Relax: 7 Restorative Yoga Poses (2024)

Restorative yoga is a meditative type of yoga that focuses on long holds in gentle poses. Its purpose is to allow the body to relax and restore. Some yoga circles lovingly refer to it as the practice of learning to lie down in many ways.

Unlike the more active forms of yoga, in which the body's muscles must work to hold the poses, props like blocks, bolsters, or blankets are used to hold the body in the poses so that the muscles can fully rest.

Restorative yoga has many health benefits, including stress relief, better sleep, and improved physical and mental well-being. It is a gentle practice accessible to most people and can be practiced every day.

Relax: 7 Restorative Yoga Poses (1)

How Does Restorative Yoga Work?

Restorative yoga is a passive form of yoga. The sole purpose of movement is to situate the body into a pose that allows the body to fully relax. In restorative yoga, poses are typically held for five minutes or more, and a session might consist of just five to 10 poses.

Props are essential to the practice and are used to “prop” the body into the pose so that the muscles do not have to work to hold it. Props can be blankets, pillows, blocks, bolsters, and straps. Their purpose is to support the body and allow for full relaxation.

When the body can fully relax, the parasympathetic nervous system turns on. This state is where the magic of restorative yoga begins. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body's relaxation state, known as the rest-and-digest state. It is the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for the fight-or-flight response.

Health Benefits

Like other yoga practices, restorative yoga has many health benefits, including:

  • Relaxation: Restorative yoga promotes relaxation by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
  • Better sleep: Yoga can help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and return to sleep if sleep is interrupted.
  • Better mood: With regular practice, yoga can improve mood and decrease anxiety.
  • Improved quality of life: Yoga can positively affect physical and mental well-being.
  • Managing musculoskeletal pain: A regular yoga practice can help reduce muscle pain through physical movements and its effects on the brain’s pain receptors.
  • Gentle on joints: Since most of the poses are practiced lying down, restorative yoga is gentle on joints.
  • Reduces chronic pain: Yoga has been shown to reduce chronic pain through strength and stretching and by reducing the interference pain has on everyday life. Practicing restorative yoga can help reduce the pain that interferes with life.
  • Managing cancer treatments: Restorative yoga can improve quality of life and help people in treatment achieve the benefits of yoga without the added physical stress of a vigorous yoga practice.

Poses

These poses can be practiced alone or in the order listed below to create a full sequence. To get the full benefits of each pose, hold it for at least five minutes.

Before beginning, gather props. These can be yoga bolsters, blocks, and straps. If you don’t have yoga props, household items such as pillows, towels, and blankets can be used.

As you practice, remember to fully relax in each pose. There should be no pain, pulling, or stretching, just a gentle feeling of being able to let go.

Child’s Pose

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Known as a resting pose in other types of yoga, child’s pose can help you ease into the practice. To do the pose:

  1. Start on your hands and knees.
  2. Line up a large pillow or bolster vertically, or lengthwise, in front of you.
  3. Separate your knees to the width of the bolster and bring your big toes together.
  4. Walk your hands forward to lie on the bolster. If your pillows or bolster are too low and the position is uncomfortable, stack several on top of one another.
  5. Sit your hips back to rest on top of your feet. If this doesn’t happen easily, place a blanket, pillow or bolster between your hips and feet.
  6. Turn your head to one side and place your cheek on the bolster.
  7. Allow the arms to rest alongside you.

Reclined Spinal Twist with Support

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Twists can help maintain flexibility in the spine. Reclined spinal twist with support is a gentle way to do this. To do the pose:

  1. Sit with your knees bent.
  2. Place a bolster or pillow next to your left leg.
  3. Roll up a towel or blanket and put it behind you.
  4. Lie down on your back and situate the towel or blanket under your neck for support.
  5. Draw your right knee toward your chest and let it fall over onto the bolster.
  6. If your right shoulder starts to lift off the ground, place a pillow or folded towel under it for support.
  7. Repeat on the other side.

Supported Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose

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A pose to take pressure off the legs, supported legs-up-the-wall pose can help relieve stress. To do it:

  1. To support the full pelvis, fold a blanket or towel a few inches thick and as wide as your hips.
  2. Place the folded blanket next to the wall.
  3. Lower yourself down to your back and begin to put your legs up the wall.
  4. Once legs are up the wall, adjust positioning closer or further from the wall to find a spot that is comfortable for you.
  5. Situate your lower back onto the folded blanket to feel fully supported.

Supported Bridge Pose

A heart-opening pose supported bridge stretches the chest and front of the body. To do the pose:

  1. Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent.
  2. Lift your hips off the ground and place a block underneath your sacrum, the widest, boniest part of your pelvis.
  3. Let your arms rest alongside you.
  4. If the block is too high or causes too much tension in your back, you can use a folded blanket or pillow to bring your hips closer to the ground but still give them lifted support.

Fish Pose

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Another heart-opening back bend, fish pose can be a great counter pose to sitting at a computer all day. To do the pose:

  1. Sit with a bolster or pillow vertically behind you.
  2. Lower yourself onto the pillow so that your entire head and torso are supported.
  3. If it’s OK for your neck, you can scoot toward the top of the pillow so that your head hangs off it, allowing for a deeper neck stretch. If needed, place a smaller pillow under your head to support it.
  4. Straighten your legs out in front of you, arms alongside you.
  5. For people with back issues, having legs straight might put too much strain on the lower back. In that case, bend the knees and place the feet flat on the floor.
  6. Close your eyes and breathe.

Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Reclined Goddess Pose)

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Bound angle pose allows for a supported way to stretch the hips. To do the pose:

  1. Sit up straight with knees bent and feet planted.
  2. Place a bolster or pillow behind your back and bolsters on each side of your legs.
  3. Lower yourself onto the pillow behind you so your torso and head are fully supported.
  4. Gently lower the knees to the bolsters on each side and draw the soles of the feet together.

Supported Corpse Pose

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The final resting pose in all types of yoga, corpse pose allows the body to fully relax and absorb the benefits of the practice. To do the pose:

  1. Lie on your back.
  2. Slide a folded blanket or towel under your head to support your neck and head.
  3. Slide a bolster under your knees.
  4. Place a folded towel or weighted eye pillow over your eyes for extra relaxation.
  5. You may even want to cover your body with a blanket.
  6. Once comfortably situated with the props, allow the legs to relax and the feet to fall to the sides naturally.
  7. Close your eyes, take several deep breaths, and then relax.

How Often to Do Yoga

How often you practice yoga depends on your goals and other physical activity levels.

If you’re looking for a way to relax and relieve stress caused by daily life, restorative yoga is gentle enough on the body to be practiced every day.

Restorative yoga can be a nice complement to other forms of exercise. If you practice vigorous yoga or other intense forms of exercise three to five times a week, adding in restorative yoga once a week can be beneficial.

If you already have a mindfulness practice but might need a monthly reset, practicing restorative yoga once a month can also be helpful.

Who Should Avoid This Form of Yoga?

While restorative yoga is generally considered safe for most people, certain conditions require special consideration.

People with spine or orthopedic issues should be careful with spinal twist, supported bridge, and possibly fish pose. They might want to consult a physical therapist for modifications specific to their body since using a yoga block to press on the spine can mobilize the bones and aggravate some people's symptoms.

People with glaucoma should avoid poses that place the head below the heart, as this can increase intraocular pressure (pressure inside the eyes). These include the fish, legs-up-the-wall, and bridge poses.

Other conditions that require avoiding inversion poses, where the head is below the heart, include:

  • Congestive heart failure
  • Kidney failure
  • Liver failure or cirrhosis (extensive scarring of the liver)
  • Uncontrolled high blood pressure

Also note that because the practice is based essentially around lying down, if you tend to experience dizziness or light-headedness when getting up from a supine position (lying on your back), it’s best to move slowly as you finish your practice.

In general, talk to your healthcare provider before starting a yoga practice to ensure its safety.

Summary

Restorative yoga is a gentle meditative practice that emphasizes long holds and the abundant use of props. It allows the body to fully relax into the poses. The benefits of restorative yoga include relaxation, better sleep, improved mood, increased quality of life, and reduced pain.

In a restorative yoga practice, the poses are held for five minutes or more and rely heavily on props like blankets, bolsters, and blocks. Poses focus on twists, opening the chest and neck, and stretching the hips. Some pose examples include reclined supine twist, restorative goddess pose, and supported bridge pose.

The recommended frequency of restorative yoga practice depends on your goals and current physical activity levels. People with certain conditions, such as spinal or orthopedic issues should consult a physical therapist before doing some poses. Those with glaucoma, and uncontrolled high blood pressure, should avoid poses that place the head below the heart, such as supported bridge.

Relax: 7 Restorative Yoga Poses (2024)
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