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Restorative Yoga may well become your answer to the stress we have to deal with in our lives. Stress is actually a great instinctive reaction to a perception of danger. It gets our adrenalin flowing, makes us more mentally alert and physically capable of handling the threat. But, unlike our ancestors, we do not have to face threats to our physical survival. More often than not, what we are concerned with is a threat to our psychological, mental or emotional well being. And, unlike our ancestors, we are exposed to such threats throughout our waking day, leading us to be ‘stressed out’ all the time.

Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to a variety of problems. It can lead to physical problems like high blood pressure, ulcers, dysfunction of the digestive system, reproductive problems, body aches, etc. On the other hand, it can also lead to psychological problems like anxiety disorder, rage control issues and depression.  Unfortunately, it is hardly possible to live in the modern world without dealing with a fair share of stress. But, you can indeed help yourself by countering the stress you feel by relaxing your body and mind with restorative yoga.

Relaxation is very different from mere resting, or even sleeping. Relaxation is sort of deep resting, wherein both the mind and body not only feel rested, but rejuvenated. For this, you need to relax your body to a state where the body is completely still and your mind is absolutely quiet.

In Restorative Yoga, the body is supported by a variety of yoga props. Some of the yoga props used in restorative yoga are blocks, straps, blankets, balls, towels, chairs, walls, sandbags, eye bags, and pillows. The purpose of using these props is to get the body into a deeply comfortable position as well as stimulate the body in the right way. Proper stimulation and relaxation helps the body to regain its balance as well as be completely still.

Thereafter, a small sequence of restorative yoga poses is held. These yoga poses are designed in a way to make the body more rested and the muscles relaxed. At the same time, focus on yoga breathing has to be maintained in order to keep the mind on experiencing the sensations in the body. Yoga breathing is also a very important aspect if restorative yoga as it helps focus your mind and gets rid of distracting thoughts, concerns, worries, day dreams or fantasies. This, in itself, is deeply relaxing as it allows the mind to take an actual break.

Each yoga pose in restorative yoga is held for a long stretch of time, so as to allow the practitioner the time required to experience the sensation within his or her body as well as to control his or her mind by focusing on yoga breathing. This also allows for time to deeply relax every muscle and tissue in the body along with the mind. At the end of a restorative yoga session, you are sure to feel relaxed and rejuvenated.