Restorative Yoga
“A typical vinyasa yoga class may offer Savasana for about five-to-eight minutes — just the amount of of time it may take to stop wiggling, fully land, and slide into stillness for a moment.
To truly reap the benefits of a restorative yoga practice, your brain needs time to get the message that you are safe enough to switch off your stress response and turn on your relaxation response. In fact, research shows that it takes 20 minutes of calm to activate and create a lasting response in the parasympathetic nervous system.” – Jillian Pransky
What is restorative yoga? The main focus of restorative yoga is deep relaxation in poses, with the aid of props, without any strain or pain, we can begin to activate physical, mental and emotional healing. Calming the nervous system and settling the mind to elicit the relaxation response takes practice, and m,aking time to practice regularly really helps.
Restorative yoga begins with taking time to set-up restorative shapes in our body, not only in a supine position. We learn how to focus on the breath through this process. This practice allows a sense of yielding, of letting go of what no longer serves the body and mind and heart.
By creating the space to surrender, rest and repair we begin the process of creating new pathways in the body by simply allowing and giving ourselves permission to feel and restore on many levels.
It is the perfect balance for a world where we are often experiencing day to day stress, more than what our true nature intended. There is no doubt that life is busy for most of us and the question is how do we find time for the deep rest our body needs? When you give back to yourself, it is truly an act of self-love. We give back to ourselves, so we can ultimately give back to others.
It brings immense joy to be able to offer you a practice in which I strongly believe offers a profound, deep healing in the body. Look for Restorative Yoga classes coming your way in 2022.
Davee Gadban is a Melbourne based Yoga Teacher and Workshop Facilitator
vinyasa | hatha | yin | restorative | meditation | mindfulness | kids yoga
IG @infinityyoga_davee