Restorative Yoga

 
 

What is Restorative Yoga? 

Restorative Yoga – in my humble opinion – is the most powerful form of yoga because it asks us to do the opposite of our day to day. It asks us to fall into stillness and quiet, and to see the something, in doing nothing. We have been conditioned to go-go-go, sweat more, reach further, and take one more chatarunga. While we need this energy sometimes, Restorative Yoga reminds us of the importance of balance.

Restorative Yoga uses props to support the body to find balance and therefore find rest. It is a practice created by BKS Iyengar and popularized and further developed in the United States by Judith Hanson Lasater Ph.D., P.T. who defines Restorative Yoga in her book Restore and Rebalance: Yoga for Deep Relaxation as, “the use of props to create positions of ease and comfort that facilitate relaxation and health.” A typical Restorative Yoga sequence for a 60 minute class includes 2-3 poses before Savasana. The final Savasana is a minimum of 15 minutes, ideally 20-25 minutes.

Restorative Yoga is not Yin Yoga or Yoga Nidra. While Yin Yoga uses props, the use of props is to facilitate a slower and deeper stretch. Yoga Nidra while often done in a Restorative Yoga position or a simple savasana, is a guided medication to facilitate deep rest to sleep.

Why Restorative Yoga?

Restorative Yoga is a therapeutic practice by supporting the body to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system, which is good for our mind, body, and emotions.

Pose types in Restorative Yoga:

Just like in active yoga/asana, Restorative Yoga includes backbends, forward bends, twists, and inversions to create opportunities to move the spine in all directions to prepare for a deeper Savasana. There are many Restorative poses and variations of those poses to support all bodies.

Learn more about Restorative Yoga:

Resources to learn more: