Restorative Yoga

Restorative yoga, which is a derivation of Iyengar yoga, helps you to achieve mental, emotional, and physical relaxation. It allows you to use props to easily maintain your balance. Some poses of this yoga aim especially on the specific parts of the body while some poses provide benefit to the entire body.

Benefits of Restorative Yoga

• Eliminates stress
• Enhances concentration
• Decreases anxiety
• Helps to recover from illness, improving your health
• Activates parasympathetic nervous system
• Relaxes the muscles

Restorative Yoga Poses

1. Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose)
Step 1- Lie down supine on the floor, while keeping a little distance from the wall. Your distance from the wall should be 5 to 6 inches.
Step 2- Lie down comfortably and raise your legs in the upward direction, slowly.
Step 3- From your butt to feet, your legs should touch the wall. You can use a pillow to support your back. Your arms and hands should be on your side with palms facing upwards.
Step 4- Keep your body like this for 5 to 15 minutes.
Step 5- Bend your knees and push yourself away from the wall while exhaling. Make sure, you do not twist your body.

2. Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose)
Step 1- Lie supine on the ground, comfortably.
Step 2- Raise your right leg upwards, gently.
Step 3- Take a strap and slip your right toe in the strap.
Step 4- Hold both ends of the strap with your hands.
Step 5- Your elbows should be in contact with the ground.
Step 6- Stay in this position for 1 to 3 minutes.
Step 7- Release the strap after 3 minutes and keep your leg upwards for 30 seconds.
Step 8- Repeat the same process on the left leg.

3. Balasana (Child’s Pose)
Step 1- Sit down on the floor bending your knees backwards.
Step 2- Bend your body forward from waist to head.
Step 3- Your sole should touch your butt.
Step 4- Your forehead should be on the floor.
Step 5- Extend your hands forward on the floor. From your elbows to palms your hands should be on the ground.
Step 6- Keep your body in this position for 1 to 3 minutes.
Step 7- Sit comfortably after this position.

4. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
Step 1- Exhale and lie down supine on the floor.
Step 2- Put your knuckles on the floor.
Step 3- Slowly slide your legs and stop when you join both the feet.
Step 4- Stay in this pose for 1 to 5 minutes. If your knees feel tight, then use pillows on both sides.
Step 5- Roll over when you are done.

5. Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Step 1- Lie down keeping your face upwards.
Step 2- Keep your body in a relaxed position. Your knuckles should touch the ground.
Step 3- Keep your legs straight.
Step 4- Keep yourself in this pose for 5 minutes. Repeat this pose 2-3 times.