In restorative yoga, also called passive stretching, participants mainly focus on stretches and positions rather than exercises and workouts that involve activity and movement. Hence, the concept of restorative yoga is quite different from the general styles of yoga, which involve motility.
Find out more about restorative yoga in this blog and understand how essential it is for one’s body, just like any other workout session. After all, sometimes it is all about slowing down to establish an equilibrium in the body and embrace a resting stage.
What Is Restorative Yoga?
The greatest perk of restorative yoga is that such postures and exercises are suitable for all age groups, individuals with ailments and limited mobility. Restorative yoga postures often use props like pillows, blocks and blankets. Through engaging practices of tranquillity and deep relaxation, one can enjoy the meditative aspect and holistic wellness. Further, with the aid of props, these postures and steps become highly convenient and effortless.
By entering a state of deep relaxation, one can feel conscious and mindful. You need to pay attention to your breathing during the process and become aware of minute sensations and feelings in your body. Through mindfulness, you can also feel the changes in the surroundings but remain undeterred and relaxed during the cycles. Along with greater awareness, one also feels refreshed and rejuvenated after every session.
While energetic styles of yoga are concerned with quick transitions between poses, to build the heat and develop strength, the purpose of restorative yoga is to ensure your muscles are relaxed, the mind is calm, and you enter a state of tranquillity. Sometimes gentle stretches are also involved in the process. Generally, a restorative yoga posture lasts between 5 to 20 minutes. While being mellow and often considered as low-energy postures, yoga like these are involved in establishing a state of calm in the body and embrace the perks of resting.
Benefits Of Restorative Yoga
Yoga is a physical practice which aims for holistic development and well-being. However, there are different styles of yoga like aerobic, acrobatic and athletic, which involve hard-core exercises, flexibility and movement. Restorative yoga, on the other hand, aims for mental wellness and improves sleep hygiene. By aiding in the reduction of stress and depression, one can address the overall quality of life.
Explore some of the benefits of restorative yoga:
- Enhance a state of relaxation: Deep breathing through restorative yoga helps to calm down your body through deep breathing cycles. Experts suggest that restorative yoga is highly effective in inducing synchronisation in the body rather than regular stretching.
- Get better sleep: While you are relaxed and feeling a sense of calmness, it is likely that sleep will come faster. By improving the state of mind and body, restorative yoga can influence the nervous system and offer good sleep. To manage sleep problems better, healthcare professionals often prescribe restorative yoga sessions. By enhancing melatonin secretion and reducing hyperarousal, one achieves a resting stage.
- Enjoy a better mood: Yoga is significantly helpful in reducing stress and addressing anxiety conditions. By inducing both physical and mental well-being, one can manage anxiety symptoms with restorative yoga classes.
- Reduce aches: Different styles and poses of restorative yoga are particularly helpful in reducing aches and alleviating cramps in the body. By effective intervention through different postures and relaxing states, one can manage different kinds of musculoskeletal pain.
- Gentle to practise: Since the different steps of restorative yoga are gentle on the bones, muscles and joints, it can be practised by anyone and everyone. Moreover, consistent practice can aid in stretching and strengthening the soft tissues, offering greater flexibility.
Ongoing studies on the benefits of restorative yoga suggest that it has been particularly helpful in cancer patients for physiological well-being and gentle movement. Further pain symptoms in the body are alleviated and toxicity reduced with such practices.
6 Restorative Yoga Poses
Several restorative poses and postures have been achieved by modifying general yoga styles. With the usage of props, it gets easier to achieve the state of rest, steadiness and calm. Restorative yoga, on the other hand, is essential for practising relaxation and mindfulness.
1 Child’s Pose (Balasana) With Support
You can perform this yoga posture by stacking a couple of blankets lengthwise for support. The blankets are placed along the inner thighs, supporting your torso region and elevating the lower back region.
- First, acquire the tabletop position, sit back on your heels and widen your knees after that.
- Make sure that your big toes are placed together. At this point, you need to release pressure around your elbows and allow the forearms to rest on the mat.
- All this while, the torso lies on the blanket for rest. Rotate and turn your head from side to side during the exercise.
2. Reclined Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana) With Support
To conduct this pose, you need to follow these steps:
- Sit on your knees, which rest in a bent position. Lower your knees such that they incline towards one side.
- Now use two stacked yoga blankets, or you can even use a bolster placed lengthwise, such that it rests between your inner thighs and the knees. The arms can rest beside you while you achieve this seated state.
- Make sure that your shoulder blades are aligned with the ground.
- You can use another blanket near your neck to support the same.
3. Supported Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
For Supported Bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) posture,
- You need to lie down on your back first and then bend your knees and feet on the floor. Make sure that your legs are placed hip-width apart.
- Rest your arms by your side and press your feet.
- Then you can engage your hamstrings and lift your pelvis a few inches.
- You can slide a prop for support, like a yoga mat or a few stacks of books, under your sacrum region.
- This ensures that your tailbone is supported while you hold this posture.
- As you recover from the pose, lift your hip first and then remove the block. Place your lower back down after that.
4. Supported Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)
To conduct this posture, here are the following steps that you need to emulate:
- Initially, you need to place the edge of the mat against the wall and place a bolster or even a blanket folded up to three to four inches height shall do.
- Then you need to enter the shape from the side and bring your buttock area close to the wall.
- While holding this state of the body, extend your feet forward and upward.
- Lie down so that your back and spine are additionally supported by the blanket.
- Ensure that your arms rest on your side while you conduct this posture.
5. Supported Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Savasana is a posture where one needs to emulate a corpse style, and in the case of restorative corpse pose, the following steps need to be performed:
- Add support to the classical resting pose, or Savasana.
- Mostly, a rolled-up blanket or a bolster is used as a prop here.
- They are placed at the back of your knees, and additionally, you can cover your body with eye masks or an eye pillow over the eyes.
6. Fish Posture
If you spend a lot of time sitting, the Fish Posture is one of the best restorative poses. By elongating your spine, you release a lot of tension from your neck and behind your head. The shoulder and chest region also opens up.
- Place a prop like a bolster on the mat for support and start with a seated position.
- Lie back and then rest your shoulder blades such that the chest is pulled backwards.
- The legs are kept folded, and you need to rest your arms by your side.
- Close your eyes, take a few breaths and hold onto the state for a few seconds before releasing.
Using Props In Restorative Yoga
Props are extensively used in restorative yoga to support different body parts and hold the postures for a longer duration without feeling fatigued. These postures are specially adapted from seated to supine yoga. Generally, blocks, blankets, bolsters, and yoga mats prevent sprains due to prolonged hours of sitting.
For instance, the seated forward bend can be converted into a form of restorative yoga posture where the forward bend is fully supported by any kind of prop at the torso. Similarly, the reclined goddess posture or Supta Baddha konasana style is often modified with a bolster to adapt to a form of restorative yoga. The prop is used at the back of your pelvis to provide support to the spine. Further, a rolled-up blanket can be used to support the soles of your feet.
Conclusion
Restorative yoga postures are meditative forms of yoga that put the body in a state of rest and mindfulness. Unlike other energetic exercises, these passive yoga poses are easy to conduct and gentle on the mind and the body, especially for individuals with limited mobility.
Frequently Asked Question for Restorative Yoga
1. Does restorative yoga count as exercise?
Restorative yoga is considered gentle exercise focused on recovery and relaxation rather than calorie burning or cardio. While it doesn’t provide intense physical activity, it offers significant health benefits including improved flexibility, reduced muscle tension, and enhanced mental well-being, making it an excellent complement to more vigorous workouts.
2. What’s the difference between restorative yoga and yin yoga?
Yes, restorative yoga can be effective for managing chronic pain conditions including back pain, fibromyalgia, and arthritis. The gentle poses help reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, and promote the release of natural pain-relieving endorphins while avoiding strain on affected areas.
14. Is restorative yoga suitable for seniors and elderly people?
Restorative yoga is ideal for seniors as it’s gentle on joints, requires no strenuous movement, and can be fully adapted to individual mobility levels. The use of props provides extra support, making poses accessible and safe for older adults while improving balance, flexibility, and overall well-being.
3. Can restorative yoga help with chronic pain?
Yes, restorative yoga can be effective for managing chronic pain conditions including back pain, fibromyalgia, and arthritis. The gentle poses help reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, and promote the release of natural pain-relieving endorphins while avoiding strain on affected areas.
4. What’s the difference between restorative yoga and meditation? While both styles hold poses for extended periods, restorative yoga uses props to fully support the body in complete relaxation with no muscular engagement. Yin yoga involves deeper stretching that applies moderate stress to connective tissues without prop support, making it slightly more intense than restorative practice.
5. How soon will I see results from restorative yoga?
Many practitioners notice immediate benefits like reduced stress and better sleep after just one session. For lasting improvements in flexibility, pain management, and emotional balance, consistent practice over 4-6 weeks typically yields noticeable results. Individual experiences vary based on frequency and personal health conditions.
6. Can pregnant women do restorative yoga?
Yes, restorative yoga is generally safe and beneficial during pregnancy, especially in the second and third trimesters. It helps reduce pregnancy-related discomfort, anxiety, and insomnia. However, certain poses should be modified or avoided, so always consult your healthcare provider and inform your instructor about your pregnancy.
7. Can restorative yoga lower blood pressure?
Research suggests restorative yoga can help lower blood pressure by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress hormones, and promoting deep relaxation. While beneficial for managing hypertension, it should complement not replace medical treatment. Always consult your doctor before using yoga for blood pressure management.
8. Is restorative yoga suitable for seniors and elderly people?
Restorative yoga is often recommended for injury recovery since it’s extremely gentle and fully supported by props. The practice can aid healing by improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and preventing muscle atrophy without stressing injured areas. Always inform your instructor about injuries and get medical clearance for specific conditions.
9. Can I practice restorative yoga if I have injuries?
Restorative yoga is often recommended for injury recovery since it’s extremely gentle and fully supported by props. The practice can aid healing by improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and preventing muscle atrophy without stressing injured areas. Always inform your instructor about injuries and get medical clearance for specific conditions.
10. What is the best time of day to practice restorative yoga?
Evening is ideal for restorative yoga as it prepares the body for sleep and helps unwind from daily stress. However, it can be practiced any time you need relaxation—morning sessions can set a calm tone for the day, while afternoon practice provides a midday reset. Choose timing based on your schedule and goals.
