Restorative for stress relief

DON'T STRESS ABOUT STRESS
Stress is not always a bad thing and has its time and place where it is an essential part of everyday life. Stress is the response of the sympathetic nervous system which makes us alert, energetic and increases cognitive function to create and get tasks done. When the nervous system is balanced we have periods of stress and periods of rest and we are able to move smoothly from one to the other. But when we tip the balance into constant, or chronic, stress we start to feel depleted. In a period of period the hormones adrenaline and cortisone are released to help us perform tasks. When the body completes the task the body clears these stress hormones out of our systems. In chronic stress we get caught in a loop, these hormones don’t get cleared out, our immune system is put under pressure and we become more susceptible to disease.

RESTORATIVE YOGA
Restorative yoga targets the parasympathetic nervous system, or the rest and restore nervous system response. Amongst its long list of benefits is that it helps relieve stress. It enhances the malleability of the nervous system – which is our capacity to move easily from activity to rest, and similarly from rest to activity – by rewiring the brain's response to stress and enhancing our ability to heal and find balance. It supports you physically, mentally and emotionally and can be used therapeutically or as a preventative measure. It is a practice of conscious relaxation which gives a deeper replenishment than even sleep and at the same time helps establish good sleep cycles. It comes under the umbrella of ‘non sleep deep rest’, or NSDR, which optimises brain and body functions.

Restorative is a practice of passive poses which consciously relaxes the body. The poses are held for longer periods of time and are supported with props to help you feel effortless comfort. In this practice we look for gentle openings rather than strong stretches. The nervous system responds better to gentle stimuli, less is more!

EXPLORING THE SEQUENCE
Anytime you feel rushed, exhausted or overwhelmed use this sequence to help you relearn how to relax and restore your nervous system. Consider the four pillars of restorative yoga when you are setting up your space – quiet, dark, safe, warmth. The body will cool down quickly so layer up and stay warm. Hold the poses for the suggested minute on the accompanying illustrated sequence. Remember to do both sides in an asymmetrical pose. Stay warm and be completely comfortable throughout your practice. Discomfort will reduce your ability to rest your nervous system. If a pose isn’t working for you just move onto the next one. Use a phone on a low volume to time your holds. As you settle into the pose, scan down from head to toe to make sure everything is happy. Use the gentle rise and fall of your breath if you find your mind wandering. Remember to take 10 minutes of resting pose at the end of your practice to let everything settle in a symmetrical pose before you reintegrate into your day.

PROPS SETUP
Props bring restorative to another level. But you don't have to have a huge array of official yoga props to get started. You can improvise with household items that can do just as good a job.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Below are the restorative techniques used in this sequence. The props you’ll need are:
1 x bolster - or 2 towels, wrapped around a horizontally rolled pillow and tied to secure.
2 x yoga bricks - or 2 two thick similar sized dictionaries.
2 x yoga blankets - or any wool, thick cotton or fleece blanket with density.

No.1 - Constructive rest
Start lying on your back, your knees bent, feet mat distant apart and knees knocked in together. Place your hands on your belly and feel the breath move through you. Take four rounds of 4/6 breath, inhaling for the count of 4 and exhaling for the count of 6. Keep the breath as gentle as possible, notice if you are holding any tension in your shoulders and upper chest. Pause after and notice any change this simple breath observation has made to your body and mind.

No.2 - Star stretch
From lying on your back reach your arms overhead and stretch your feet away in a star shape. Stretch your right arm and left foot away, hold for 3-4 deep breaths. Stretch your left arm and right foot away, hold for 3-4 breaths.

No.3 - Supported bridge
From lying on your back, lift your hips up and place the bolster horizontally under your hips. Settle your hips down onto the support of the bolster. Knees bent, feet hip distance apart. Arms in cactus position or extended either side of your body, palms facing up.

No.4 - Prone twist
Place your bolster vertically along the top centre of your mat with a folded blanket at the far end. Sit with your right hip up against the short end of the bolster. Place your hands either side of the bolster. With an inhale lengthen through the whole spine and on your exhale gently place your front spine along the length of the bolster. Place your right cheek on the folded blanket and let your arms gently hang either side of the bolster. Repeat on the left side.

No.5 - Reclined bound angle
Place your bolster vertically along the top centre of your mat with a folded blanket at the far end. Sit with the back of your hips against the short end of the bolster. Bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop out to the sides. Prop your legs with a brick under each thigh or use a yoga belt to secure your feet and support the legs. Gently lie back onto your bolster and place your head on the folded blanket at the top.

No.6 - Resting pose
End your practice with at least 10 minutes of Savasana or Resting Pose. Lie on your back, legs stretched out, arms slightly away from your body, palms facing up. Legs slightly apart and feet fall out to the side, soften your shoulder, back of the neck long. Gently close your eyes, let the body become heavy and melt into the support of the ground. Soften the muscles across your forehead, releasing all tension, gaze inwards. Let all the muscles and bones of your body release.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Move & restore

This sequence is also available on YouTube.

DOING & NON-DOING
When I completed my recent studies on the nervous system and restorative yoga with Yoga Medicine I was curious to experiment more with the benefits of restorative yoga to the nervous system. I started including restorative poses at the end of my practice as a way to add more of this deeply heeling therapeutic practice into my day and continue to relearn how to relax. I started to notice that by adding some restorative at the end of my practice I was teaching my nervous system to be more malleable, swapping more smoothly from activity to relaxation, and appreciating the value of both. I noticed a few incidents where I was able to pause before I reacted to situations with the kids, and deal with it in a logical way rather than a knee jerk reaction. I felt less depleted at the end of a day when I felt I had given something back to my energy stores at the end of my yoga practice. On the days where I practiced a purely restorative session in the evening I noticed I would settle to sleep the minute my head hit the pillow, and better still, not experience the 4am disturbances to my nights sleep that I had slipped into.

I am currently teaching this style of class online on a Friday morning. You can practice live with me or practice in your own time with the class recording. Experience the benefits for yourself!

Here are some of the many benefits of restorative yoga: regulates the nervous system, balances emotions, balances hormones, eases stress & anxiety, boosts immune function, improves healing capacity, eases muscle tension, eases back and neck pain, reduces chronic pain, eases fatigue, improves sleep, improves overall wellbeing.

BUILDING A RESILIANT NERVOUS SYSTEM
While we can’t consciously control the nervous system we can create favourable conditions to influence our bodies response to external and internal sensory stimulus. Stress, or the sympathetic nervous response, is where we create, get our day's activities done and exercise. Resting or the parasympathetic nervous system is where the body clears out the ‘doing’ hormones, restores homeostasis balance to the body and creates an optimum environment for all the functions of the body. Both work in tandem and are a natural part of being human. This blended method of moving and restoring honours both the yin and yang within our day and helps build a resilient nervous system. To lean more about how the nervous system works and what happens when it tips into too much ‘doing’ have a read of my Finding calm article.

EXPLORING MOVE & RESTORE IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence starts with a movement practice with simple purposeful flows to build mobility and strength. There are three mini flows in the movement practice. Move slowly through the poses within each flow and then repeat each one with the breath guides above the poses. The sequence then transitions from doing to non-doing with a restorative practice to target the nervous system. In restorative yoga we consciously relax the body to bring it into a deep state of rest and create a healing environment. The goal of the restorative stage of this sequence is to replenish, absorb the benefits of moving and give back to your body's energy stores. The poses are held for longer periods (you will see the suggested hold times in the sequence) with the support of your blankets to help you to feel effortless comfort. Although props are king in restorative yoga there is plenty you can achieve with just a few blankets to support you and keep you warm. You will need three blankets for this practice. See below for alignment cues on your main restorative pose.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device.

The peak pose of the movement sequence is Salabhasana/Locust, a fantastic full back body strengthener:

• Lie on your front, arms by your sides, palms facing your body, forehead resting on the ground.

• Inhale, press into your pubic bone, lift your head, upper torso, arms and legs, lift with the whole back. Reach your chest forward and up

• Extend your arms towards your feet, lift your legs up and press through the balls of your feet, roll your inner thighs up.

• Broaden through the collarbones, firm your shoulder blades onto your back, back of the neck long, gaze slightly forward.

RESTORATIVE POSE ALIGNMENT CUES
Below are the restorative techniques used in this sequence. The props you’ll need are:
1 x bolster - or 2 towels, wrapped around a horizontally rolled pillow and tied to secure.
2 x yoga blankets - or any wool, thick cotton or fleece blanket with density.

No.1 - Constructive rest
Start lying on your back, your knees bent, feet mat distant apart and knees knocked in together. Place your hands on your belly and feel the breath move through you. Take four rounds of 4/6 breath, inhaling for the count of 4 and exhaling for the count of 6. Keep the breath as gentle as possible, notice if you are holding any tension in your shoulders and upper chest. Pause after and notice any change this simple breath observation has made to your body and mind.

No.2 - Supine twist with raised hips
Fold a blanket in four, smooth it out and accordion fold it in three along the short side and place it in the centre of your mat. Place your second blanket folded at the top of your mat and a third blanket folded beside your mat. Sit your left hip and left thigh along your accordion fold blanket, place a the third folded blanket between your thighs, lie on your side. With arms in cactus position, open your right arm to your right and come into the twist. Place the second blanket under your right shoulder to ensure it is supported.

No.3 - Savasana
End your practice with at least 10 minutes of Savasana or Resting Pose. Lie supine on your back, legs stretched out, arms slightly away from your body, palms facing up. Legs slightly apart, feet fall out to the sides, soften your shoulder, back of the neck long. You can add an optional bolster under the knees or a blanket roll under the neck. Gently close your eyes, let the body become heavy and melt into the support of the ground. Soften the muscles across your forehead, releasing all tension, gaze inwards. Let all the muscles and bones of your body release.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

30 days of restorative yoga

BRINGING RESTORATION INTO YOUR EVERYDAY
I love restorative yoga. But I find that between my daily routine of yoga, walks, sea swims, home schooling and dinners, I don’t regularly find time to settle into an hour long restorative yoga home practice. This month I have made a commitment to myself to practice just one restorative pose each evening. My intention is to make it manageable and aim for just 10 minutes each day. I am only a few days into the process and I am already feeling the benefits. I am calmer in the face of all the uncertainty going on in the world at the moment and definitely sleep much better on days that I carve out this small commitment to myself. Join me and start today, just 10 minutes a day and notice the immediate benefits you will feel.

THE BENEFITS OF RESTORATIVE YOGA
The process of restorative yoga ‘takes a body that is feeling fragmented and puts it back together again in the kindest way possible’. Restorative yoga is the king of all yoga in terms of physical and mental wellbeing. It is particularly beneficial if you are feeling tired, stressed, anxious or have recently been ill. One of the main benefits of yoga, restorative yoga in particular, is that through the nervous system it strengthens the immune system. One of the ways it does this is through the breath, which stimulates the vagus nerve which runs from the brain to the abdomen and is the longest cranial nerve. This brings the body into the rest, digest and restore response, or the parasympathetic nervous system. This creates optimal conditions for the functionality of the organs of the body, strengthens the immune system, and relieves symptoms of chronic stress, fatigue and tension.

PROPS ARE KING
Props are king in restorative yoga, the more the merrier! It is worth the time invested in getting all your props ready to go before you settle into your practice. As you get used to practicing restorative you will become a ‘prop pro’ and know exactly how you specifically like to support yourself in each pose. Sometimes when I am arranging my props I am reminded of happy hours as a kid building all sorts of fortresses with every cushion and throw available. To get started you don’t need to have an array of official yoga props. You can improvise with household items using my prop swap guide in Restorative with home props. The props you’ll need for these restorative poses are – a bolster, two yoga bricks, two to four blankets.

EXPLORING YOUR DAILY POSE
Set yourself up with all you will need and more before you get started. Even though you are only taking one restorative pose the body will cool down quickly so layer up and stay warm. Unlike regular yoga this is a socks on, stay cosy, practice.

For your daily pose set a timer for 10 minutes, or 5 minutes each side if it is a two sided pose. As you settle into your daily routine and get used to being still you might like to extend how long you hold the pose. Be guided by what you feel you need. If I’m feeling frazzled I will stay in the pose for 20 minutes, or 10 minutes each side for a two sided pose. Remember when you are feeling stressed and anxious this is EXACTLY what you need, but a stressed and anxious mind will desperately try to convince you it wont work! You can use your phone as a timer or you can use your instinct if you don’t like the idea of being disturbed with a sound. If you choose to use your phone set the alert to a soothing sound like ‘chime’ or ‘pulse’. Scan down from head to toe and ensure every part of your body is happy. If after a few minutes you start to feel discomfort move or add more props to find comfort again.

START WITH THE BREATH
When you settle into your chosen daily pose take four to five rounds of Viloma breath – inhale for a long breath, and then exhale pause, exhale pause, exhale pause – dividing your exhale into three sections. Keep the breath as gentle as possible, notice if you are holding any tension in your shoulders and upper chest when you concentrate on the breath. Pause after your rounds and observe any change to your body and mind. As gravity and the weight of your body draws you down to the ground, feel the ground come up to support you as you melt into your practice.

Below are ten Restorative Yoga poses for you to choose from each day. Start with No.1 and work your way through the ten poses or pick and choose a different pose everyday. If there is a pose that you find particularly beneficial you can repeat this one as often as you like. You can also pick two or three poses if you would like a longer practice. At the end of your practice take a minute or two to prepare yourself to go back into your day and bring some of the lovely calm you have cultivated with you. Bring your attention to the breath again, as you inhale think ‘this is me now’, and on your exhale tell yourself ‘this is the same me in the outside world’.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Below are the restorative techniques used in this sequence..The props you’ll need are:
1 x bolster - or 2 towels, wrapped around a horizontally rolled pillow and tied to secure.
2 x yoga bricks - or 2 two thick similar sized dictionaries.
2 x yoga blankets - or any wool, thick cotton or fleece blanket with density.

No.1 - Resting savasana
Start lying on your back with a folded blanket under your head, a bolster under the creases of your knees and a blanket over you. Lift your buttocks and slide the flesh of the buttocks downwards. Legs and arms extended. Arms slightly away from your body, palms facing up. Legs slightly apart, feet gently flop out to the sides. Shoulders melt to the floor, back of the neck long. Gently close your eyes, eyeballs become heavy in their sockets, soften the temples and find ease in the tiny muscles around the eyes. Soften the muscles across your forehead, skin is smooth as silk. Let the body become heavy and melt into the support of the ground. Notice all the muscles and bones of your body become heavy.

No.2 - Mountain brook
Start lying on your back with a half rolled blanket under your head, nestling the rolled part in the curve of your neck. Place a rolled up blanket under the lower tips of your shoulder blades and a bolster under the creases of your knees. If you have an additional blanket place it on top of you for warmth and for comfort. Legs and arms extended, palms facing up. Feet gently flop out to the sides. Shoulders melt to the floor. Eyeballs become heavy in their sockets, skin on the forehead smooth as silk. Soften the temples and find ease in the tiny lines around the eyes.

No.3 - Supported bridge
From lying, lift your hips up and place the bolster horizontally under your hips. If your homemade bolster is too low add your two book bricks under the bolster. Settle your hips down onto the support of the bolster. Knees bent, feet hip distance apart or feet mat distance and knees together. Arms in cactus position or extended either side of your body, palms facing up.

No.4 - Bolster twists A
Place your bolster vertically along the top centre of your mat with a folded blanket at the top. Sit with your right hip up against the end of the bolster. Place your hands on the mat either side of the bolster and with an inhale lengthen through the whole spine and on your exhale gently place your front spine along the length of the bolster. Place your right cheek on the folded blanket and let your arms gently hang either side of the bolster. Repeat on the left side.

No.5 - Bolster twist B
Place your bolster vertically along the left side of the middle of your mat. From lying, with a blanket under your head, extend both legs out along the mat and roll your hips to your left, bend your right knee and place it on the support of the bolster, left leg remains extended. To feel this twist let your upper body and right shoulders settle down onto the mat. Bring your arms to cactus position, with arms lifted and elbows bent either side of the body, gaze over your right shoulder. If the twist is too intense add a folder blanket under your knee on the bolster. If the raised arms don't suit you, bring your arms either side of the body palms facing up. Repeat on the left side.

No.6 - Blissful banana
Make a pillow with a book brick and a blanket on top of it at the top of the mat, place a tin prop above this at arms reach. Place your bolster horizontally on your mat with a space between your bolster and pillow. Sit with your right hip next to the long edge of the bolster, knees bent. Lengthen your right side along the mat and nestle the bolster into the curve of your waist. Place your head on your pillow, your shoulder in the space between your bolster and pillow and extend your right arm forward. Extend your left arm overhead and place hold onto the tin prop. If the raised arm doesn't suit you, bring your arm down and place it at your right arm. Repeat on the left side.

No.7 - Back release
Place the bolster horizontally along the centre of your mat with a rolled up blanket at the top of your mat. Come onto your front and lie with your belly on the bolster. Bring the arms to cactus position and place your forehead on the rolled up blanket. If this is uncomfortable on your neck you can flatten the blanket and lie on your cheek remembering to swap sides after a few minutes to even out your neck stretch.

No.8 - Supported baddha konasana
Place your bolster vertically along the top of your mat with a rolled up blanket under the top. Make a head pillow with your second blanket to the top of your bolster. Have ready your book bricks and tin either side of you. Sit with the back of your hips up against the bolster. Bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop out to the sides. Prop your knees up with one book brick and tin each side. Gently lie back onto your bolster and place your head on the pillow at the top.

No.9 - Hip opener
From lying, with a blanket under your head, lift your hips up and place the bolster horizontally under the creases of your hips. Lengthen your legs out straight and bring your arms to cactus position, with arms lifted and elbows bent either side of the body. If this is too intense a stretch on the lower back, use a rolled up blanket instead of the bolster. If the raised arms don't suit you, bring your arms either side of the body palms facing up.

No.10 - Supine twist
From lying on your back bend your knees and place your feet hip distance apart. Gently let your knees drop to the left side of your mat. Extend your right knee away from your. Bring your arms to cactus position, with arms lifted and elbows bent either side of the body, gaze over your right shoulder. Stay here for 5 deep breaths and swap to the other side. If the raised arms don't suit you, bring your arms either side of the body, palms facing up.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru