Discover how the transformative practice of Restorative Yoga can help you relax, rebalance, and reconnect with yourself in a fast-paced world.

When we talk about the benefits of yoga asana practices they are often generally understood to be generic no matter what the technique is. However, in this style of restorative yoga and in particular the medium to long hold postures there are unique benefits that people can notice quickly in their practices.

1. Musculoskeletal and Nervous System relaxation

When we talk about the relaxation in restorative it comes about because the body is supported and held by the props. This is a skilful way of teachers knowing how proprioception works and understanding how to not stimulate your senses. There is the preparation of the space, and the teachers own regulation techniques that help to cultivate the right environment to invite relaxation. Whilst applying the technique of supporting each individual to allow their bodies to disengage with doing and drop into a state of being, which is often deeply relaxing for students.

2. Hormone Balancing

Everything affects your hormones, but you will often see stress as the biggest influence on hormones that we can control. But life is stressful for most people so how do you really help with moving towards balanced hormones. Well, the regular practice of restorative allows you to down regulate your nervous system into a parasympathetic autonomic state. We can’t simulate real life but there are stressors that occur in classes such as our own worries and thoughts, unexpected noises, people moving and other interruptions. With each interruption the students are invited to reconnect with the posture and their experience. Which is a way of creating the habit of relaxation after the threat (stressor) has been assessed and doesn’t need our attention. Which translates to real life, we can do this in traffic, at work or with our families when we bring awareness to this process of activation and relaxation as we practice in each class.

3. Listening Skills Improve

In silence there is no one to listen to but yourself. So, as your body experiences the supported shape the mind and the body will offer thoughts and sensations to your awareness. For new students this can be a lot to deal with and can take time and gentle support to work through. Over time, these messages can be good indicators for determining what we need in a shape. We can hear discomfort through sharp or persistent pain and find options to support our bodies better for ease. We can hear the mind chattering and use techniques in class to choose a focus or use props like weight or blankets to help ground and calm the mind/body. This practice will continually show you ways to communicate with and support yourself better.

4. Better Quality of Sleep

For those that don’t like the term yoga or are hesitant to try restorative I will often call it professional napping. Of course it is more than that, but for those that only want to dip their toes and see if it’s for them, it’s a perfect description. Each time we settle into a shape students are actively downregulating their bodies, which is what we naturally should do when we go to sleep. There are many factors that affect people’s sleeping hygiene and restorative can help to repattern what it feels like to let the body rest. Students will also comment that they’ve slept better the nights after a class than any other day of the week. This is something I also know from experience.

5. Body autonomy and connection is strengthened

Over the past few years there has been more conversation about body autonomy. Often in public spaces there can be a sense of doing what others do or to look at others to make the shapes or postures that are being instructed. This can lead to a lack of connection between what is happening and what the body actually needs or has the capacity for.

The practice of restorative is a slower practice which allows each student more time to check-in. The techniques and methods I teach with are strictly to encourage each student to learn to choose their shapes with my support. I often won’t accept responses like ‘it’s ok’ and ‘that feels fine’. Instead I ask what encourages more ease or comfort in their bodies. What happens over time is that the students learn to ask for what they want. Which means other newer students hear that and see they are supported to choose. This connection to our physical capacity and needs has wider benefits when applied to our dynamic asana practices and even our everyday lives.

Anecdotally I have had great feedback from students talking about their experiences shifting when they realised they could choose to soften or take different options. There is nothing worth more than the connection with our own selves and the benefits to those around us and our interpersonal relationships are limitless.

There are more than five benefits but these are the most common and the most important ones for the general populations of students and teachers of restorative. Teachers get these benefits through their own practices but also in the way they facilitate and live the philosophy of Yoga restorative practices.