restorative yoga – Page 2

Better living through technology (aka better yoga through props)

Yoga props and Laura in easy pose I’m co-hosting a Restorative Yoga workshop next weekend (21 May) with my friend and fellow yoga teacher, Constanza. As part of my preparation, I’ve been re-reading Your Body, Your Yoga (yin yoga teacher Bernie Clark’s latest book) in which he talks a lot about physical differences in yoga students and how important it is to practice for your own body.

I love Bernie’s philosophy because he’s clear about the why behind doing yoga: “to use the pose to get into the body.”1

And he’s a huge advocate of using props to support the pose – as am I. Props can make all the difference in a pose and I encourage their use extensively in my yin yoga classes. They’re even more necessary in restorative yoga!

Restorative yoga is a practice of being, rather than doing. Opening and softening, rather than stretching. Deliberating resting, rather than sleeping. It’s all about comfort and it’s much easier to be comfortable when we’re supported and the body is at ease.

I know that there are many yogis who feel like props are cheating. For me, it’s just plain stupid not to use all of the tools available to make your yoga practice (or your life) the best it can be. It’s like eschewing technological advances in because they make life too easy and too comfortable.

Just like technology creates the opportunity for better living, props create the opportunity for better yoga!

ps – I had no idea that ‘Better Living through Chemistry’ started as a DuPont advertising slogan. Always new things to learn!

1 The full quote from the January 2014 YinYoga.com newsletter is:

Yangsters hate props – are you a yangster? The use of a prop is unconsciously equated to cheating. The inner dialogues goes something like this, “I can do this pose! I don’t need no stinking prop!” But yinsters know something that yangsters haven’t quite grasped yet – the intention of their yoga practice is not to look any particular way; it is not to get into a pose: the intention is to feel a particular way; to use the pose to get into the body. Yinsters don’t care if a little extra help is needed to get sensation into the targeted area: if props can help – let’s use props!

Rest deeply

To relax is to REST deeply If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, burdened, fatigued, dog-tired (hundtræt), over-extended, beat, confused, spent, exhausted, weary, over-committed or just tired and you’re in the Copenhagen-area, come join me for deep rest on 25 February from from 15.00-17.30 for a Restorative Wonderland.

This two and a half hour workshop at Hot Yoga Østerbro is a deep restorative yoga practice with gentle mantra music and a long yoga nidra (guided relaxation) that will help you rest deeply and refuel for your regular life. The passive therapeutic practice of restorative yoga provides deep rest for tired bodies, relaxation for busy minds and rejuvenation for the entire nervous system.

The workshop features gentle mantra music and deep yoga nidra (guided relaxation). It costs 250 kr. and is limited to 8 students.

See the Restorative Wonderland page for more information and registration.

Wine and a wall

Our flat in Munich is a ways out of the city and U-Bahn construction at the closest station means that cycling is the most efficient method for getting around. It’s been a long time since I’ve done any pedalling and my leg muscles are struggling with this newfound exertion.

Thankfully, our flat has a lovely open wall that’s perfect for my favourite restorative yoga pose – legs up the wall. Pair the leg-relaxing posture with a glass of wine and the strain in my lower body disappears!

The pose itself is super-easy (see my how-to in a previous post) – the most difficult part is managing the glass! I’m careful to make sure the wine is safe coming into and out of legs up the wall and set the glass within easy reach for the 10-15 minutes I’m laying on the floor.

Sipping while supine is challenging, but the relaxation is well worth it!

Learn to relax and rest deeply

Restorative yoga is a practice of being, rather than doing. Opening, rather than stretching. Resting, rather than sleeping.

Restorative yoga poses help us learn to relax and rest deeply and completely.
Judith Hanson Lasater

I did Relax and Renew® training with Judith in September and it deepened my appreciation for the benefits of restorative yoga. I liked teaching restorative yoga before doing the training with Judith, now I love it.

Thankfully, I get to teach restorative yoga every Monday night for the next four weeks! I’m teaching hatha/restorative at 8:15pm on Mondays at Bound Lotus Meditation & Yoga Centre up to (and including) December 3.

Open your heart

In honour of Valentine’s Day, I’m teaching a heart-opening sequence in my 8:15pm Yin Yoga class at Bound Lotus ♥. The flow I’ve put together starts off with supported fish pose. The traditional version of fish (known as Matsyasana in Sanskrit) is an amazing chest opener and the modified version of the posture is more decadent and restorative, but still impactful.

Fish is all about reaching your chest up, while relaxing your lower body. Detailed instructions for getting into supported fish (and getting out!) follow.

If legs up the wall is the one pose I think everyone should do after a lower body workout (running, cycling, hiking, walking in heels), then fish is certainly the one pose I’d suggest for releasing any emotional issues (my friend and fellow teacher Nadine likely agrees 🙂 ). Holding fish pose (and supported fish) can dispel all kinds of long-held chest-tension, which sometimes leads to a huge emotional release (read: it’s totally okay to cry while/after doing fish).

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Supported fish pose

Why it’s good

Increases lung capacity, which makes it great for asthmatics and athletes, and flushes mucus from the lungs
Corrects the tendency to round shoulders, which collapses the energy centre at the heart (anahata chakra), and breaks up tension in the mid- and upper-back
Strengthens and gently tones the muscles along your spine
Stretches abdominal muscles and creates internal space for internal organs
Lots of emotional and energetic benefits
- Activates the throat energy centre (vishudda chakra), which is related to the way you express yourself
- Releases grief and helps dispel old emotions by opening the heart energy centre (anahata chakra)

How to do it

Sit on your mat with knees bent, feet on the floor; snug the short end of a bolster against your lower back/buttocks – you can also use a firm pillow or rolled blanket if you don’t have a bolster
- Using a bolster eases pressure and demand on your back muscles; the closer you place the bolster to your buttocks, the greater the stretch
Use your arms and hands to slowly lower your back, neck, and head onto the bolster
- If your head doesn’t rest rest on the bolster, pillow, or rolled blanket, bring in another prop to support it
- If the stretch is too intense in your lower back, place a foam chip block, pillow, or folded blanket under your buttocks
Straighten your legs along the mat; bring your heels together and let your big toes relax to the sides, forming the shape of a fishtail with your feet
Rest your arms on the floor, at least 45° away from your body, and turn your palms up
Tuck your chin into your chest slightly; relax your jaw, throat, and shoulders; disengage the muscles in your abdomen, hips, and legs
Settle into the pose; inhaling deeply into your chest and relaxing your shoulders, hips, and legs with each exhale
Remain still for up to 10 minutes, breathing smoothly and feeling your chest expand and contract with each breath

To come out of supported fish:

Bend your knees and rest your feet flat on the floor
Roll to side off the bolster into fetal pose; take a deep breath in fetal pose before removing the bolster and any other props used
Release any tension in your back by holding your knees into your chest and rolling on your back
It’s nice to link fish to a forward fold (like butterfly or caterpillar) or a reclining twist to counter the backward bend
- Take a look at the Yin Yoga website’s list of asanas (poses) for guidance on doing forward folds and twists

If you do only one yoga pose…

If you only ever do one yoga pose, make it legs up the wall. It’s one of the easiest postures and is the foundation for many restorative yoga practices. It’s fabulous after a hike, run, long-walk, cycle, or anything that works your legs.

All it takes is nestling your bum next to a wall and swinging your legs up; once your legs are up the wall, relax and let your back body sink into the floor. That’s it!

It was immeasurably helpful for me after an accidental 8-hour hike in China this fall – luckily the hostel bed was tucked right against the wall so my back was well-cushioned!

I’ve included step-by-step instructions below.

Legs up the wall pose

Why it’s good

Encourages healing throughout the body by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system
Slows the stress-induced sympathetic nervous system – our fight or flight reflex
Activates the body’s relaxation response; lowering the resting heart rate, slowing breathing, and decreasing the production of stress hormones
Brings fresh blood and lymph fluid into the abdomen and internal organs
Relieves tension in the lower back and sacrum
Reduces swelling, tension, and stress in feet and legs
Raises the feet above the heart; reversing effects of gravity, improving heart function, and allowing the heart to rest

How to do it

Sit on the floor with the side of your hip against a wall or a closed door
Swing your legs up the wall, pressing your bum into the corner where the floor and the wall meet
Lower your back to the floor and lean your heels against the wall

If keeping your legs straight is too much for your hamstrings, slide your bum away from the wall and bend your knees slightly
Your spine should be perpendicular to the wall with your back on the floor

Rest your arms alongside your body, lengthen them out in a “T” shape, or extend them over your head for more of a chest and back stretch
Let go of the tension in your legs and pelvis

Make it even easier by strapping your ankles together (try a bathrobe belt or an elastic exercise band if you don’t have a yoga strap) so you don’t have to work to keep your legs close together
Add a folded blanket under your hips or head if you need more padding to be comfortable

Breathe into your belly and relax everything
Hang out in this posture for 5-20 minutes – try to relax for at least five minutes

To come out of legs up the wall:

Bend your knees and slide the soles of your feet along the wall towards your bum
Remove anything you’re using to hold your legs together and press your lower back into the floor for a couple breaths
Squeeze your knees into your chest and roll from side to side on your back to release any tension in your lower back
Roll to one side and slowly come up to a seated position
Breathe deeply for at least three breaths to allow the blood to settle back into your body and prevent getting a head rush when you stand up

“The whole point of yoga is to get rid of ego”

This article on How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body from the New York Times is making the rounds and certainly serves as a reminder to listen to your body and keep your ego off the mat.

Asana is not a panacea or a cure-all. In fact, if you do it with ego or obsession, you’ll end up causing problems.

– Yoga teacher Glenn Black

I’ve certainly pushed myself too hard doing asanas (yoga postures) and suffered the consequences for days after. Thankfully I haven’t had any catastrophic injuries like those described in the article, but it’s easy to see how they could happen.

Every time I practice I remind myself to stay in the moment, listen to my body, and accept that whatever it’s capable of doing that day. If some part of my body hurts, I need to respect that and move out of the pose or find another approach. Sometimes that means using lots of props, other times it’s just backing off a bit or being okay wobbling on one leg. Often I need to remind myself that yoga is not a competition (not even with myself!) and surrendering my ego is part of the practice. That last part generally means laughing at myself 🙂

If you’re looking for a really laid-back, no ego involved practice this weekend, I’ll be subbing Randi’s Restorative Yoga class on Saturday afternoon (3:15-4:30pm on January 7 at Bound Lotus). Randi’s Restorative classes are always fabulous and I hope to live up to her excellent example. In addition to being an incredible teacher, Randi also founded Samana Wellness to help people find balance and nourishment through yoga and nutrition.

Randi will be teaching Restorative Yoga again on Sunday (6-7:15pm on January 8 at Bound Lotus) and I’ll be there… striving to get my ego off the mat!