of inverted poses and other things that can feel distinctly UNRESTFUL while you’re doing them.

This is because yoga emphasises the need for relaxation, but it goes further and advocates rejuvenation. Relaxation is going from a negative to a neutral state, while rejuvenation is going from a neutral to a positive state.

Why Inverted Asanas are Especially Important

All restorative yoga poses have their benefits, but inverted restorative poses are particularly important for a stressed-out nervous system and for mental and emotional health.

Any pose where the head is positioned below the heart counts as an inverted pose, so you don’t have to be up in full headstand or shoulderstand. Also standing inversions, such as Uttanasana and Adho mukha svanasana with the head supported (preferably on something soft) give the same benefits.

Focusing on Relaxing the Eyes

We can feel tired after a whole day spent working on the computer, but it’s brain-tired. Our eyes are pushed forwards from looking at the screen, and we haven’t been breathing properly so the body is not fully oxygenated.

With so much of our lives now conducted on screens – Zoom meetings, online yoga, WhatsApp chats, and so on, we need to find a way to take a break from all the screen-related activities.

Yoga gives us this time to rest our eyes. Here’s a simple exercise you can try: take a bandage and softly cover the eyes. Lie in supported savasana and allow the eyes to completely soften. Focus on the breath.

In any yoga pose, it’s important to check on what’s happening with the eyes, especially strenuous poses such as backbends. We need to learn to soften the face, even while working the rest of the body – this eventually leads to the ‘effortless effort’ of Patanjali’s sutras.

[……]

Read more

10 Benefits of Restorative Yoga Practice for Older Adults

Commencing a yoga class, when you are past 50 years, can be an overwhelming or intimidating task, especially if you are obese or dealing with life-threatening diseases like diabetes or cancer. Although you may not wish to join a yoga class with younger practitioners, beginning a gentle yoga practice for starters is a good way of staying active and lowering your stress levels.

What is Restorative Yoga?

Restorative yoga involves the alignment of your physical and mental state using gentle movements or stillness over a period of time. It also includes the concept of mindfulness which allows the practitioners to be conscious and aware of everything that happens around them. Mindfulness not only increases the fitness levels for older people but also improves their sleeping patterns.

Restorative yoga is not only safe for older adults but also helps to keep their mind and body healthy. If you are past 50 years and want to start a yoga therapy course, then you need to find an instructor that will meet your needs.

Benefits of Restorative Yoga in Fitness for Older Adults

Increased Flexibility

If you are searching for gentle stretching exercises that will help you achieve greater flexibility, then restorative yoga is a greater option. Flexibility exercises like restorative yoga are great if your joints are stiff or achy. A recent study conducted to investigate the effectiveness of yoga therapy in managing arthritis in older women, researchers concluded that restorative yoga offered therapeutic benefits.

Improves Respiration

As people become older, they are faced with various respiratory complications that can harm their health. This results in the reduction of oxygen supply in the body which can adversely affect your overall health. Scientists have discovered that 3-months yoga for adults program can help to improve respiratory functions in elderly women. Breathing is a basic unit of life. You can go for weeks without eating, but you cannot go even for few minutes without breathing, so you need to keep your respiratory system in good shape at old age.

Yoga Keeps Your Mind Sharp

Attending regular yoga practice sessions can help you to relieve the stress that had accumulated over a long time. This will help to keep your mind energized and centered on solving any problem at hand. When your body is working properly, you will have more vitality, and this will even enhance your moods.

Reduces High Blood Pressure

Hypertension is the most prevalent disease among the elderly nowadays. Recent clinical studies have shown that yoga therapy reduces oxidative stress in older adults. Oxidative stress is one of the leading causes of hypertension among the elderly.

Restorative Yoga Reduces Anxiety

Yoga classes help your mind and body to relax, especially restorative yoga for older adults. When practiced regularly, it can help to reduce stress and anxiety in older adults. This is because it focuses on slow movements and breathes to trigger the nervous system.

Relieves Menopausal Discomfort

Certain yoga poses can help you overcome the stress that comes with menopausal fluctuations. You can try poses such as the Bridge to help you overcome your menopausal symptoms.

Improves Your Bone Health

It is a well-known fact that weight-bearing exercises like yoga can help to prevent loss of bone density and reduces osteoporosis. Whether you want to relieve pain from a bone fracture or prevent osteoporosis, yoga exercises can be beneficial.

Increases Blood Circulation

The yoga relaxation exercises you learn can help to improve blood circulation in your hands and feet. This ensures that you have enough oxygen in your cells and this promotes proper functioning of your body.

Yoga Helps seniors to Shed Excess Weight

Yoga enhances determination and concentration in all areas of your life. Practicing yoga every day will help you lose more weight compared to people who did morning and evening walks during the same period.

Protect Your Joints

You may have noted that your joints are not as lubricated as they used to be when you in your late 20’s. If you practice yoga frequently, then your joints will become lubricated, and you will avoid risks of getting arthritis. You need to start taking good care of your joints to allow you perform daily tasks as you get old, because if you don’t arthritis or osteoporosis will strike you.

[……]

Read more