If you’re longing for a deep relaxation that cultivates your mind-body awareness, restorative yoga is a great place to begin. Unlike vinyasa yoga, hot yoga or power yoga, restorative yoga is gentler and is meant to slow your body down and create a state of relaxation. It’s a deeply calming practice that involves holding poses for extended periods, allowing you to retreat into a calm and sacred place within your own body. The technique leaves you thoroughly replenished and nourished – mentally, physically, and emotionally.
This form of yoga originated from master yoga teacher B.K.S. Iyengar, who began to incorporate props such as blankets, bolsters and blocks to modify poses and practice without strain. Since you won’t be tackling any physically demanding poses, you can expect to experience a deep state of calm, but this requires stillness, quiet, and letting go.
It Can Heal and Relax Your Body and Mind
There are so many things that cause tension to build up in the body. Among them include mental exhaustion, physical burnout, stress, etc. Especially during these times of COVID-19, many people have been dealing with feelings of uncertainty and fear, often wondering if normalcy will return in the foreseeable future. Even as you try to make the best of the situation, restorative yoga can help you cope better, and block the negative news that surrounds our world.
The slow, intentional movements (held for longer periods, usually between 1-10 minutes) and breathwork give the body and mind an opportunity to become still and surrender. This brings about a sense of relaxation for the mind and body. While for some people this may seem to be too slow and feel like nothing is happening, they could be missing out on a great opportunity to reset at profound levels.
Improves Sleep
Are you battling insomnia or experiencing constant fatigue, exhaustion, and feelings of depletion? Restorative yoga is the perfect way to unwind and replenish yourself as it focuses on total relaxation of the body and mind. A vigorous yoga routine could make things worse by adding physical stress to the body and further depleting low energy reserves.
Sometimes all your body needs are calming, rejuvenating and introspective poses that guide your body to achieving deeper peace, preparing us for quiet and more restful sleep. Practice this at the end of your day or right before you crawl to bed for relaxing sleep. Your instructor can guide on creative and disciplined sequences that work.
Alleviates Stress
Restorative yoga is especially useful to any person dealing with chronic stress, depression and anxiety. When dealing with stress, our body releases cortisol, a hormone that switches us into “fight or flight” mode. The more stressful and prolonged the stressful situation, the higher the cortisol levels. This can easily lead to a host of serious health issues including heart attack, weakened immune system and stroke.
The good news is that restorative yoga increases the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest functions) so your body and mind can begin to renew themselves. In each session, you’re guided through highly effective techniques that focus on different areas of the body that tend to hold tension and stress. More importantly, restorative yoga enhances your ability to be more self-aware, which in turn helps you manage stress more effectively. Being self-aware, you can easily recognize stressors when they arise.
Strengthens the Nervous & Respiratory System
Restorative yoga will help calm your nervous system and relax your mind by shifting the balance from your fight-or-flight response to your relaxation response. This, in turn, will help the body rest, heal, and restore balance. As for your respiratory system, this relaxing yoga technique focuses on deeper breathing, which exercises your breathing muscles, even more, helping to improve lung capacity and efficiency.
By allowing time for longer asanas (postures or poses) and using props such as blocks, bolsters, or blankets, you can hold your poses for longer without tiring out your muscles. This allows you to relax fully in the moment while focusing on your breath.
Increases & Improves Blood Circulation to Organs
Restorative yoga focuses on gentle and supportive postures that open our chest. By deepening and stretching into heart-opening yoga poses, you draw more oxygen to your muscles and body. This helps to improve your blood circulation and increase blood flow. Some poses, like the bridge pose (Setubandha), prevent arterial blockages by increasing blood circulation to the arteries.
It Can Relieve Pain
On an even deeper level, restorative yoga is an incredible practice for resolving deeply held physical and emotional tensions and pain. It brings you into deep relaxation quickly, without having to stress and strain your muscles. The goal is to achieve absolute relaxation.
Many people who suffer from back pain experience immediate relief from practicing some of the restorative yoga supported reclining poses. If you have a condition or injury, it’s best to work with an experienced yoga teacher or yoga therapist with the permission of your doctor.
In this busy and often stressful world, you need some time to relax and release, and simply let go and become present. Restorative yoga is that and more – silence, stillness and spaciousness that allows you to slow down for a moment to replenish and reset your body and mind.
Amrit Ocean Luxury Resort and Residences offers you countless opportunities to drop back into nature on picturesque Singer Island and breathe in the beauty that surrounds you with great gratitude. Guests enjoy the benefits of cultivating a daily practice under the guidance of some of the best yoga instructors and wellness advisors. Your stay here is an incredible opportunity to integrate a healthier way of life and be guided into further levels of yoga in breathtaking surroundings. Book your stay with us today or visit our website to learn more.
