Restorative Yoga focuses on learning how to deeply relax and therefore open the body. You create an environment that allows the body to feel safe and comfortable so that you can work on releasing the layers  of muscular and mental tension that have built up in your body over the years. Relaxation is a learned response and one that is vital to creating balance in our lives considering the hectic world we live in today.

Come experience the power of slowing down. Restorative yoga uses props to create positions of ease and comfort that facilitate relaxation and healing, calming your nervous system, relaxing your body and relieving tension from your muscles. It allows you to let go of stress, as your parasympathetic nervous system takes over and shifts you out of the normal state of heightened tension we all find ourselves in today. The intention of these comfortable, very relaxing postures is to enable you and your body to feel supported and safe, creating an environment where the layers of stress can begin to be released. In my private session with you, I will use bolsters, blocks, weighted pillows, blankets, soft music, aromatherapy, massage and Reiki (the Japanese art of healing hands) as well as grounding therapy   ( earthinginstitute.net ) to help you reach a place of deep relaxation where you can begin to let go. The time you will spend in each of the postures ranges anywhere from 4 -10 minutes allowing your body ample time to shift into a deeply relaxed state for an extended period of time. Your energy is then refocused toward repairing, healing and restoring your body to a healthier and more energetic state. Restorative yoga is a practice in and of itself. It is for people of all ages, at all levels of yoga experience and in all states of health. Benefits can last from days to weeks.

Yin Yoga focuses on increasing your flexibility and strengthening your joints. It is a style of yoga with seated or low to the mat postures held for longer periods of time, commonly one to five minutes or more. Yin can be somewhat uncomfortable as you are stressing your joints and elongating connective tissue. This makes Yin helpful in everyday life as we frequently run into uncomfortable situations and now have the learned ability to breathe through and lean in rather than leaning away.

Yin also has a meditative quality to it. You learn to become more in tune with the sensations in your body and how to focus the mind in order to create a sense of calmness and relaxation during the postures.

Yin is a yoga practice that can profoundly change not only a person’s physical body but their mental state as well. It can significantly increase your range of motion, and make your joints more resilient and less prone to injury.

Yoga Nidra, a form of guided meditation, also known as “yogic sleep” or “effortless relaxation”, is the focus of this class.  We will begin in a restorative pose to initiate relaxation of the body and begin to settle the mind.  This will be followed by me guiding you through a meditation while you lay in a supported reclining position.  Yoga Nidra brings you effortlessly into a state of restfulness where healing and restoration of the body and mind can occur.

The benefits of meditation make the work of developing a practice well worth the effort. Studies have shown that even short periods of time, 10-20 minutes per day can have profound effects on your health and well-being.

If you would like to bring meditation into your life but are not sure how to begin, this is a great starting point.