Have you heard of Restorative Yoga yet? It is one of the newer variations and even though it is not as popular as for example power yoga or hot yoga, it is definitely worth trying. So what is it and what are the benefits of Restorative Yoga?
What is Restorative Yoga?
Restorative yoga is basically the opposite of power yoga. As the name of it says, it helps your body to restore, relax.
Restorative yoga is much slower than traditional yoga which means once you get into the position, you stay in it for several minutes. It may seem easy but staying in a position up to 15 minutes challenges your body even more in some ways. On the other hand, one of the biggest Restorative Yoga benefits is that it uses tools such as need pads, blocks, bolsters, straps and blankets to help you stay in the position for so long.
If you are searching for a workout exercise where you can sweat and actually feel your muscles even a few days after the exercise, Restorative Yoga would disappoint you. It is mainly meant as relaxation for your body and mind. It is supposed to help your body with self-healing and your mind with meditation. It is a great option for older people or people with limited mobility.
Health Benefits of Restorative Yoga
There are many Restorative Yoga benefits in term of health. First of all, it may be used as a rehabilitation for people with health problems.
It doesn´t push your limits, it lets you rest while you are stretching your muscles. Restorative Yoga does not work with the superficial muscles but it has an intense effect on the deep muscles, joints, spine and bones. As mentioned earlier, it is very slow so there is basically no chance you could be injured while practicing it. It is the perfect exercise to extend your mobility. It leads to elongation of the connective tissues by gentle pressure, which causes an increase in elasticity, improves immune system function and blood circulation.
Another great benefit of restorative yoga is that it teaches you how to work with your breath which has a positive effect on not just your lungs but your whole body. It is proven that Restorative Yoga can lower your blood pressure and prevent you from heart diseases.
Restorative Yoga Wear
An important thing which is worth not forgetting about is that restorative yoga is an extremely slow type of exercise and it is a bad idea to wear your usual sportswear.
You should wear warmer clothes for this particular yoga variation because you won´t warm up during the lesson and your body can´t properly relax when it is cold.
Mind and Body with Restorative Yoga
It also strongly influences your nervous system which can be helpful for your mental health.
Restorative yoga is highly beneficial for your body and mind but as any other type of exercise, even this slow variation of yoga has some rules to make the experience better. First of all, do not visit the Restorative Yoga class absolutely hungry. You may have a problem to fully relax your body and mind when your peaceful evening atmosphere is being disrupted by rumbling in your abdomen. Another very important thing is if you have a cold or you aren´t feeling well, you’d better cancel (not only) your Restorative Yoga lesson. A major role is played by the breath while practicing yoga and so you would not enjoy it at all and it might even cause some more serious health problems.
There is a lot of benefits restorative yoga offers, some of them are the same for every yoga variation, the other ones are typical for Restorative Yoga. The best time to practice this variation of yoga is in the evening, after work. It positively effects your mind, it calms you down and lets your tired body rest. It is a huge advantage for people with an office work because after a long day sitting at work, they can slowly stretch their muscles, release their stress and just spend the rest of the day resting. If you feel like this is exactly what you need, go for it! It is worth trying!
