Benefits of Restorative Yoga

Last post I introduced you into the world of Restorative Yoga. Now that we have a better understanding of what Restorative Yoga is... Let's talk about the benefits we get from doing restorative yoga.

We've all heard that yoga is very beneficial to our lives and to our health. This is true when living a true yoga life.  When we continuously practice, when we listen to our bodies, when we have the right mindset, when we nurture ourselves, body and mind, when we live life to the fullest this is when yoga is most beneficial to us. We've all seen those people on social media who can bend themselves into crazy poses. But just like all athletes it takes continual practice to get to where they are. I have worked over many years to get to where I am at. However, that is not solely what yoga is about, the asanas (poses) are only one part of a much bigger yoga picture.  Yoga is a much deeper practice one that can be very fulling to our lives and our health, for everyone... not just those who can do challenging poses.

Restorative Yoga is a gentle but powerful practice. It allows us to go deep within ourselves and find a deep, almost trance like relaxation. Restorative postures are often held for longer periods of time anywhere from 2-20 minutes and leave us feeling nourished and well rested. In our overly busy lives where we fill each minute with things to do we often do not find time to simply rest. We need rest, our bodies need rest. Although we sleep how often are we truly resting when we sleep, for me it's not too often. Part of our overall health is recovery. We need that recovery period. When we are in restorative postures our bodies will naturally find the "sweet spot" between effort and ease and allows us to fall into rest in each posture. When we rest in these restorative postures we begin to see the benefits. Restorative yoga reduces stress, helps us gain energy and find balance. Plus it...

Aids in healing our bodies
Promotes overall well-being
Release anxiety
Promotes good digestion
Help to relieve headaches
Releases tense muscles and sore joints
Recover from injuries
Balances the nervous systems
Boosts the immune system
Increases flexibility

Yoga allows us to let go in our bodies and our minds.
When our bodies learn to relax we begin to notice the changes in them and in our lives.
We carry a lot of stress around in our bodies.
Maybe you have chronic pain in an area that is always lingering about but after being put into a restorative posture for 10 minutes over time you will notice that the pain is slowly subsiding.
And our minds, our thoughts are thought to be the source of all fear.
If you are like me your brain has a hard time shutting off... constantly thinking of tasks that need accomplished... making up scenarios in my head of things that could go wrong... constantly worrying... worrying about the future... the list can go on and on.
I am sure many of you find yourselves in the same boat as me.
Through a regular restorative yoga practice we can begin to find peace of mind and healing in our bodies. We will also find healing in our minds. By learning to relax not only your body but also your mind you begin to notice a change in your stress levels.
If you have suffered from an injury and need physical therapy, restorative yoga can be beneficial to your overall healing and can help aid in your recovery.
If you have problems with digestion or heart burn restorative yoga along with a good diet can be beneficial to gut health.
If you suffer from chronic headaches simple yoga movements and poses can help heal those nasty pains that accompany all head aches.
If you feel anxious more often than not Yoga can aid in calming your nerves.
It will help you let go and focus on the now, on how you are feeling.

During a restorative practice we are learning to relax the muscles instead of constantly working them  there are no muscle contractions involved. When we allow our muscles to relax they let go and soften. The tension can then slowly be released and we can begin to open up more in parts of the body that may be tight. We believe that we have to work our muscles to increase our flexibility. I have been in many a poses that I felt stuck in. Only when I held the pose for longer, breathed into the space and let go did I find release in the tight area allowing me to move deeper into the pose. Over time I found that I am more flexible in those poses.

Restorative Yoga can be beneficial to everyone.
In the end it balances a busy life.
Yoga is all about balance. Life should be about balance as well.
Most of use try to find balance but it is not always easy.
Make a change.
Find the balance your body is craving.
All you need to do is make the leap and try it out for yourself.
So make that leap. Take care of yourself.
Begin your self healing with Yoga.
If you're not sure where to start message me... let's chat.


Namaste
My Friends.

xo

I will leave you with this quote from Yoga Journal.

"To many frazzled Western yogis, minimizing effort can feel counter intuitive, but there are real benefits to what may seem like doing very little." - Yoga Journal