Restorative Yoga Poses to Relieve stress

This fast-paced world requires us all to slow down and take a break from the constant pressure to succeed in the rat race. Restorative Yoga poses comes into play at this point, restoring physical and mental equilibrium. Yoga has been used by millions of people around the world for centuries as a way to regain mental and physical health.

What is Restorative Yoga Poses?

Restorative yoga is a gentle yoga practise that focuses on slowing down and stretching the body passively. Because you hold the poses for two to ten minutes in a restorative yoga class, it differs significantly from other types of yoga.

Yoga props are used for support in a restorative yoga, which allows the body and mind to consciously relax, allowing the poses to be held almost effortlessly.

To calm the nervous system, restorative yoga incorporates gentle twists, seated forward folds, gentle backbends, and heart openers. To allow the body to relax into the postures and quiet the mind before bed, combine them with meditation and breathing exercises.

There are restorative yoga poses that can help with aches and pains.

A restorative yoga sequence will help you relax if you’re under stress.

If you can’t reach your toes, a restorative practise will assist you in doing so.

Give these restorative yoga poses a try, whether you’re looking to relax or stretch.

The Benefits of Restorative Yoga Poses

1. Enhance Flexibility :

Restorative Yoga poses can last anywhere from ten to twenty minutes! Props support your body, allowing you to achieve complete relaxation while also allowing you to fall into a deeper stretch. You’ll become aware of where your body holds the most tension and then feel it release from your muscles as you deepen the posture with your breath. Instead of exerting physical effort in a stretch, gravity takes over.

2. Reduce Stress and Anxiety :

It’s no secret that the most significant benefit of Restorative Yoga is the impact it has on your mind and emotional state. You train your brain to respond positively to stress by slowing down your parasympathetic nervous system.

3. Regulates blood pressure

Stress causes blood pressure to rise and disrupts its balance; relaxation causes the heartbeat to slow and blood pressure to return to normal levels.

4. Helps to lose weight

Restorative Yoga teaches us how to be more aware of our surroundings and reduces the desire to overeat. Regular practise, even if it is only for 20 minutes a day, increases our awareness of our actions, teaches us to love ourselves, and reduces the need to compensate for the misery of modern life with food or “junk food.” It’s a great place to start when it comes to changing our eating and lifestyle habits.

5. Improves memory, concentration, and mental clarity

There are numerous scientific studies that show how nervous system balance and a witty and tamed mind lead to stages of deep concentration.

Restorative Yoga Poses

To get start here are the top 7 restorative yoga poses that you need in your life:

1. Restorative Child’s Pose

This is a restorative, healing pose that gently stretches the spine and serves as a good counterbalance to backbends. When you’re cold, anxious, or vulnerable, it’s psychologically soothing because it inverts your head, allowing your heart to rest instead of trying to force blood upward to your brain.

How To Do :

• Place a bolster across the length of your mat. If you don’t have a bolster, make one out of at least three yoga blankets that have been neatly folded and stacked into a bolster shape.
• Place your legs at the far end of the bolster. Your legs are not on the bolster, but on the mat.
• Slowly fold forward, draping your torso over the bolster.
• Allow your arms to extend in front of you, gently resting on the floor.
• Turn your head to one side and rest your cheek on the bolster. Change the direction of your head on a regular basis to avoid stiff neck.

2. Supine Twist

Any asana with a twist promotes body detoxification and organ stimulation. These poses literally wipe your toxins from the body and stress and pressure that directly affect you both physically and mentally.

physical benefits of a supine twist is that it stretches out tiny muscles in the entire back and hips that we often overlook. It also helps to lengthen and realign the spine by lubricating it. When you enjoy a more vigorous asana practise, this can help prevent injury.

When you’re in a twist, you also supply fresh blood to the digestive organs by initially restricting blood flow. This will improve your digestive health in general!

How To Do :

• Step 1: Lie on your back in a comfortable position.
• Step 2 – Give yourself a hug by bringing your knees to your chest.
• Step 3 – Extend your arms to each side.
• Step 4: Bend your knees to one side and turn your head the other way.
• Step 5 – Keep your knees and feet together while pressing your opposite shoulder into the ground.
• Step 6 – Take a deep breath and twist.
• Step 7 – Hold for 5-10 minutes, then switch sides and repeat Steps 1 – 7.

3. Legs Up the Wall

Legs up the wall is a simple and straightforward pose that can be done in the comfort of your own home. Many people do this pose first thing in the morning or right before bed.

Benefits: This asana will relieve leg muscle tension, calm your nervous system, and provide all of the benefits of an inversion without the effort. This is a great posture to use while meditating because it helps to calm the mind.

How To Do :

• Step 1: Take a seat against the wall.
•  Step 2: Lie down on the floor with your head and shoulders.
• Step 3 : Walk your feet up the wall while pushing your tailbone to the edge where the wall meets the floor with your hands. You want to be as close to each other as possible.
• Step 4 – Make sure your legs are straight and your feet’s bottoms are flat against the ceiling.
• Step 5 – In savasana, your arms should be open on either side of your body, palms up.
• Step 6 – Relax and release, allowing the point where your thigh bone and hip meet to fall toward the back of your pelvis.
• Step 7 – Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing for 10-15 minutes.

4. Restorative Paschimottanasana

This pose combines the best of both worlds by allowing you to support yourself in both directions. The idea is to move as far forward as you can while maintaining a flat back, then stack folded blankets (and blocks if necessary) to fill the space between your torso and your legs.

This allows you to stay at full extension for longer periods of time without becoming fatigued while gravity takes care of the rest. In any seated forward bend, you can perform this exercise.

How To Do :

• Start by sitting in the staff position (dandasana). Keep your props to one side of the stage.
• Inhale deeply and slowly. Exhale and bend forward over your legs.
• Stop bending at the point where your back begins to round.
• Place your blankets or blocks on your legs until they’re high enough for your torso to rest on. At this point, it’s fine to let your spine round.
• If you’re using blocks, rest your forehead on one to relax your head as well. It may be easier to turn your head to one side when using blankets.

5. Restorative Fish Pose

If you spend a lot of time sitting during the day, this pose is ideal for you.

The Fish Pose can help you lengthen your spine, relieve neck and shoulder tension, and open up your chest.

Use a bolster or two folded blankets or towels under your shoulders and head to make this pose more comfortable.

How To Do :

• Place a bolster or two folded blankets in the centre of your mat, parallel to each other and separated by a small gap.
• Begin in a seated position with your back to the blankets.
• Rest your shoulder blades on the blanket closest to you as you lie back. Place the second blanket over your head. You have the option of folding your legs or extending them in front of you.
• Extend your arms above your head, palms facing upward, or rest them at your sides.
• Close your eyes and release tension in your body by taking deep breaths. Your entire body will sink into the blankets and the floor.
• Stay in this position for at least 10 minutes. Concentrate on deep breathing and releasing muscle tension.

6. Supported Bridge Pose – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

It expands the front body as a backbend, which helps to relieve depression-like symptoms while stretching the hip flexors. It switches on the parasympathetic nervous system, which restores and replenishes your nervous system.

How To Do :

• Step 1: Lie down on your back with rolled-up blankets or a bolster under your lower spine across your mat.
• Step 2: Keep your knees bent and your feet firmly set. Arms open parallel to your body. Allow the support to completely support your hips and lower back.
• Step 3: Sit in a cosy position, with a blanket, for up to 10 minutes.

Variations: Place some rolled-up blankets under your lower body and a bolster under your spine to fully release the weight of your body.

7. Happy Baby – Ananda Balasana

This is a deep hip opener that can be done with arm strength rather than relying on gravity. The sacroiliac joints are released and decompressed.

How To Do :

• Step 1: Lie down on your back with your knees bent toward your armpits and your hands reaching for your feet.
• Step 2: Extend your legs so that they are over your knees. Maintain a straight chin with a heavy chin, shoulders heavy to the floor, and sacrum down.

For extra, restorative support, place a bolster or a cushion beneath the pelvis.

I hope you enjoyed and found this information on restorative yoga useful. Including this type of asana in your physical practise will give you lots of benefits both on and off the mat. This more meditative, quieter form of yoga will help you deal with stress at work and at home with relative ease!

Please let us know if there's anything else you'd like to add or if you have any other questions in the comments section!