Weight training, pilates and sun salutations are great health and fitness tools, but sometimes I'd rather suffer through a repeat of Jon & Kate Plus 8 than set foot in the gym, you know? So if you're ready for a refreshing, body nourishing, soul enriching workout in as little as 5 minutes or less, grab a blanket, eye bag, pillows, a yoga mat and even some meditative music--it's restorative yoga time!
But
what kind of a 'workout' is this, you wonder?
"Ready for a refreshing, body nourishing, soul enriching workout in as little as 5 minutes or less?"
The good news is, you don't always have to be sweating, huffing and puffing to promote a healthy body.
In short, restorative Yoga focuses on relaxing and rejuvenating the body via restful postures (see descriptions below). So why not just take a nap instead? Restorative yoga's 'rest' is different than sleep and provides the body a unique opportunity to renew and heal, says Yoga Therapist, Jaymie Meyer, RYT, who owns Resilience for Life in New York City.
"Restorative yoga, as well as other forms of yoga, help to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for balancing the body and bringing its response system back into equilibrium," says Meyer. "You're giving yourself the opportunity to move away from the 'fight or flight' response where most of us live our lives, to a state that reduces those stress hormones that can harm us."?
Better yet, stimulating the PNS helps to lower heart rate and blood pressure, stimulates the immune system and keeps the endocrine system operating healthily. So grab your props and let the bliss (and healing) begin!
Here are two restorative poses you can do in your home.
Savansana (corpse pose): Lying
in basic savansana and elevating the knees can be a revelation for the
mind and body. Simply roll up a bath towel or even a rolled yoga mat
under the knees (you don't need a bolster), which is a wonderful way to
reduce back strain and reach a state of deep relaxation. You can also
put minimal support under the back of the head and neck to elevate the
forehead and lengthen the back of the cervical spine (neck bones). A
folder towel or a flat pillow will do. Rest your arms gently at your
sides, palms up. Place an eyebag over your eyes and begin the breath
deeply. Make sure that your chest is opening in this pose and that your
ribs are moving away from your abdominal organs. Stay here for 5-25
minutes or as long as it feels good.
Savansana (corpse pose)
Legs up the Wall: This gentle inversion quiets the heart; helps relieve insomnia
and headaches. For those who are not inverting, legs up the wall
provides nearly all of the benefits of a full shoulderstand. It also
helps to reduce high blood pressure
and is safe for women to practice during the final days of their
menstrual cycle. Sit sideways with your right hip against the wall.
Bend your knees into your chest and start to turn your front torso
towards the wall. Use your arms for support as you lower yourself back
towards the floor, and sweep your legs up to a vertical position
against the wall. From the side, you look like the letter 'L'. It's
okay if your buttocks move away from the bottom edge of the wall, but
try to keep the distance as close as possible.
Legs up the Wall pose
Make sure your body is in a straight line from the wall, that is, perpendicular from the bottom of your spine to the top of head. Place an eye pillow over your eyes and begin to breath deeply. Extend your exhalations with each breath to relax even more. Stay here for 5-20 minutes or until you feel tingling in your legs and then come out of the pose by bending the knees into the chest and rolling onto your side.-- Mitch Rustad