Restorative Yoga: coming home to the true Self
Restorative Yoga: A Brief History
Most people think of restorative yoga as an easy practice similar to spending a day at the spa or having ‘an adult nap time’ (Stevens). Others still assume that restorative classes are designed for people who due to age or injury are unable to practice ‘traditional’ styles of yoga. Personally, I think that restorative yoga is a truly advanced practice and not just an inferior style of yoga reserved for the old and less-abled or an instant ‘self-care’ fix.
Restorative Yoga is a relatively new practice. Unlike other more dynamic styles of yoga, restorative is classified as a passive one. It involves a prolonged holding of a few simple postures while being supported by props so the student can achieve a deep level of relaxation. It originated from the innovative teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar - author of the contemporary classic Light on Yoga and numerous other books. Through his early teaching experience, Iyengar noticed that students can incur a lot of pain and/or injury from straining in yoga poses. It was this early observation that led him to develop a method of therapeutic and body awareness by employing the use of props (ropes, blocks, blankets etc.) so yoga students could practice without strain. One of his former students, Judith Hanson Lasater PHD PT, brought restorative yoga into the mainstream with her 1995 book Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times.
Restorative Practice: So Much More than a Day at the Spa
One of the foundational principles of restorative yoga is deliberate stillness. By employing the use of props, we allow the body to be fully supported (sthira) and we create the conditions necessary for releasing muscular tension. As the body softens (sukham) and layers of tension slowly melt away, our nervous system ‘sends and receives fewer messages and becomes quieter’ (Hanson Lasater 23). We start down-regulating, in other words, the sympathetic nervous system - otherwise known as the ‘fight or flight’ branch of our autonomic nervous system. Once the body and the mind start feeling soothed, we gently turn our attention to the breath which we often use as an anchor to help us attend to our present moment experience.
Scientists exploring the interaction between psychological processes and our nervous and immune systems have reported measurable benefits of the ‘relaxation response’ (a phrase coined by mind/body pioneer Herbert Benson, MD, to describe the physiological and mental responses that occur during conscious relaxation) including a slower heart rate, metabolism and rate of breathing as well as a lower blood pressure and activation of the alpha and theta brain waves which are associated with meditation and rest (Hanson Lasater 5).
Other scientific methods have confirmed how restorative yoga can support people struggling to cope with anger, depression and anxiety. By gently resting our attention to our breathing and to our bodily sensations from moment to moment we cultivate interoception (the brain’s representation of sensations from one’s own body) which seems to be central to everything we do: from how we think, feel, to how we make decisions, and to how we perceive a sense of self (van der Kolk 272 -274). The way in which restorative yoga involves both the mind and the body lures us into a richer inner landscape. We develop insights that are not simply intellectual, ‘they are embodied insights’ and as a result far more impactful (Forbes 7).
It is the attainment of mental and health benefits such as the above that leads most people to think of restorative yoga primarily as an instant ‘fix’ or an antidote to a stressed-out lifestyle. However, the rewards of a restorative practice reach out beyond these experiences to the root of our human suffering: a separation from our own true nature. Restorative yoga is the perfect vehicle to help us move past the third limb (asana or postures) towards the ultimate goal of Yoga which is the experience of a deep oneness with a universal level of consciousness.
By assuming a comfortable and steady ‘asana’ that doesn’t require a continuous effort and by dropping deep into the softness of our own breath we create the conditions for what sage Patanjali describes as ‘pratyahara’: the point where our senses no longer make contact with the objects of perception (sound, form, aroma etc.) and are withdrawn back into the mind (Sutton 52). Resting in the sea of ‘pratyahara’ or inward attention is an essential precondition for arriving at the place where the mind ‘citta’ is arrowing in on a single point ‘dharana’. When this state of concentration becomes constant and unwavering, it is then identified as ‘dyana’ or uninterrupted meditation. Taking this powerful process a step further, we reach the state of meditative absorption ‘Samadhi’ (a state of Bliss where the practitioner becomes one with the Universe) where the mind is akin to the sharp light of a laser beam. During this final stage, the movements of the mind become still and our individual self is, finally, united with the Universal Absolute. Our consciousness during this phase expands so much that we are able to catch a glimpse of our own true nature which is pure, immortal and full of love.
Coming home to the true Self
Restorative Yoga can appear from the outside as though nothing much is happening. But it is a powerful internal practice and the hardest part of it sometimes is to be still. I often think that ‘Restorative Yoga’ is somewhat of a misnomer for it fails to capture the transformational potential of the practice. Restorative yoga doesn’t simply bring us back to a previous condition of vitality or vigour. With this practice, which I would call embodied-meditation, we slowly learn how to awaken grace by looking deep within ourselves. This is a deeply contemplative practice that starts in our bodies. And even though we may not reach the end goal of ‘Samadhi’ during our short visit on this little planet floating in space, what we can definitely attain by showing up on our mats day after day is the foundation for experiencing what one of my yoga teachers calls ‘universal empathy’ (Annand 18). Underneath the surface of the restorative postures, ‘each and every one of us, when all is stripped away, are, at base, simply bodies breathing. All of us are one.’ (Annand 18).
References
Annand, Naomi. Yoga: A Manual for Life. Bloomsbury Sport, 2019.
Forbes, Bo. Yoga for Emotional Balance: simple practices to help relieve anxiety and depression. Shambhala Publications, 2011.
Hanson Lasater, Judith. Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times. Shambhala Publications, Inc., 2011.
Stevens, Eric C. “What The Heck Is Restorative Yoga And Why Should I Do It?” Breaking Muscle, N/A, https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/what-the-heck-is-restorative-yoga-and-why-should-i-do-it. Accessed 18 December 2020.
Sutton, Nicholas. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, 2017.
van der Kolk, Bessel. The Body Keeps the Score: mind, brain and body in the transformation of trauma. Penguin Books, 2015.