Sarah brings a love for yoga and the knowledge of strength training and dance into her yoga classes and personal training instruction. As the owner of Live Your Health Yoga and Personal Training out of Oakland, CA, she helps others heal and avoid injury through skillful restorative yoga classes that focus on deepening ones awareness and appreciation of the body. Sarah studies with Judith Hanson Lasater, and has been a Relax & Renew® restorative yoga teacher for over 4 years. To find out more about Sarah please visit her profile here.

1. Restorative yoga is a beautiful style of yoga, both powerful and gentle. How did you initially come to learn about this type of yoga?

I was first introduced to restorative Yoga through Piedmont Yoga Studio. As part of our teacher training, we attended a weekend workshop on restorative yoga. Thereafter, I started practicing restorative poses once a week.

2. What key intentions do you share with your restorative yoga students?

I encourage my students to allow, rather than do, and to savor this allowing. Restorative practice is about opening the body, not stretching or forcing it in anyway. Many times, positive changes can only come if we allow them to, but often times we are so busy with our doing and our strategies that we miss the mark. There is a power in softening- on and off our mats.

3. Please share any personal transformations and insights that you’ve gained through your practice of restorative yoga.

When I first started practicing restorative yoga, I discovered that I was exhausted, and had been so for years! As my teacher Judith Lasater says, “You cannot be truly compassionate if you are exhausted.” I now live a much more balanced life, practicing active and restorative yoga, balancing work and play. I find it easier to cultivate compassion now, especially the most important kind of compassion- Self-compassion.

4. In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit of restorative yoga?

It restores balance in a high-speed, fast everything, revved up culture! The physiological benefits are just the beginning of how amazing restorative yoga is.

5. If you could name one pose that has truly supported you in a way that allowed you to open, release, and restore your body and mind unlike any other pose what was that pose and why was it so empowering?

I find that my energy level, muscle tension, and entire body varies depending on internal and external influences all the time. Therefore one pose will be perfect one week, and I will need something entirely different the next. This is why working privately with a yoga teacher can be so effective.

6. Would you say you are a different person after practicing restorative yoga? In what ways has restorative yoga changed your life?

In what ways has restorative yoga changed your life? Yes, see answer 3.

7. What would you recommend to students that are new to restorative yoga?

I think that restorative yoga can be difficult for beginners, because people often feel uncomfortable about “doing nothing.” Especially if someone is new to yoga altogether, they are not yet familiar with the amazing benefits it can bring to their lives. To beginning students, I encourage them with the simple health-benefit statistics. Restorative yoga has proven to lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and “bad” cholesterol in clinical studies- who can argue with that? Then, after someone has tried it and felt the affects of the practice- they’re usually hooked! This happened with a corporate lunch-hour class I teach. I introduced the restorative and received some hem-haws, then only three classes later I have a group of professional relaxers! They now come to class with eye pillows and extra props- these guys can relax!

8. There has been some inquiry for restorative yoga poses for women with breast cancer. Can you suggest any poses that would be particularly helpful?

I think this really depends on the individual and her condition, but yes, it can bring great benefits. I’ve worked privately with several survivors and the practice has helped immensely.

9. Please share any specialties (ie. Aromatherapy, meditation, sound healing, etc) that you include in your classes and/or areas that you focus on in particular (anxiety, stress relief, chronic pain).

I will occasionally include some simple pranayama (breathing) exercises into my classes. Also, although I agree that the four principles of restorative yoga- stillness, quiet, darkness, and warmth- are all necessary to promote deep relaxation, I believe that some kinds of sound can help the practitioner into that place as well. In collaboration with my husband, I offer restorative yoga with Tibetan bowls. I notice that this application of sound healing allows the students to drop in more deeply and when they are noticeably more relaxed we invite a long, sweet silence.

10. What do you think will be the future for restorative yoga? Do you see the need increasing and in what ways will restorative yoga be able to serve people in the coming years?

I do see the need increasing as technology continues to speed up our lives and demand our attention on a scope of many levels. I also think that as the baby boomer generation ages, we will have a senior population that is more open to yoga and alternative healing.

To start today with Restorative Yoga classes find Sarah and other teachers listed on the Restorative Yoga Teacher’s Database.

Barbara teaches yoga and provides massage for relaxation at Unwind Bodywork in Vancouver, Canada. She helps clients relax and recharge in a friendly, unintimidating environment. She has been teaching restorative yoga for 3 years. To find out more about Barbara please visit her profile here.

1. Restorative yoga is a beautiful style of yoga, both powerful and gentle. How did you initially come to learn about this type of yoga?

Through classes at a local studio and a back injury

2. What key intentions do you share with your restorative yoga students?

The importance of quiet, listening to the body and breath.

3. Please share any personal transformations and insights that you’ve gained through your practice of restorative yoga.

The invitation of the body to receive healing with held poses and the use of props, and the softening of my edges and increased space inside of me.

4. In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit of restorative yoga?

Rest and relaxation

5. If you could name one pose that has truly supported you in a way that allowed you to open, release, and restore your body and mind unlike any other pose what was that pose and why was it so empowering?

Mountain Brook pose – opens the chests and lumbar spine and reminds me that I must flow over life’s obstacles – not crash into them.

6. Would you say you are a different person after practicing restorative yoga? In what ways has restorative yoga changed your life?

Yes, created more space inside of me so I have time to access rather than react.

7. What would you recommend to students that are new to restorative yoga?

Try it. Give yourself permission to stop DO’ing for just one hour.

8. There has been some inquiry for restorative yoga poses for women with breast cancer. Can you suggest any poses that would be particularly helpful?

Legs up the wall is soothing to the adrenal system as a whole and perhaps, side lying savasana which is very nurturing

9. Please share any specialties (ie. Aromatherapy, meditation, sound healing, etc) that you include in your classes and/or areas that you focus on in particular (anxiety, stress relief, chronic pain).

Guided meditation (similar to yoga nidra) visualization

10. What do you think will be the future for restorative yoga? Do you see the need increasing and in what ways will restorative yoga be able to serve people in the coming years?

I see the need for supported rest growing – however we are often preaching to the choir and more awareness of the practice needs to be publicized.

To start today with Restorative Yoga classes find Barbara and other teachers listed on the Restorative Yoga Teacher’s Database.

Julia Hough has been immersed in teaching and practicing restorative yoga for over 10 years. In the following interview, Julia shares her insights and what it means to feel “yummy” in a pose. For more information about Julia please visit her profile here.

1. Restorative yoga is a beautiful style of yoga, both powerful and gentle. How did you initially come to learn about this type of yoga?

About 15 years ago, a friend took me to a restorative workshop with Judith Lasater. I just loved it!

2. What key intentions do you share with your restorative yoga students?

The key intention is to allow yourself to let cares and responsibilities drift away for the time you are practicing the yoga.

3. Please share any personal transformations and insights that you’ve gained through your practice of restorative yoga.

Time and time again, restorative yoga teaches me that I don’t have to push to achieve, and that I have everything I need within.

4. In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit of restorative yoga?

Stress reduction.

5. If you could name one pose that has truly supported you in a way that allowed you to open, release, and restore your body and mind unlike any other pose what was that pose and why was it so empowering?

Baddha Konasana, or bound angle. It’s empowering because it brings energy to the first two chakras, and it nourishes the endocrine glands.

6. Would you say you are a different person after practicing restorative yoga? In what ways has restorative yoga changed your life?

Restorative yoga has helped me to feel more grounded in my life.

7. What would you recommend to students that are new to restorative yoga?

It’s important to be in touch with your body, so I do recommend some active yoga experience before taking restorative yoga. In fact, in Integral Yoga they see restorative yoga as an advance practice since you are in restorative poses for a few minutes, and if you don’t know your body well, it could cause discomfort.

8. There has been some inquiry for restorative yoga poses for women with breast cancer. Can you suggest any poses that would be particularly helpful?

It would depend on what stage they are in, but Baddha Konasana would be helpful as it would be grounding. One of my friends who has lung cancer says she feels like a bird in a next in that pose.

9. Please share any specialties (ie. Aromatherapy, meditation, sound healing, etc) that you include in your classes and/or areas that you focus on in particular (anxiety, stress relief, chronic pain).

I use mudras, and my focus really depends upon whom I’m working with. I’ve worked a lot with people under stress and with anxiety. I’ve also worked with people with chronic illness and injury.

10. What do you think will be the future for restorative yoga? Do you see the need increasing and in what ways will restorative yoga be able to serve people in the coming years?

The need is there but I feel the problem is that people don’t allow themselves relaxation of this sort. One of my yoga teachers, Gail Zikri, used to say when we were in a restorative pose “If it’s not yummy, it’s not right.” Wouldn’t it be great if we all allowed ourselves more yummy?

To start today with Restorative Yoga classes find Julia and other teachers listed on the Restorative Yoga Teacher’s Database.

Article by: Marilynn Freeman

In the early 80’s I was living in Boulder, Colorado working in a fast-paced, high stress real estate syndication firm. Like so many Boulderites, I was heavily into fitness: bicycling, rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, Iyengar yoga, swimming and cross country skiing. The firm had its own set of Nautilus equipment that I could use as well. I loved the outdoors, being active, challenging my body and being competitive. My life was about working hard and playing hard.

For some unknown reason, my energy began to wane and I got sick. I had a constant sore throat and the glands in my neck were horribly swollen. My body ached from head to toe and my energy became non-existent. The first two visits to my physician left me without an answer and I kept trying to get well by working out more. This tactic failed andI only seemed to deteriorate more. On my third visit, he said there was a new disease that sounded like what I had. A titre blood test indicated that I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. (Note: I have heard that there isn’t a conclusive test to diagnose CFS, but this is how my story unfolded.)

It became apparent to me that I was not going to be able to exercise to get well. The Western medicine offered no answers. In fact, its prognosis was that I would never be well again. What I had to look forward to was being debilitated the rest of my life. I was offered the opportunity to quit work with full disability, but the hitch was that I had to prove that I was ill to continue getting benefits. Getting well wasn’t an option if I wanted disability. I did choose to quit work, but decided I wanted to find a way to regain my health.

Totally out of answers and fed up with being sick, I asked my yoga teacher what to do. He suggested a series of restorative poses that took about two and a half hours for me to complete. This was less than thrilling to me for several reasons. First, I thought restorative yoga was useless, even though he assured me that he had seen and experienced the power of it at the Iyengar Institute in Pune, India. It certainly wasn’t my yoga of choice. I could barely tolerate “wasting” the time to do Savasana at the end of class! Secondly, I was afraid that all my muscles would atrophy because I wasn’t pushing myself. Third, the poses weren’t easy; some seemed agonizingly impossible at first. After arguing my objections, his response went something like this. He was confident that I could do these poses and get well, or I could not. When I came to him the next time asking for help, there would be more poses and they would be more challenging. It was my choice: do them now or do them later.

Since I was practically bed-ridden as well as home-bound, I committed to doing the poses. Initially, I was anything but gracious about my practice. I did what I could faithfully for six months before I began to see improvement in my health and my ability to do the poses. At that point, I discovered that I had enough energy to walk around the block or go shopping for groceries, and not collapse in a heap. I continued doing the poses for over two years which helped to rebuild my endocrine and immune systems. There was definitely a learning curve in terms of knowing how much energy I could expend and not suffer a relapse. Each time I pushed the envelope too far, restorative yoga was there to help me regain the ground I had lost. I eventually came to know my limits and to have great respect for the power of the poses.

Nearly three years after I quit work, I felt like I had completely regained my health and strength. My muscles hadn’t atrophied and in fact, I seemed capable to athletic feats that had previously eluded me. The real surprise, however, was that my desire to challenge myself with athletic feats had disappeared. Restorative yoga changed my life by making me aware of my inner world, instead of just the outer. I was more content to enjoy my experience of doing something physical than to hunger for the competitive edge.

It has been thirty years since my experience with CFS and it has never returned. The poses that I was given absolutely enabled my full recovery. Many of these poses were featured in a Yoga Journal article entitled, “Health, Hope and HIV” in 2001 (almost 20 years later, August 2001). My yoga teacher proved right about restorative yoga as well as something else. He said that, “no one signs up for a yoga class asking for change and transformation, but this is what yoga brings.” Restorative yoga opened my eyes to the need for balance in my life – time to rest, relax, and renew.

Marilynn Freeman, MA, E-RYT, has practiced yoga for over 30 years and taught for more than ten. She is a certified Relax and Renew® Trainer and Wellness Coach. Her passion is teaching and sharing her love of yoga with others. Her home is in Silver City, New Mexico where she offers workshops and retreats at nearby hot springs. For more information, please contact her at nm2arilynn@comcast.net. Her website, www.BodyMindCoherence.com will be launched mid-2012.

Mark Cormier has been a restorative yoga teacher for 3 years and offers classes in San Francisco. See his full profile here.

1. Restorative yoga is a beautiful style of yoga, both powerful and gentle. How did you initially come to learn about this type of yoga?

I was an options floor trader at the Pacific Stock Exchange (picture “Trading Places,” lots of yelling and screaming) and the usual routine on a Friday afternoon was to hit the bar for a few hours and trade war stories over beers. One Friday afternoon, I decided to leave the bar early and try the Restorative Yoga class offered at my gym. Soon I looked forward to the class more than I did my “beers with the boys.” I was hooked on “conscious relaxation!”

2. What key intentions do you share with your restorative yoga students?

That for the next hour or so the only thing on their “To do” list is to relax. That we all have the power to relax ourselves just by letting our bodies settle and focusing on the breath.

3. Please share any personal transformations and insights that you’ve gained through your practice of restorative yoga.

That I can calm myself just by putting my self into a shape where I can let go. That one’s mind can be alert when the body is inert and visa versa. The body and mind don’t always have to work in tandem in terms of their respective states of arousal.

4. In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit of restorative yoga?

It teaches us how to calm ourselves with the simple and beneficial externalities of breath awareness, a comfortable body shape, and a warm but not hot place, through silence or pleasing sounds.

5. If you could name one pose that has truly supported you in a way that allowed you to open, release, and restore your body and mind unlike any other pose what was that pose and why was it so empowering?

Legs up on a couch while laying flat on the floor. This pose makes my lower back sing!

6. Would you say you are a different person after practicing restorative yoga? In what ways has restorative yoga changed your life?

Not a different person but a calmer person and not so reliant on externalities to calm myself.

7. What would you recommend to students that are new to restorative yoga?

“Legs up on a couch, back flat on floor” pose; a safe, quiet place to practice, a soft weight for the forehead, plenty of pillows!

8. There has been some inquiry for restorative yoga poses for women with breast cancer. Can you suggest any poses that would be particularly helpful?

I think no matter what the malady, relaxation would help. I ‘m not a doctor but I would avoid recommending poses where there is pressure put on a woman’s breasts.

9. Please share any specialties (ie. Aromatherapy, meditation, sound healing, etc) that you include in your classes and/or areas that you focus on in particular (anxiety, stress relief, chronic pain).

I believe in calming sounds to better establish a sense of sacred space. I occasionally play a thumb piano and I like live chimes. I like to offer invitations to send the breath to various parts of the body based on the pose but then I like to go quiet to let silence and some time spent in the pose work its magic.

10. What do you think will be the future for restorative yoga? Do you see the need increasing and in what ways will restorative yoga be able to serve people in the coming years?

I think it is a great counterbalance to our busy world that seems to be getting busier and more fragmented. It’s a nice way to work with the body that’s in a whole other league from what most people do in a gym or yoga studio environment. Restorative yoga is a great example of the dictums that we don’t always have to push our bodies around when we work with our bodies and that we don’t always have to seek another shape or look for ourselves, that we can consider ourselves perfect just the way we are!

To start today with Restorative Yoga classes find Mark and other teachers listed on the Restorative Yoga Teacher’s Database.

Mary Powers has been a restorative yoga teachers since 2007. Certified in several modalities including Ashtanga 200, Kripalu 500, IRest ( Nidra), and Restorative Yoga, Mary’s depth of experience is appreciated by all of her students. See Mary’s full profile here.

1. Restorative yoga is a beautiful style of yoga, both powerful and gentle. How did you initially come to learn about this type of yoga?

I was looking for a system of deep opening/relaxation and found it at Kripalu with teachers Richard Miller followed by Judith Lasater. The trainings I eventually participated in with these wonderful teachers were profoundly healing and joyful for me. And I’ve been teaching and/or practicing a blend of these two methods ever since.

2. What key intentions do you share with your restorative yoga students?

The idea of effortless is important to me. I hope to communicate the ease of the practice and the availability of full ultimate wisdom of the body coupled with the heart center – as we cool and rest the brain.

3. Please share any personal transformations and insights that you’ve gained through your practice of restorative yoga.

Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra have brought me into an authentic experience of Self that I could not have figured out with my thinking mind. That’s really all I can say about it.

4. In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit of restorative yoga?

Coming home to yourself by slowing down and coming into your body, with deep awareness and compassion for yourself and ultimately for others.

5. If you could name one pose that has truly supported you in a way that allowed you to open, release, and restore your body and mind unlike any other pose what was that pose and why was it so empowering?

Supported Reclining Pose. It uses a LOT of props, but is so worth it. Maybe I can post a photo for those not familiar with it. This pose is like being held. The body “waterfalls” gracefully flowing over bolsters and blankets – and I am able to sink into a feeling of depth and then openness, moving past the body and coming quickly into an alpha or theta brain wave state. Practice makes progress and my brain and body LOVE to chill in this pose. And, it can be easily modified to support a relaxation response for just about anyone.

6. Please share any specialties (ie. Aromatherapy, meditation, sound healing, etc) that you include in your classes and/or areas that you focus on in particular (anxiety, stress relief, chronic pain).

Most of the Restorative Classes include Meditation and some Breath Play. Each class is tailored to the participants, so sometimes those meditations are brief! I carefully choose sound scapes that are ambient, spacious, slow instrumentals to help set the relaxed vibration in the room. Sometimes I/we practice in silence and that is just as powerful or maybe more so. Anxiety, stress-relief and chronic pain are all topics that I believe can be alleviated by practicing some form of Restorative Yoga regularly.

To start today with Restorative Yoga classes find Mary and other teachers listed on the Restorative Yoga Teacher’s Database.

Jeff Chandler teaches at Salamba Yoga Studio in Oak Cliff, Dallas Texas. Jeff has taught restorative yoga for over 10 years emphasizing breath work and supportive poses. See his complete profile here.

1. Restorative yoga is a beautiful style of yoga, both powerful and gentle. How did you initially come to learn about this type of yoga?

My interest grew out of savasana. How could one expand this bliss even further was my main question.

2. What key intentions do you share with your restorative yoga students?

Exhale, and feel how close you can get to truly letting go.

3. Please share any personal transformations and insights that you’ve gained through your practice of restorative yoga.

Restorative has added an element of calm to my existence that seldom occurred on it’s own

4. In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit of restorative yoga?

Going offline from our active minds, conscious unconsciousness.

5. If you could name one pose that has truly supported you in a way that allowed you to open, release, and restore your body and mind unlike any other pose what was that pose and why was it so empowering?

The act of going to that blissfully restorative space offline from my constant mind chatter, now does not need a pose specific just the permission to stop and focus on my breath and being. Simple savasana.

6. Would you say you are a different person after practicing restorative yoga? In what ways has restorative yoga changed your life?

Yes, restorative yoga has made an impact on my life by enabling me to offer the opportunity of healing to others.

7. What would you recommend to students that are new to restorative yoga?

Be comfortable foremost and stay with your breath.

8. There has been some inquiry for restorative yoga poses for women with breast cancer. Can you suggest any poses that would be particularly helpful?

Can you suggest any poses that would be particularly helpful?
Out of my field of specifics.

9. Please share any specialties (ie. Aromatherapy, meditation, sound healing, etc) that you include in your classes and/or areas that you focus on in particular (anxiety, stress relief, chronic pain).

A colleague and I offer small group sessions in comfortable environments with mixed modalities of massage Reiki and aromatherapy, very soothing if not down right relaxing.

10. What do you think will be the future for restorative yoga? Do you see the need increasing and in what ways will restorative yoga be able to serve people in the coming years?

As we mature into a better understanding of our being and why we practice this thing we call yoga we will become enlightened to those simple human behaviors that bring us to our natural healing abilities.

To start today with Restorative Yoga classes find Jeff and other teachers listed on the Restorative Yoga Teacher’s Database.

With over 10 years of experience teaching restorative yoga Marilynn Freeman works out of Silver City, New Mexico helping her students dissolve their stress and find their way back into balance. Read Marilynn’s insightful advice for new students and restorative yoga tips for women with breast cancer. See her complete profile here.

1. Restorative yoga is a beautiful style of yoga, both powerful and gentle. How did you initially come to learn about this type of yoga?

I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome in the 80’s. As a “weekend warrior”, I was unable to get better by pushing harder. My yoga teacher, Baxter Williams an Iyengar teacher, gave me a 2.5 hour series of yoga poses to do. Given that I was nearly bed-ridden, I did them religiously (but not necessarily graciously). Little by little, my strength returned. These poses not only enable me to heal, they changed my life. Nearly 20 years later (2001), Yoga Journal featured an article on HIV and restorative yoga. Many of the poses I had practiced to recover my health, were included in this article.

2. What key intentions do you share with your restorative yoga students?

1) Develop a home practice, preferably before you need it. 2) Yoga is every minute of every day, not just the hour class. 3) As a culture, we need to cultivate learning how to be still and quiet.

3. Please share any personal transformations and insights that you’ve gained through your practice of restorative yoga.

See #1.

4. In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit of restorative yoga?

Bringing the body back into balance; nurturing the endocrine system; calming the nervous system.

5. If you could name one pose that has truly supported you in a way that allowed you to open, release, and restore your body and mind unlike any other pose what was that pose and why was it so empowering?

I’m challenged to choose just one pose. I had a Setu Bhanda bench made for me because of the series of poses my teacher gave me to practice, back bending off the end of this bench seemed the most useful. It certainly isn’t for the faint of heart! It was empowering because I really had to surrender in order to receive the pose. It took a great deal of concentration to allow the pose in. Gradually, it became my ally and probably my greatest teacher.

6. Would you say you are a different person after practicing restorative yoga? In what ways has restorative yoga changed your life?

I always am more centered, whole, balanced and relaxed after a restorative practice. I realize how important it is to take time to “be” rather than “do”; to receive rather than to give; to be passive rather than active. It changed my life in terms of what I want to learn, teach and share. If I hadn’t gotten chronic fatigue, I’d probably still be striving to look like the (over stretched) people in the Yoga Journal magazine. Instead, I’m practicing and teaching people how to relax and slow down. I think this is an essential missing piece of most of our lives.

7. What would you recommend to students that are new to restorative yoga?

Don’t underestimate the power of the poses! I was so afraid when I had to stop all exercising for nearly a year that I was going to atrophy into a wimp. Doing restorative yoga brought me a new kind of strength and muscle tone that I didn’t know existed.

8. There has been some inquiry for restorative yoga poses for women with breast cancer. Can you suggest any poses that would be particularly helpful?

This is going to be a long answer…
One of my favorite authors is Gabor Matѐ, MD. In his book, When the Body Says No, he has much to say about cancer, and specifically breast cancer.
“Nearly four hundred women with a history of breast cancer were asked what they thought had caused their malignancy. Forty-two percent cited stress – much more than other factors such as diet, environment, genetics and lifestyle.” p. 60
“A rich body of evidence, drawn from animal studies and human experience, supports the impression of cancer patients that emotional stress is a major contributing cause of breast malignancy. Hormone production is intimately affected by psychological stress.” p. 60
“In most casers of breast cancer, the stresses are hidden and chronic. They stem from childhood experiences, early emotional programming and unconscious psychological coping styles. They accumulate over a lifetime to make someone susceptible to disease.” p. 61
“Research has suggested for decades that women are more prone to develop breast cancer if their childhoods were characterized by emotional disconnection from their parents or other disturbances in their upbringing; if they tend to repress emotions, particularly anger; if they lack nurturing social relationships in adulthood; and if they are altruistic, compulsively caregiving types. In one study, psychologists interviewed patients admitted to hospital for breast biopsy, without knowing the pathology result. Researchers were able to predict the present of cancer in up to 95 percent of the cases judging by such psychological factors alone. In a similar German study, forty women with breast cancer were matched with forty controls similar in age, general health, history and lifestyle considerations. Again, on psychological grounds the researchers were 96 per cent successful in identifying who was and who was not diagnosed with breast cancer.” p. 62

Given what Matѐ has written, I have two suggestions. First, redirect the compulsive caregiving inward, rather than outwardly to others. This would be done by stressing the importance of developing a consistent home practice. While I didn’t have a diagnosis of cancer, I’m sure that much of my healing from restorative yoga came from the fact that for the first time in my life, I was doing for me, not others.

My second suggestion is to suggest poses that help to self-nurture and self-soothe. I find that most people do not know how to self-soothe. For adults in our culture, food, alcohol, and drugs or other means of “numbing out” are substitutes for soothing. Too much “doing” is also common. Learning how to totally calm and nurture oneself is an art that needs to be cultivated. Supported child’s pose or side-lying child’s pose are very nurturing.. There may be some other pos(s) that really speaks to the student, and I would honor her choice.

9. Please share any specialties (ie. Aromatherapy, meditation, sound healing, etc) that you include in your classes and/or areas that you focus on in particular (anxiety, stress relief, chronic pain).

My classes are focused on relieving stress and I bring in other modalities to achieve that end. My number one focus is diaphragmatic breathing. When students are in the poses, I teach and have them use Coherent Breathing (a specific rate and depth that balances the sympathetic (gas pedal) and parasympathetic (brake) nervous systems). The Six Bridges are anatomical parts of the body over which we have both voluntary and involuntary control. Learning to consciously relax these helps to balance the nervous system. All of these anatomical parts are supported (literally) in some way by restorative yoga poses. I can’t think of any better combination than learning how to breathe, relax and do yoga that is supportive and healing.

10. What do you think will be the future for restorative yoga? Do you see the need increasing and in what ways will restorative yoga be able to serve people in the coming years?

Without a doubt. It may be difficult to convince people that they are actually getting benefit from lying around!

To start today with Restorative Yoga classes find Marylinn and other teachers listed on the Restorative Yoga Teacher’s Database.

Jayne Robertson has been teaching Restorative Yoga for over 3 years and offers Yoga Therapy as well as other healing yoga classes allowing the space for each individual to find what is needed for him/her at each particular moment. See her complete profile.

1. Restorative yoga is a beautiful style of yoga, both powerful and gentle. How did you initially come to learn about this type of yoga?

A fellow yoga instructor/yoga therapist had undertaken a course with Judith Hanson Lasater and thought it to be highly beneficial as a practice and method of teaching. I respect and trust my friends knowledge and undertook two courses in the Relax & Renew style with Judith Hanson Lasater.

2. What key intentions do you share with your restorative yoga students?

The key intentions are to move from our over-stimulated (sympathetic) nervous system into our recovery/rest/renew (parasympathetic) nervous system. That when we are in a pose it should feel “delicious” and if not, that our voice is heard and the body supported in a way that invites the person to fully let go. In doing so, we can follow our breath and dive into a deeper sense of ourselves.

3. Please share any personal transformations and insights that you’ve gained through your practice of restorative yoga.

This practice is one of the most transformative of all types of yoga as it gives us time and permission to be quiet. Life is hectic, schedules are full and we often move so fast that we miss the sweetness of day to day living. Restorative yoga is deeply healing as it gives our entire being an opportunity to simply be. Our physical bodies heal, our emotional selves become quiet and can process stagnant energy, our mental chatter slows down and our soul is able to be heard.

4. In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit of restorative yoga?

Shifting from a sense of doing to a sense of being. As a result, we manage stressful situations better and slow down to see the beauty of life.

5. If you could name one pose that has truly supported you in a way that allowed you to open, release, and restore your body and mind unlike any other pose what was that pose and why was it so empowering?

One pose is a difficult limitation as I have two that popped into mind with this question. The first is undoubtedly savasana (fully supported) and the second a supported supta baddha konasana.

6. Would you say you are a different person after practicing restorative yoga? In what ways has restorative yoga changed your life?

Not only am I a different person, but every student who participates is altered. This practice gives you the space in which you can dive into complete “me” time. It’s about letting go and diving in. Not only do the short term effects keep you floating following a session, but over time you simply perceive the world as a more peaceful and beautiful place.

7. What would you recommend to students that are new to restorative yoga?

Try it even if you gravitate towards more vigorous practices. Allow yourself time to learn how to relax and let go…it, too, is a practice.

8. There has been some inquiry for restorative yoga poses for women with breast cancer. Can you suggest any poses that would be particularly helpful?

The two I mentioned above.

9. Please share any specialties (ie. Aromatherapy, meditation, sound healing, etc) that you include in your classes and/or areas that you focus on in particular (anxiety, stress relief, chronic pain).
I use some form of guided imagery at the beginning of each class to direct attention inward and into the practice. I play soothing music and often use the essential oil of Lavender to enhance the practice. Stress relief would be the most common issue that is brought into class, however, many students come as part of a recovery process from surgery, illness or injury.

10. What do you think will be the future for restorative yoga? Do you see the need increasing and in what ways will restorative yoga be able to serve people in the coming years?

I hope it continues to grow in awareness and be part of every studio’s repertoire of what’s being offered. The need will increase as people’s levels of stress seem to be consistently on the rise. I see it as being an integral part of managing stress and unplugging from the ever constant connected world.

To start today with Restorative Yoga classes find Jayne and other teachers listed on the Restorative Yoga Teacher’s Database.

Jaymie owns and operates her own business, Resilience for Life, out of New York and San Francisco. She brings dynamic healing programs to individuals and organizations to educate and motivate them on their path towards wellness, including recovery from illness or injury. See her complete profile.

1. Restorative yoga is a beautiful style of yoga, both powerful and gentle. How did you initially come to learn about this type of yoga?

I have always been drawn to the therapeutic aspects of yoga. Having a background as a spokesperson, and having worked in the corporate world, I felt that I could offer many benefits to people in the business world who are unaware of the physiological benefits of a restorative practice. I sought out master teachers Judith Lasater and Cheri Clampett and not only learned from them, but in the case of Judith, apprenticed for 100’s of hours at her trainings all over the US. When my own business (www.resilienceforlife.com) evolved to include private sessions, I found restorative yoga to be an integral part of what chose to offer.

2. What key intentions do you share with your restorative yoga students?

That depends on the person and what they need at any given moment. Restorative yoga is quite different from the many styles of yoga which most people practice. In general, darkness, warmth, and comfort are essential for the practice to work.

3. Please share any personal transformations and insights that you’ve gained through your practice of restorative yoga.

I am a typical Pitta and have lots of natural energy. While this serves me well in many areas of my life, I find that committing to a regular restorative practice not only allows me to teach it authentically, it keeps me balanced on many levels.

4. In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit of restorative yoga?

Activating the parasympathetic nervous system, a state in which the mind/body receives invaluable benefits of healing, deep rest and rejuvenation.

5. If you could name one pose that has truly supported you in a way that allowed you to open, release, and restore your body and mind unlike any other pose what was that pose and why was it so empowering?

I have used many poses over the years; I select the pose I need depending on what is going on in my life at that time, but I would say that savasana is the probably the most valuable.

6. Would you say you are a different person after practicing restorative yoga? In what ways has restorative yoga changed your life?

Restorative yoga helps me feel balanced and allows me to recharge my batteries. Including this type of practice with the many active things I enjoy is essential for my well-being and health, especially in this noisy and stressful world.

7. What would you recommend to students who are new to restorative yoga?

Many teachers sequence poses so that students only stay in each pose for 5-10 minutes, less than the 15-20 minutes I recommend. It’s better to go deep and do fewer poses than to do many and not get the benefit because you haven’t allowed the necessary time.

8. There has been some inquiry for restorative yoga poses for women with breast cancer. Can you suggest any poses that would be particularly helpful?

I’m not trained in this area, but there are many resources available, including many scientific studies. I recommend pubmed.gov as a resource for yoga research. Timothy McCall’s Yoga As Medicine is also an outstanding book that every yoga teacher would do well to own.

9. Please share any specialties (ie. Aromatherapy, meditation, sound healing, etc) that you include in your classes and/or areas that you focus on in particular (anxiety, stress relief, chronic pain).

I typically teach restorative yoga when I am working privately. In the first moments when someone is coming into a restorative pose, I may use visualization or guided breathwork to help a person “settle.” Occasionally, I may also offer energetic or therapeutic touch. Otherwise, as an Ayurveda Health Educator and a student in the lineage of Desikachar I believe pranayama is essential is the practice of hatha yoga. Without the integration of breath I don’t believe it’s actually “yoga”; it might be a work out or gentle exercise, depending on what you’re doing, but “classic yoga” must incorporate the breath.

10. What do you think will be the future for restorative yoga? Do you see the need increasing and in what ways will restorative yoga be able to serve people in the coming years?

Most people are unaware of the gentler, restorative practices until they are called to them due to stress or health concerns. Obviously, I think restorative yoga could benefit everyone. I don’t see our world becoming less complicated and I think being able to turn inward and experience pratyahara is one of the primary gifts of restorative practice.

To start today with Restorative Yoga classes find Jaymie and other teachers listed on the Restorative Yoga Teacher’s Database.