Creation of relaxation habits
Anaïs had acquired a solid daily practice of yoga and appreciated its benefits. When we moved to a house that did not encourage this practice and we both started working again.
Ana told me :
- The harvest is coming, I’m going to feel broke in the evening, I’m going to slow down on my yoga practice, because I won’t have time and I’ll be too tired, I might stretch a few minutes a day, but nothing more !
I was amazed she had managed to significantly reduce her sciatica that had dogged her for years with her yoga practice of the past few months. She was calmer and enjoyed a very healthy physical and mental state and she wanted to stop everything!
So I made a pact with her: we joined the neighborhood gym; where we had to meet there every evening after work; especially to take a good hot shower, because the shower in the house where we lived was not great ^^. I had a hard time convincing her, because the gym environment was unfamiliar to her.
She ended up giving in (without however knowing what I had in mind).
Recovery Monday is coming. Returning to work after a long vacation was a shock and we arrived at the gym very tired.
We took a hot shower after an exhausting day at work and Ana started yawning, she was more sleepy than hungry.
Now comes the interesting part of the story:
I offered her to go to the first floor, where there are no gym machines and where it was quieter, and that I would give her a position to perform and she could even fall asleep if she wanted ….
She fell asleep at the gym.
Ana is super active and she doesn’t usually fall asleep just anywhere. In short, we went to the gym all week and every night we did different positions. Saturday morning arrived and she woke up full of energy. It was a nice surprise for her, because normally she would have been very tired to take advantage of her day off during the harvest.
What happened then? Well simply:
Restorative yoga has come into her life!
Restorative Yoga has entered Anaïs’ life, just as it has entered yours in recent days. To understand the benefits, read the following:
And what is Restorative Yoga?
We’ll tell you a bit about it, since it’s the subject of this week’s challenge.
Restorative yoga; called RESTAURATIVE YOGA in English: It is the use of different elements to support the body in a position of comfort, ease to facilitate relaxation. Restorative yoga is a practice in itself for people of all ages and experience levels.
The goal of this practice is OPENING , not STRETCHING .
It’s about opening up, not stretching. Restorative postures can be adapted to each of us, rather than trying to fit the form and demands of an active yoga posture.
The full definition of Restorative Yoga:
When you practice Restorative yoga, you don’t feel like you’re very active, but what we’re looking for here is the POWER TO RELAX .
The main thing in the Restorative yoga posture is to be comfortable and at ease.
The development of this practice is credited to BKS Iyengar and Judit Lasater, one of his students, is the one who developed this style of yoga.
You will be surprised, but this style of yoga can be done with anything and you don’t need to pay $50 for a yoga bolster.
What accessories to practice Restorative Yoga?
With the help of accessories that we have, we create a conducive environment that leads to relaxation. Removing all tension from the body allows you to be more aware of the tension in the mind. It is therefore super important that the body can relax as much as possible.
By using all the props necessary to keep the body comfortable, it is not distracted by artificial tension in maintaining the posture.
In another article, we will explain how to replace these accessories with objects that are in your house.
To practice Restorative Yoga, you don’t need to know a lot or know a lot of different postures. There is something for everyone, Anaïs, for example, likes to meditate in a restorative yoga posture for 20 minutes.
The Practice of Restorative Yoga
In Yoga in general and especially in Restorative, we will all have different experiences in different postures.
Thoughts :
It is important to welcome all thoughts during the practice. They are a natural process of the mind.
Noise: Sounds are only a problem when we decide.
The Feelings:
We can develop a certain feeling like looseness or relaxation. Most of the sensations that arise during a pose are just side effects of relaxation.
Restorative Yoga Postures:
Over the past 50 years, the practice of yoga asanas has evolved very rapidly. The yoga mat, once a place of comfort, retreat and refuge, is now a place of challenge.
In restorative yoga, we seek to reclaim this refuge. This is an introductory work. In our daily life, it is too easy to get distracted (phone, Ipad, computer, music, etc.). We have many ways to avoid being and thinking. All postures in restorative yoga include the idea of the position of the head in relation to the heart.
To better familiarize yourself with Restorative yoga here,
The 3 families of restorative yoga postures:
head on heart
They are an excellent way to begin any restorative practice, especially for transitioning from an active state to a wakeful state.
head under heart
They include various back poses, inversions, forward bends and standing poses. All this with the head down. The inversions will lead to a very deep relaxation by reducing the sympathetic activity of the nervous system.
Head to heart level
These are different forms of Savasana. The traditional deep relaxation pose you probably practiced at the end of your asana class.
We are super happy to share this challenge with you, Restorative Yoga is part of our daily life and we felt like sharing it with you during this September Challenge which allows you to discover our universe!
Now that you know a lot about the practice of restorative yoga, we hope you enjoyed this week and that you will continue with the exercises!
Do not hesitate to comment if you have any doubts or if you find this practice of Restorative Yoga boring, we want your opinions!
See you soon for the last week of this challenge with a theme that you will like!
Join the Facebook group of the challenge: create a routine
