Nourishing You

Friends, this week I am sharing with you 4 of my favourite restorative yoga shapes.

Restorative yoga is often incorrectly mistaken for yin yoga. Yin focuses on holding shapes and stressing ligaments and tendons. Restorative yoga calls for us to surrender entirely to a shape, sink into props that support us, let go of muscle control, of the want to stretch or lengthen. While yin yoga is active, restorative yoga is totally passive. It asks that we simply surrender.

Yin shapes are held for 3-5 mins on average whereas restorative poses can be held for 15mins or longer. In a 60min restorative class, I would usually teach 4-5 poses max including a 15mins savasana.

I am a big believer in slowing down with purpose. Sometimes we feel like we've rested by vegging infront of Netflix for 3 hours, or by not moving from the sofa for 12 hours. And while they are needed at times, that's not always the best use of your time. Restorative yoga works with your CNS, your central nervous system and takes us from a fight-or-flight response to a deep rest and digest response state. It delivers a state of deep relaxation, allowing you to switch off and soften into the support of the props, the blanket and the mat beneath you.

For this practice, you will need comfort. Think pyjamas, pillows, duvets, blankets, soft socks, candles, tea, incense... you get the drift. You will need a bolster or some pillows/rolled thick blankets. You will also need yoga blocks or lunchboxes with towels draped over them. You want to give yourself a 5* practice, you deserve it.

Before you start, drape a blanket over your entire yoga mat. Trust me here, friends. It makes *all* the difference.

Restorative Childs Pose

Sit on your heels, knees out towards outer edge of the mat. Place a bolster/pillow/rolled blanket in between your thighs and fold your body over, turning your gaze off to one side. If you have a yoga block, pop one under the top of the bolster which allows you space to wrap your arms under the bolster to give it a snug. Bonus luxury is placing a yoga blanket over your lower back, creating some delicious weight on your back.

Bonus bonus luxury if you are on your moontime is placing a hot water bottle under the blanket on your back.

Restorative Baddha Konasana

Another one of my favourite!. Take 2 blocks and set them towards the back of your mat in a T shape, placing your bolster on top. Sit your sitbones about a palms distance in front of the bolster with your knees bent, soles of your feet on the earth. Take a blanket and roll it to make a long, thin noodle. Place the noodle on top of your feet and wrap behind the feet. From here, when you bring the soles of the feet together the noodle will support the ankles and lessen the range of motion out of the hips. Tuck the pelvis under and lay back onto the support beneath you. Arms can be by your side or resting on your belly or heart.

Bonus luxury is placing some blankets/blocks under the knees.

Bonus bonus luxury is a slightly weighted eye pillow. Oh, Lordy.

Restorative Waterfall

Ah, I shouldn't say it but.... another fav!

There are three versions of this shape that I simply adore and interchange depending on my mood and energy.

The first is to bring your mat to the base of a wall. Sit beside the wall and swing your legs up the wall, you may need to scoot your bum closer the wall. Allow the legs to just rest against the wall, arms fall where they feel most at home. Bonus luxury is a small amount of weight at the soles of your feet, like a yoga bolster.

The second version of this involves some props, a chair. Make sure the chair isn't too high, a standard kitchen chair is a good height and place a blanket on the seat of the chair. Place the chair over your mat and scoot close enough so your calves can rest on the seat of the chair. Bonus luxury is placing the small of your back on a bolster to raise your hips.

The third version requires the block/bolster combo you had for your restorative baddha konasana (the T-shape with blocks and the bolster over the top). Sit facing the prop set up and place your legs up the bolster so your ankles are higher than your hips. Bonus luxury is a slightly weighted eye pillow. Bonus bonus luxury is a yoga belt, tying the thighs together so you can entirely surrender and not worry about your legs falling off the props set up.

Restorative Savasana

Here we go, this is what I am talking about. I have been known to get into bed for my Savasana. One of my teacher trainers used cover herself head to toe in a big massive blanket (which wasn't hard as she was the real-life size of a wee daisy flower) for her Savasana. Whatever ultimate comfort looks like and feels for to you, Savasana is your time to honour that.

Let us start at the top of your sweet head. Try a folded blanket under your head, even better if you could tuck your wee head in at the sides, covering off your ears. An eye mask is a beautiful addition to a Savasana.

Next up think of your arms by placing a blanket beneath your elbows and maybe another under your hands. I adore having my knees bent with a bolster placed beneath them, allowing my legs to surrender. I place my calves on blocks at the end of the mat and allow my feet to hang free. I then cover myself with a blanket, draped all over me. If I am on my moontime I place a hot water blanket on my abdomen.

You could also enlist a friend and 4 blankets and wrap each limb like a burrito (This, friends, this is how I think one wins my heart. Wrap me in blankets and burn me some incense.)

Another totally beautiful version of savasana is side lying. This can be delicious for people with low back issues as sometimes lying supine feels too much. Or, if moontime is particularly challenging it can be a lovely alternative.

Starting at your head, place a blanket folded a few times under your darling head. With a blanket beneath your knees to support your top leg and pelvis, hug your bolster to your body.

Bonus luxury take a second bolster or a thick blanket rolled and prop it behind your back, as close as possible. This will give a lovely support to the back of your body and act like a stopper so you don't roll back if you drift into sleep.

Friends, I hope you find some space in your week to try a restorative practice for yourself. If you do, please let me know. I would love to hear how you went.

With all my love, always.

Leonie x