MINDBODY
TURN THE SWITCH OFF
In our modern day society, we spend a lot of time in the ‘ON’ position. We are like light bulbs burning bright all the time, until we burn out. We are living in our sympathetic nervous systems, fueled by adrenaline and cortisol. While our current state of affairs is filled with technology and quick interface, our brains and nervous systems still hold on to some of the blueprints from our caveman ancestors. Our autonomic nervous systems communicate messages to our brains that stimulates the “fight or flight response”. Only nowadays, we aren’t fleeing from large predators, but are overwhelmed by sensory input and endless tasks. Restorative yoga helps turn our switch ‘OFF’ for a bit. It is relaxing into what is and restoring the body, nervous system, and mind into a state of real rest.
Real rest is a tool to bring the body back into a state of harmony and equilibrium. Rest helps facilitate better sleep, and sleep helps maintain our resilience. In our optimal physiological state we are able to reduce our stress levels, improve our cardiovascular capacity, and potentially lower our risks for disease.
What is Restorative Yoga?
Restorative Yoga is a space for letting go and opening up to the center of our being. It serves as an instruction to set down the weight of Atlas from your shoulders, relax the mind and thoughts, and surrender the weight of the body to the floor.
Restorative yoga combines systems of support to set up the conditions to guide the body back in our parasympathetic nervous system, so we can unwind and attend to recovery. Long-held poses, deep breath work and supportive props help the relaxation response. The practice of restorative yoga differs from other yoga practices because it is not about stretching or engaging the muscles. Instead, it asks you to release and to be still.
Restorative Yoga Gives You Permission to Let Go
You are a million universes resting on a trillion more. Drops of infinite space. Exploring your own space caverns in a state of peace can be soothing on the deepest level, and informative on a cognitive one. Taking time to pause gives us the opportunity to check in with our own unique landscapes – familiar, intimidating, and nurturing. When the whole body relaxes, the mind relaxes. It is then we can peacefully explore our perceptions and ideas in a safe physical space. The practice allows us to ultimately encourage internal bliss over mayhem.
Connect with Something Greater than Yourself
Connection to breath, heart, and brain; your whole body has a pulse. An orchestra of beats and harmonies synchronizing to form your experience. Resting in your own rhythm. The vibration of the heartbeat aligning with your brain waves, brain waves slowing down, blood pressure decreasing, and the breath flowing. The beauty of restorative yoga, beyond the immediate physical experience of being at ease, is the resonance of a relaxed human being. Relaxing in a group setting offers you the added bonus of being around other heart, brain, and body frequencies doing the same thing! The frequency of relaxation feels good.
Restorative Yoga is one of the many styles we offer at Castle Hill Fitness. Both our Downtown class schedule and 360 schedule feature several restorative classes per week. Kori Jones’ Sunday Restorative Yoga will help you beat those Sunday Scaries, so you can tackle your week with renewed power!
Kori is an ERYT200 instructor and has been practicing yoga and incorporating it in her life for over a decade. She is passionate about the benefits of yoga and helping people find a practice that suits their needs and lifestyle. One of the greatest gifts of her own practice was learning the art of relaxation through restorative yoga. She specializes as a “Relax and Renew” trainer and is also certified with the ‘Warriors at Ease’ program using yoga as a tool for military-related trauma.
