"By its very nature, the restorative yoga practice is the antithesis of the "no-pain-no-gain" mentality. You receive the greatest benefits not through forcing yourself into a pose, but by releasing and surrendering to it."
- Adam Brady

Restorative yoga is a practice that involves long held poses, sitting or lying on your mat, using props to support the body in comfort and ease in order to facilitate deep relaxation, both physical and psychological. There are often only 4-6 poses in a class with holds ranging from 5-15 minutes.

According to California-based Iyengar instructor, restorative yoga teacher, and sleep researcher, Roger Cole, PhD, “You need to rest, to put it simply.  Restorative yoga allows you to recover fully from all the stresses and strains of life.”  By relaxing muscles, lowering your heart rate, and allowing your nervous system to stop constantly reacting, “people come away from a restorative yoga class not only more relaxed but also more focused and effective,” he says.

 

“Everything is better when you are rested.  One thing being tired, depleted and stressed out does is it narrows our perspective.  It is so uncomfortable to be in our body and in our mind in those moments, and so when we are caught up with our own discomfort it is like we have blinders on to everyone else’s.  We are not generous of spirit in that moment.  We have no energy to do for others, to do for ourselves.  What we need to do is notice that, understand its causes and conditions, and then take one small step towards resting.  Today I am going to rest when I am tired for 5 minutes.  Every step, every change, is always small, and then there is the last one which is also small but its effects are huge.” – Judith Hanson Lasater

This is, to my own surprise, my personal favourite. If you feel this class sounds too slow and quiet for you, it might be exactly what you need!

We have decided not to continue with our Restorative Program and will be opening up all of the spots in our Tuesday 8:30pm and Sunday 4:00pm classes to drop ins.  Regular class passes apply.  We will have 10 spots available in each class to ensure the instructors are able to assist everyone and we have enough props and space.