Featured Articles - The Yoga Barn

What is Yoga? | Your Instructors | Note from Robin | Featured Articles | Archived Notes

Healing Your Body and Soul Through Restorative Yoga
by Milo Minnis - Certified Restorative Yoga Teacher

Did you know that when you have prolonged stress in you life that you can damage your body? The fight or flight response is triggered under stress (fear, anger or demanding circumstances). Learning relaxing techniques will counteract the effects of the flight or fight responses. Restorative Yoga is one of these techniques. Learning Restorative yoga poses will allow you to relax. Restorative yoga poses (RYP) trigger a set of physiological changes that allows your body to recover from the effects of stress. Getting enough sleep is important to feeling good but sleep does not trigger all the conditions for relaxing. During sleep you tense your muscles, dream and your mind is very busy.

You need to set up 4 Physiological Conditions for Relaxation:

Relax the muscles(open with support)
Quiet the fight or flight responses and activate the relaxation responses(safe place that is quiet, low light, eye bags help with this)
Quiet the brain( find a imaginary place in your mind where you feel relaxed)
Quiet the breath(deep slow inhalations and exhalations)

To get your body into this state of relaxation and create these conditions you must support the body so the muscles are opening not expending energy. Create a quiet place in your house or office that feels safe and there will be no interruptions. Use a timer to let you know when 10 to 20 minutes has elapsed so you do not worry about time. Learn to take long slow inhalation and exhalation breaths until you feel your body quieting.

Along with creating these conditions, you need to give yourself permission and time to practice restoratives. Allow yourself 10 to 20 minutes, one or two times per week. Practice this 21 times. It will become a habit. You will benefit by gaining more energy and peace of mind. You will find that you can increase the time you are relaxing as your body gets use to this wonderful feeling.

You can learn more about these techniques in a restorative class or read Relax and Renew by Judith Lasater. She provides a comprehensive and easy to understand guide to restoratives.

Or go to the new Restorative Web site that can teach you more about this amazing yoga technique - www.restorativeyogateachers.com.

Prevent Middle-Age Spread
Restorative Yoga
Zen Practice
The Yoga Therapy Program
Why Meditate
Viniyoga
Acupuncture
Noriko
Path to Wellness
Practicing Practice
Dublin Marathon