restorative yoga - healing rejuvenating

3. The Purpose of Restorative Yoga
• To support the body with props providing active relaxation
• To alternately stimulate and relax the body to move toward balance
• To create specific physiological responses which are beneficial to health and reduce the effects of stress
• To create muscular release, not the sensation of a stretch
4. Mechanisms of Restorative Yoga
• Relieves the effects of stress through supported relaxation
• Moves the spine in all directions
•Provides an inversion which reduces the effects of gravity
• Alternately stimulates and soothes the organs (compression/release)
• Balances the energies of prana (upward energy) and Apana (downward energy)
• Stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system; enhancing homeostasis
5. Principles of Restorative Yoga
• Sensation of the pose should not be a “wham”
• Sensation should be slowly building
• Sensation should not be collecting in one place
• In each pose, seek to add length or fill in the space OR talk length away and take props away

1. RESTORATIVE YOGA

2. 1. History of Restorative Yoga The development of restorative yoga poses began in 1937 with B.K.S. Iyengar, a master yoga teacher from Pune, India. Iyengar learned yoga from his yoga teacher and brother-in-law, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Iyengar was a sickly teenager, and yoga helped him to regain his strength. He soon become a star pupil and actually replaced another one of Krishnamacharya’s students in a yoga competition. Back then, it was commonplace to have yoga competitions to show the public the skill of these students and educate the public on the practice. Restorative yoga grew out of Iyengar’s need to find therapeutic poses that would help him heal and restore his physical body.  Iyengar began teaching yoga at the age of eighteen. While teaching, Iyengar noticed his students straining in postures that could result in injury and pain. When people first come to yoga, they tend to bring the “no pain no gain” mentality along with their mats. In traditional yoga, practitioners challenge themselves to advance, and often try to advance at a fast pace, which can often cause injury.  This is precisely what Iyengar was noticing in his classes—people pushing themselves too far, and causing injury. While pain is inevitable in any practice where you are working with your body, you never want to cause injury. Unlike the more active styles of yoga, restorative yoga’s philosophy looks a lot different. Here, you learn to push yourself more gently—without a competitive attitude. Here, it’s “no pain = gain.”

3. This idea is what led Iyengar to incorporate props into his yoga practice so that poses could be modified and practiced without strain, helping people recover from injury, overworking, and illness in a therapeutic way. Props are exactly what they sound like: pillows called bolsters, blocks, chairs, the wall, blankets—all of which prop you up in positions that help you hold a healing shape for a period of time. Restorative yoga poses originated in the Iyengar tradition, using props to help each individual student find the alignment of each specific posture that works best for his or her body in any given moment. As time went on, Iyengar traveled to the West to share his teachings with others. When people began to understand the benefits of yoga, they traveled from all over the world to study with him. Until his death in 2014 at the age of 95, Iyengar certified teachers in his style of yoga, and those teachers disseminated the teachings in their own countries. 2. What Is Restorative Yoga? Restorative yoga is a deeply relaxing style of yoga practice. It is a receptive practice, not an active practice. Unlike the more active styles of yoga where poses “flow” into one another, in restorative yoga poses are held from five to as long as twenty minutes. During this time, you are held in “shapes” while being supported with blankets, blocks, or bolsters (pillows). The shapes emulate the forms of some more active poses found in Ashtanga, Vinyasa, or Iyengar such as a back bend, forward bend, twist, or inversion. When you are in the poses you are completely supported in a particular shape, which helps achieve the desired benefit—it could open up your lungs, release tension in your lower back, as well as help you feel comfortable enough to “let go.”

4. 3. The Purpose of Restorative Yoga • To support the body with props providing active relaxation • To alternately stimulate and relax the body to move toward balance • To create specific physiological responses which are beneficial to health and reduce the effects of stress • To create muscular release, not the sensation of a stretch 4. Mechanisms of Restorative Yoga • Relieves the effects of stress through supported relaxation • Moves the spine in all directions •Provides an inversion which reduces the effects of gravity • Alternately stimulates and soothes the organs (compression/release) • Balances the energies of prana (upward energy) and Apana (downward energy) • Stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system; enhancing homeostasis 5. Principles of Restorative Yoga • Sensation of the pose should not be a “wham” • Sensation should be slowly building • Sensation should not be collecting in one place • In each pose, seek to add length or fill in the space OR talk length away and take props away

5. Step 1: Body Sensing Bring your attention to the physical body. We systematically rotate our attention through the physical body using patterns that correspond with the sensory and motor cortices in the brain. Depending on the practice, we also use progressive relaxation techniques. Body sensing is designed to decrease heart and respiratory rates, reduce the level of alpha brain waves, and evoke a state of deep rest. Practitioners are invited to explore physical sensation, rather than implying that their bodies should “relax.” Tension may feel like a physical experience, but it is directly connected to stress in the mind. In other words, mental stress creates tension in the body. Meditation teaches us to be aware of the constant ongoing circuit between the body and mind. If every time we get stressed our shoulders and back start hurting, that can be an immediate signal that we need to take a step back and start evoking the relaxation response. Maintaining awareness keeps us present, attuned, and objective in the face of whatever stress may arise. Step 2: Breath Sensing Turn your attention to the breath. At times, we observe the natural flow of the breath. Other times, we use a variety of breath sensing and mindfulness breathing techniques. The fascinating thing about the breath is that it is the only function of the ANS that we can directly influence.

6. Mindfulness breathing techniques are also one of the most effective ways to evoke the relaxation response. Our bodies have been breathing themselves every moment of our lives, yet we can also use the breath as a proactive tool to shift the body from the SNS to the PNS. Step 3: Exploring Feelings and Emotions Bring your attention to feelings and emotions that may be present in the body, as well as to their opposites. For example, if happiness arises during the practice, you also will spend time feeling sadness. Experiencing opposites of emotions is an essential practice for cultivating resiliency. Spending time sitting with opposites of emotions teaches us to become aware of emotions when they first occur, as well as to identify the whole range of associated experiences that may be present. As we become adults from children, we learn to suppress and hide our emotions. If we can learn to become aware of the initial whispers of suffering, it is much easier to bring the situation back into balance. If we don’t listen to these subtle hints, they keep turning up the volume until we do listen. Suddenly, discomfort becomes irritation, which becomes frustration, which becomes anger, which becomes rage. Step 4: Witnessing the I-Thought, Being, and Awareness Explore the I-thought and the experience of being aware. In the midst of all the pleasure and the pain of life, there is also something else present. When we turn the thought “I am happy” or “I am sad” around on itself and ask, Who is aware of

7. this?, we immediately step back into the part of ourselves that is the observer. We feel the happiness or the sadness, but we recognize that we are not it, but we are the observer of it. This change in perspective gives us the opportunity to not be quite so fused with the emotion. The emotion loses its hold on us. When we feel ourselves as pure awareness, we experience the peace that is always here; we have more resilience and can access equanimity amid the changing conditions of life. Peace is present every moment of every day. Peace is our true nature. It is untouched by anything that has ever happened in life or anything that ever will. Rest gives us an opportunity to have a direct experience of this peace. 6. Use of Props Props can be used for support to “prop up” or support the shape of a pose from below or to “anchor” or stabilize the shape of a pose preventing effort and movement. • Blocks: to support a body part • Precaution: determine when the block needs to be stable or slide on the floor • Nonskid mats: can be rolled or folded to take the place of a blanket • Pillow/folded towel: to use under the heels or support the neck

8. Yoga Straps: Recommend 8-10 foot straps with a D ring for ease of use • Precaution: when locking straps, make sure there is adequate circulation. Discoloration of the skin (red or white) indicates loss of blood flow. • Eye bags: small rectangular cloth bag made of silk or soft cotton, filled with uncooked rice, flax seeds or washable plastic beads • Precaution: carefully let the front of the eye bag fall toward the nose, not on the nose • Eye Wrap: elastic bandage four inches wide, carefully wrapped around the head, starting at the base of the skull to provide slight compression • Blankets: When used for a cover can be any type. When used as support, recommend firm cotton or wool blankets Standard Fold twin 7. Practice Folding Blankets: 1. Standard Fold 1 x 21 x 28: Fold open blanket in half 3x 2. Single Fold 2.5 x 10 x 28 Standard Fold, fold in half lengthwise 3. Double Fold 5 x 7.5 x 28 Standard Fold: two folds lengthwise 4. Long Roll 5 x 6 x 28 Standard Fold, start at long folded edge and roll blanket 5. Bolster: recommend it weigh about 7 lbs and be stuffed with dense cotton. 2 feet long with a diameter of 9 inches with a removable cotton cover

9. 5. Folding Metal Chair: chair with an open back rest is ideal to allow legs to be placed through it 6. Wall: Access to a wall for supported poses 7. Weighted Sand Bags: 10 lbs 8. Benefits of Restorative Yoga 8.1. Restores you after surgery: Because restorative yoga is restful, you can regain energy when you practice it, which will help you heal. Certain poses and sequences can also help you recover from specific surgeries. 8.2. Prevents disease: Restorative yoga is known to help prevent many diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. It is incredibly beneficial, because the poses lower cortisol levels in the system. When relaxation is induced and cortisol lowers, blood pressure levels likewise lower, as well as glucose levels. 8.3. Helps relieve women’s issues: Restorative yoga can be therapeutic for pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause. There are many side effects of menopause that have to do with shifting hormonal levels, which restorative yoga can help balance. With menstruation, not only are you dealing with hormones, but also physical discomfort that comes from bloating and cramps. Restorative yoga can be a wonderfully therapeutic way to treat that discomfort, but vigorous poses and inversions should be avoided during the time that you are bleeding. Restorative yoga is also a very helpful practice when you feel tired or weighed down during pregnancy. This practice is safe and beneficial to your energy, but you shouldn’t practice vigorous yoga or breath retention while pregnant, or poses involving deep twists or unsupported inversions.

10. 8.4. Helps relieve cold and flu symptoms: If you suffer from a cold, which typically manifests as upper respiratory congestion and coughing, rest is encouraged and restorative yoga is a great practice supporting this. You can heal faster when you are well rested, which is one of the benefits of restorative yoga, and there are also specific poses that help relieve sinus pressure, increase circulation, and help you breathe more easily. 8.5. Provides headache relief: Headaches can be caused by tension or a pinched nerve near the spine; they also can stem from migraines, which are typically vascular and can occur for women more than men due to their menses. Headaches can be helped with restorative poses, especially ones that help induce a deep state of relaxation, as we know headaches can be caused by anxiety. There are also poses that passively stretch certain muscles that may constrict blood flow and cause a headache. Applying pressure by wrapping the head with a large ace bandage, or placing a sandbag on the forehead, is also very helpful in headache relief. 8.6. Helps reduce obesity: When high-intensity aerobic activity (proven to burn calories and reduce fat) is just not practical, restorative yoga can be a surprising answer to helping overweight men and women still achieve weight loss. Studies have shown that restorative yoga reduces the level of cortisol in your system. If you have excessive body fat, restorative yoga makes a very nice adjunct to a more active yoga practice. There have been studies showing that you can actually lose more fat from practicing restorative yoga than practicing a more vigorous yoga. When cortisol production in the body is lowered, the amount of glucose being created in the body is likewise decreased. Glucose creates fat, especially belly fat, which can lead to other

11. diseases as well. If you reduce stress, you reduce cortisol and then glucose, which leads to weight loss. Certain poses are more effective than others to achieve a sense of relaxation. 8.7. Relieves sciatica: When the sciatic nerve is irritated, it becomes inflamed and creates pain that starts at the buttocks and radiates all the way down the leg. Many restorative poses create traction that takes pressure off the nerve. Relieves symptoms from spinal cord injuries: If you suffer from a spinal cord injury, the damage of some of the fibers in the spinal cord causes a degree of loss of muscle function. Restorative yoga and breathing techniques are very helpful in improving muscle function. 8.8. Setting up the Space When setting up a space for your restorative yoga practice, think about one word: comfort. You will need to create a space that will help you truly relax. Here are some key points to remember when setting up the space: First, make sure the space you are in is as dark as possible, as bright light will keep you too stimulated. 8.9. Minimize noise. Make sure your space is as free from outside noise as possible. Relaxing music is fine, but even with the most relaxing music, remember that the thoughts that come while listening can sometimes keep you from truly being able to let go. Make sure you’re in a space where nothing can distract you.

12. The temperature of the room should be warm, and you should dress warmly. Have extra layers available. If you are cold, you cannot relax. Your body temperature will drop as you relax, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead. Take off your watch. The watch represents your attachments to time, so in order to truly let go, don’t wear a watch when you practice. Instead, use a timer with a pleasant-sounding chime to keep track of how long you are in each pose. As you set up your space, keep in mind that it may not always be possible to be completely free from all distractions, but do the best you can to leave the outside world behind. Shut off your phone, and take the time you need. In the end, it will make you a healthier, more productive person. 8.10. The difference between Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga In this post, I’ll be sharing what the differences between these two styles of yoga are and how to decide which style may be best for you. 8.10.1. Yin Yoga Yin yoga is a practice that focuses on stretching your connective tissues (particularly the fascia) in order to strengthen and lengthen them. Poses are held for 3-5 minutes each and work with the energy meridians in your body as well as cultivating active stretch in your connective tissues to increase strength and flexibility, improve joint mobility, improve posture, and release trauma in the body.

13.   8.10.2. Restorative Yoga Restorative yoga is a meditative practice that uses props like blocks, straps, sandbags, bolsters, and blankets to encourage a passive release of mind and body tension. This style works to release deep tension passively, without active stretch. 8.10.3. The Difference between Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga These practices are similar in the sense that they are slow, meditative practices focused on long holds. So how do they differ? • Stretch: In yin yoga, there is an active stretch but in restorative yoga, the goal is to be 100% supported and passive with no active stretch. • Focus: In yin yoga, the focus is on stretching your connective tissues but in restorative yoga, the focus is on the passive release of mind-body tension. • Props: Both styles may use props but in yin yoga, if props are used, they are used to either deepen or soften the stretch. In restorative yoga, props are used to completely support your body. Generally, restorative yoga will use far more props than yin, which may include straps, blankets, blocks, sandbags and especially bolsters. • Poses: Yin yoga poses are held for about 3-5 minutes, while restorative yoga poses are held for anywhere from 5-10 minutes. 8.10.4. The Essence of Yin Yoga Yin yoga is best for: • Increasing strength and flexibility

14. Keeping your joints healthy and mobile Improving your posture Releasing trauma and emotion stored in the connective tissues of the body Bringing your negative thought patterns into your awareness so that you can work with them and release them Some questions to ask before deciding: • Do you lead a very active lifestyle? • Are you holding onto narratives from the past that are no longer serving you? • Do you sit at a desk most of the day? • Are you 60+? 8.11. Types of Restorative Poses 8.11.1. Restorative Active Poses Forward Folds: Standing Forward Fold Pose/ Uttanasana Backbends: Reclining Hero/ Supta Virasana Camel Pose/ Ustrasana Two Legged Inverted Staff Pose/ Viparita Dandasana Inversions: Downward Facing Dog Head Balance Pose Supine: Supine Bound Angle Pose

15. 8.11.2. Restorative Inactive Poses • Designed to induce a state of deep relaxation and recuperation • Savasana is the base of all RIP poses Backbends: Fish Pose ( Matsyasana ) Variation 1 and 2 Supported Bridge Pose Inversions: Elevated Legs Up the Wall Forward Bends: Seated Angle Pose Head to Knee Pose Seated Forward Fold Prone: Child’s Pose (Downward Facing Hero Pose) Spinal Twist (Revolved Squeeze Pose) Supine: Supine Bound Angle Pose Lying Down Big Toe Pigeon Pose (One Foot Easy Pose) Belly Twisting Pose Inversion: Elevated Legs Up the Wall Savasana

16. 8.11.3. Sequencing for Restorative Yoga Initiation : Start with calming breathing practices, setting an intention for the first few minutes. Spend the next 5 -10 minutes with gentle movement to warm the body and prepare for relaxation. Sequence : Depending on your population and their needs. A general restorative class should be balanced with the spine moving in all directions. Beginning with shorter times in each pose and ending with longer periods. If your students have particular issues, you can focus on poses that address their individual needs.  8.11.4. Sample Sequences: General Sequence • Restorative Fish 1 minute • Supine Bound Angle Pose 10- 15 minutes • Supported Bridge Pose 15 minutes • Elevated Legs Up the Wall 15 minutes • Prone Spinal Twist 3 minutes • Supported Seated Angle Pose 3 minutes • Supported Seated Forward Fold Easy Seated Legs 3 minutes • Basic Relaxation Pose with Legs Elevated 5 – 20 minutes  8.11.5. Woman’s Restorative Sequence • Reclining Bound Angle Pose 5 minutes • Reclining Easy Seated Pose 5 minutes • Reclining Big Toe Pose (Leg Up and Leg to Side) 1 minute each

17. • Downward Facing Dog 1 minute • Child’s Pose 3 minutes • Head on Knee Pose 3 minutes • Seated Forward Bend Pose 3-5 minutes • Shoulder Stand Pose 3-5 minutes • Plow Pose 3-5 minutes • Supported Bridge Pose 5-10 minutes • Supported Legs Up the Wall Pose Cross Legs 3-5 minutes Flat on Floor Crossed Legs 5 minutes

18. 9. Setting up the Space When setting up a space for your restorative yoga practice, think about one word: comfort. You will need to create a space that will help you truly relax. Here are some key points to remember when setting up the space: First, make sure the space you are in is as dark as possible, as bright light will keep you too stimulated. Minimize noise. Make sure your space is as free from outside noise as possible. Relaxing music is fine, but even with the most relaxing music, remember that the thoughts that come while listening can sometimes keep you from truly being able to let go. Make sure you’re in a space where nothing can distract you. The temperature of the room should be warm, and you should dress warmly. Have extra layers available. If you are cold, you cannot relax. Your body temperature will drop as you relax, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead. Take off your watch. The watch represents your attachments to time, so in order to truly let go, don’t wear a watch when you practice. Instead, use a timer with a pleasant-sounding chime to keep track of how long you are in each pose. As you set up your space, keep in mind that it may not always be possible to be completely free from all distractions, but do the best you can to leave the outside world behind. Shut off your phone, and take the time you need. In the end, it will make you a healthier, more productive person.