Introduction: Restorative Yoga Part 1

Heart of Poses

  • Restorative

Purpose / Intention

  • The focus of Restorative Yoga can be described as “alert relaxation.”
  • Restorative Yoga is designed to support an increasing ability to experience “Beingness” — a quality of awareness not related to external circumstances or “doing.”
  • While “yin” in nature, Restorative Yoga is different from the style called Yin Yoga (which is designed to stress ligaments, fascia and bones).
  • Restorative poses are not intended to stretch or strengthen, but rather to release ever-deeper layers of tension.

How Poses Are Categorized

Restorative Yoga is often considered to encompass these supported postures:

  1. Supported Inversions: Legs Up the Wall, Legs on a Chair
  2. Mountain Brook / Supported Backbend Variation
  3. Supported Bridge Pose
  4. Other Supported Backbend Variations such as a propped chest opener and variations of Fish Pose
  5. Supported Basic Relaxation / Supported Savasana (Corpse Pose)
  6. Supported Child’s Pose
  7. Supported Reclined Bound Angle
  8. Supported Reclined Hero
  9. Supported Reclining Twist
  10. Supported Seated Wide Angle
  11. Supported Seated Forward Bend
  12. Supported Side Lying Stretch

Other times, a pose or sequence may be called Restorative and include such poses as Apanasana or Supta Padangusthasana with strap.

See Also