Restorative Yoga

Restorative Yoga

Restorative yoga is, as its name indicates, a yoga form whose series and poses help alleviate mental and physical aches, pains, and stress. Often employed as a form of alternative physical therapy, restorative yoga employs a variety of props, along with long, slow movements to achieve full relaxation and speed healing. The poses in restorative yoga lower the body’s heart rate and blood pressure, stimulates the immune system, and keeps the endocrine system balanced.

While props are not required in the practice of restorative yoga, they guide the body into correct form and enable deeper stretching and strengthening than can be achieved unassisted. Common props used in restorative yoga include blocks, straps, bolsters, balls, sandbags, walls, and chairs.

Due to its customized nature, restorative yoga is ideal for the at-home practitioner. Some common restorative yoga poses are supported back-bends, which open up the chest and stretch the middle and lower back, forward folds or Paschimottanasana, which stretches the hamstrings and lower-back, legs up the wall or Viparita Karani, which aids circulation, and supported child’s pose or Adho Mukha Virasana, which combats head and neck aches and stomach cramps.

Restorative yoga can be deeply meditative, and provides a calming start and end to your day.