Restorative Yoga

The day we have all been waiting for is finally upon us…the last day before break. I could not be more excited for a whole week of not having to worry about the stress of a full course load of work weighing me down. With that in mind, I want to talk Restorative Yoga. This has a very special place in my heart. As I mentioned in some of my earlier posts, I did the second summer session this past year and took KINES 077 (aka Yoga I). If you are lucky enough to get the chance to take this course do it, it was one of the most relaxing (and easiest) courses that I took. Every day the class we began with laying on the mat for anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes of breathing techniques I have discussed in previous posts and meditation. So, every class was great, but nothing beat Friday’s classes. Each Friday we would do Restorative Yoga. Basically, this meant that we would come into class and participate in extended postures that take the level of relaxation from a 7 up to a 10. The only problem with the classes was that I had to snap myself out of the relaxed trance to actually make the rest of my day productive. The postures that we focused on were mostly prolonged (10-15 minutes) child’s pose, crocodile, pigeon pose, etc., however, in addition to the steps I previously discussed, Restorative Yoga poses rely heavily on the use of props such as blankets and neck pillows. The main posture that we would focus on was Supta Baddha Konasana (reclining angle pose) and this pose is going to be taught today.

The Steps…

  1. For this pose, you are going to need some props including: about four thick blankets (you could also use a body pillow), a strap (or something that can be used to hold your feet together), a neck pillow, and two blocks (something to support your legs).
  2. Set the blankets (or body pillow) up on the floor horizontally allowing your back to be raised slightly off the ground. Next, bind your feet together and open your legs out (almost in the shape of a diamond) and place the support structures under your knees. Finally place the neck pillow onto the blankets so there is no gap between your neck and the blankets to avoid any neck pain.
  3. Take a moment to ensure that while you are laying back you are not uncomfortable. A slight twinge in the beginning can become a large pain after 10 or 15 minutes of not moving. Make any adjustments you feel necessary now.
  4. Finally, take a moment to center your breathing before settling into the pose. Once into it, hold this pose for about 20 minutes to get a full felling of relaxation and rejuvenation.

Hopefully everyone has an amazing spring break, whether it is planned with exotic travels or a simple staycation, make the most of it! Restorative Yoga will be a great way to ensure that you are ready to power through the rest of the semester!

2 Thoughts.

  1. I actually didn’t know this was a position. This is one of the things that I do in my bed right after waking up (when I’m struggling to get out of bed)! But this definitely seems like a great thing to do, just to get yourself focused and ready for the day!

  2. I had heard of the warrior poses from your past posts, but this one was completely knew to me. Looks like a great thing to do while I’m lying in bed not wanting to get up.

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