The Benefits of Restorative
Yoga Restorative yoga has the power to drastically improve the quality of your life and, subsequently, the lives of those around you. What’s more, this isn’t a “VIP Only” area—you can reap these benefits the moment you start practicing, regardless of your experience level.
Stress management.
Relaxation has been shown to reduce stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline. The Mayo Clinic lists many ways relaxation can help physiologically reduce stress, including slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, improving concentration and mood, improving sleep quality, reducing fatigue, diminishing feelings of anger and frustration, and boosting problem-solving abilities.
Healthier respiration.
Shallow breathing is common in our computerdriven society, and it can provoke anxiety, back pain, brain fog, and poor digestion.
The book Breath in Action asserts that simply paying more attention to your breath can help. In restorative yoga you soften the respiration muscles through comfortable postures, then bring awareness to your breath and employ gentle breathing practices.
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Improved digestion.
When stress triggers the fight-or-flight response, the sympathetic nervous system interferes with the enteric nervous system’s ability to digest food. Restorative yoga encourages the positive “rest and digest” function of the parasympathetic nervous system.
A Harvard Health Publishing article correlated relaxation therapies, like progressive muscle relaxation and visualization, with gastrointestinal relief.
Pain relief.
Causes of pain include stress, poor posture, inadequate breathing, and inflammation, all of which restorative yoga addresses. An article published in the International Journal of Yoga cited a significant reduction in chronic and acute pain when relaxation techniques were applied.
Weight loss.
A Yale study links high secretion of the stress hormone cortisol with an increase in abdominal fat. Because stress is the primary factor in its development, this type of fat is better targeted with relaxation than strenuous exercise. Emotional well-being. Restorative yoga fosters states of peace, joy, and compassion. Also, by receiving support and bringing your awareness to the unlimited supply of breath available to you, you shift your perspective from scarcity to abundance.
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