Whether you’re a regular yogi or not, it’s time to start incorporating restorative yoga poses into your fitness routine. Just like stretching before and after a cardio workout helps your muscles recover, these poses are held for longer to help relax the mind and body. “Restorative yoga provides pause through allowing the nervous system to shift from fight-or-flight into a relaxation response,” Yvonne O’Garro, restorative and Hatha yoga teacher of Yvonne Henrietta Yoga, told POPSUGAR. “This shift takes about 15 minutes, which is why the poses are held for about five to 10 minutes each.”
Try these few poses to decrease stress, increase your overall wellbeing, and soothe your nerves. If you need a little extra support, do the modification of each pose. This will allow you to safely sink deeper into the poses, so that you can hold them for longer without causing added stress or discomfort to your joints. The props below will help.
Props You’ll Need:
- A bolster (You can also fold a pillow in half, wrap a towel around it, and put it into a pillow case, if you don’t have a bolster.)
- Yoga blocks (Try hardcover books if you don’t have any.)
- Blankets or bath towels