In this episode, you will be guided through a 30-minute Restorative yoga session focused on calming your nervous system.
You will need:
- 2 blankets
- 1 bolster or 2/3 bed pillows
- yoga mat or folded blanket or towel
- 2 yoga bricks or blocks/tuppawares
You can find a reference for the poses for this sequence here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cz32nWBoD0r/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The session starts at 04:03.
Restorative yoga is a gentle form of yoga that is focused on relaxation and restoring your body and mind.
It involves holding poses for extended periods of time while using props such as blankets, bolsters, and blocks to support your body in each pose.
Itโs a great way to reduce stress and anxiety and can be especially helpful for you if you are recovering from injury or dealing with chronic pain or illness. Itโs also a great way for you to recover from intense physical activity, so if your body is feeling tired today, youโre in the right place.
SAVE this episode so you can come back to it whenever you want or need to.
Meditation Music - โ[๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ] ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ช๐ค ๐๐ง ๐๐ช๐ด๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฎ - ๐๐ช๐ค๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ต๐ต๐ฑ๐ด://๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ช๐ค๐ญ๐ช๐ฃ๐ณ๐ข๐ณ๐บ.๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ/ "
Instagram | @room_of_rest
Website | www.roomofrest.com
Trailer music: I Choose You (ProdBy Jho Deep)
Restful Regards
Eliza
โHello, my friend, and welcome to Rest Radio, where I invite you to pause, recharge, and rediscover the magic of rest. I'm your host, Eliza, a yoga teacher and advocate for rest. In each episode, you'll explore easy to follow, accessible yogic practices that activate rest. I hope these episodes inspire you to find pockets of time to Slow down in your everyday life.
Welcome to this restorative yoga session to help you calm your nervous system. In our modern sense driven world, it's natural to feel overstimulated and overwhelmed. When you're overstimulated, your sympathetic nervous system is heightened. This is your body's fight, flight, or freeze response. And although it's useful for survival, it was not designed to be heightened for long periods of time.
This sequence is designed to help you reduce the levels of your sympathetic nervous system response. and increase your parasympathetic nervous system, the system responsible for your rest and digest response. You will leave feeling peaceful, at ease, and well rested. You might even fall asleep. If you would like a reference for what the poses in this sequence look like, I have put a link to an Instagram reel in the show notes for you.
Alternatively, head over to Instagram, search, at room underscore of underscore rest. The sequence is called, Restorative Yoga to Calm Your Nervous System. Restorative Yoga is a gentle form of yoga focused on relaxation and restoring your body and mind. It involves holding poses for extended periods of time, anything from 5 to 20 minutes.
While using props such as blankets, bolsters, and blocks to support your body in each pose, don't worry if you don't have any yoga props. Blankets and pillows work well too. It's also a great way to recover from intense physical activity. So if your body is feeling tired today, you're in the right place.
You can start your session by setting up your environment. If you have in ear earphones, I suggest doing this session with them on to help you draw your senses inward. If you don't, ensure that the volume is loud enough on your device. For this session, you will need a yoga mat, bolster, two bricks, and two blankets.
If you don't have these items, you can use two or three bed pillows instead of a bolster. A folded blanket or towel instead of a yoga mat, and a stack of books instead of blocks. I suggest maybe four novel sized books, two stacks. Tupperwares with the lid on works well too, instead of blocks. Perhaps pause the recording for a moment to give yourself time to set up your serene space.
Check that your environment is warm, quiet, and with low or no light.
Start by placing your bricks or books at the top edge of your mat and place your bolster or pillows on top of them to create a ramp for your body to lay on. Fold one of your blankets neatly with about three or four layers. To create a support for your head
and place this on top of your ramp at the very top edge
sit with your legs extended out in front of you with the ramp at the base of your spine and Check that you have all your remaining props around you within reach whilst seated
Place your hands on the floor behind you for support and slowly slowly walk your hands back Lay down on your ramp. Your whole spine is supported And your head is supported by your folded blanket. Check that you have length in the back of your neck, and gently tuck your chin towards your chest. If your lower back doesn't feel comfortable, walk your hips back into the puffs, and check that your lower back makes contact with your bolster or pillows.
Shift yourself around until you are completely comfortable. Legs extended, torso, upper body supported by your bolster. Soft bend in your elbows, arms rest on the floor either side of you. A gentle reminder that you are your own best teacher, and I am only here to guide you. So if anything doesn't feel right at any time, feel free to adjust your pose or do less.
This is Supported Fish Pose.
As you settle into the pose, perhaps close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Bring all of your attention and awareness into your space.
Become aware of how the air in the room feels on your skin.
Aware of how your physical body feels right now, with no need to judge or analyse anything.
Awareness of how your breath is moving your body. No need for you to control your breath
in your own time. Take a deep inhale in through your nose with no strain and allow your belly to rise and sigh everything out by mouth as you empty, empty, empty your belly.
Take one more breath just like that and feel free to let out an audible sigh with your exhale.
Keep your attention on your internal environment. The inner workings of how your body feels right now, with no judgement or analysis. Simply allow your body to settle.
Take a deep breath in and sigh everything out.
Bend one knee at a time and rest the soles of your feet on the surface below you. Pause for a moment and let yourself be fully present. Stay with how you feel.
When you are ready, roll to your right side,
use your top hand to gently press yourself up to sit.
Take your second blanket, fold it into a rectangle that is about the same width as your mat,
and place it on your mat at the base of your ramp. Sit on your heels, face towards your ramp, your knees rest on your second blanket.
You are now setting up for Supported Child's Pose. If this does not feel good for your knees already, create more cushioning under your knees and perhaps place another rolled up blanket or towel behind your knees to release any pressure.
Lift the top edge of your bolster or pillows and separate your bricks or books. Place one under the top edge of your bolster or pillows and the other under the middle of your bolster or pillows. The space between the bricks and will be for your arms to rest under your bolster. So check that the height is right for you.
Lay your bolster or pillows back down on your brakes and your folded blanket for head support at the top edge of your bolster or pillows. When you are ready, lay down on your bolster, the full length of your torso supported from your belly button to your head.
Shift yourself around until you feel comfortable and supported.
Rest your right cheek on your blanket, chin gently tucked towards your chest.
Allow for space in your body. Walk your hands under your bolster and allow your arms to rest in the gap between the two bricks or books.
Take a deep breath in to your upper back.
And a long, slow, slow breath. sigh to soften that space.
Allow your body to be heavy and settle on the support below you.
When you're ready, swap your cheek. Your opposite cheek rests on your blanket, chin gently tucked towards your chest, and allow your body to settle.
Take a deep breath. In,
and sigh everything out. Stay
with how you feel. There is no rush to move. Stay aware.
Bring your hands onto the mat under your shoulders, and slowly, mindfully, press yourself up to sit on your heels. Pause for a moment. If sitting in this way isn't comfortable, sit in any other way that is.
Lift your bolster. and create your ramp once more in the same position that you started in.
Remove the blanket from under your knees, turn around and sit with your legs extended and lower back making contact with the base of your ramp. Roll your second blanket and place it under your knees. If you have an extra bolster or pillows, use these under your knees instead and use your second blanket to cover your whole body.
When you're ready, bring your hands behind you for support, walk your hands back, and lay down on your ramp. This is supported reclining pose. Check that you are warm, comfortable, and able to relax.
Shift your body around until you feel comfortable and supported. Get fussy with your comfort.
And now bring your attention to your breath at your belly button, with no need to control your breath.
You could soften your gaze or close your eyes. There is nothing left for you to do,
simply watch the natural process of your breath.
Notice with every inhale your belly rises, and with every exhale your belly falls. Inhale belly rise, exhale belly falls. Watch this process of breath with no control, simply watching.
Now bring your attention to your ribcage.
Notice with every inhale, your ribcage expands outward. And with every exhale, your ribcage contracts inward. Keep your attention on this rhythm of breath.
And now bring your attention to your chest. Notice with every inhale your chest rises, and with every exhale your chest falls. Notice this rhythm of breath.
Finally, notice your full process of breath. With every inhale your belly rises, ribcage expands, chest rises. And with every exhale your belly falls, ribcage contracts.
It's almost like your breath is creating a wave like motion. Witness this rhythm of breath, nothing else for you to do right now.
No need to control your breath, simply watching.
And slowly, deepen your breath as a way to gently welcome yourself back.
Find any micro movements that feel good for you right now, you might. Wiggle your toes, or rub each finger over your thumb.
Maybe reach your arms overhead and give yourself a big stretch.
When you're ready, bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet onto the surface below you.
Take your time to roll to your right side and pause there. Use
your top hand to gently press yourself up to sit whenever you're ready. You always have the option to stay down.
And keep your gaze soft or your eyes closed your attention inside for the last few seconds
And for the last time, take a deep breath in through your nose, sit up a little bit taller, and a long, slow sigh by mouth.
Notice any shift in how you feel.
Show yourself some gratitude for making this time just for you today. I
thank you for practicing. I hope you are feeling well rested and peaceful. Take a moment to save this episode so that you can come back to it whenever you want or need to. If you enjoyed today's session, maybe share this with someone who you think could benefit from it. And don't forget to follow Rest Radio to stay up to date with new episodes.
Follow us on Instagram at room underscore of underscore rest for more useful yogic lifestyle tips to activate rest. Have a beautiful day and remember, relax, the rest will come.
