Believe it or not, each year the American Psychological Association surveys Americans about what stresses them out. The survey is looking for both mental and physical stressors. This polling started in 2007, and has continued to the present, giving us some ideas of the external stressors in our culture. It’s not hard to imagine that 2020 was a lot different from the past thirteen years. COVID-19 being at the top of the list while uncertainty of the future, and education being disrupted were second and third respectively. Other factors listed were: work, finances, family, discrimination (perceived or real), and political conflict. These are just some of the external stressors. Some internal stressors might include anxiety, depression-related disorders, illness, disease and trauma.
Interestingly enough, there might be some good reasons we are experiencing more stress. With the increase of technology, we interact with a greater diversity of people. Although diversity is good, and creates better solutions to problems, it strains our brains and confronts our values. In turn we have to figure out how to get along. Perhaps we are comparing ourselves to the top 0.001%, where everyone is beautiful, rich and successful. This is a recipe for stress and anxiety. Our materialistic culture puts tons of demands on our time and resources as well. Ugg…I feel tension just writhing this.
In this fast-paced world that we live in, it’s nice to have something tried and true as a tool to destress. In the past I ran my legs off like Forest Gump, which worked at the time, but was not sustainable. Hiking was something I also enjoyed to renew my energy, but I couldn’t do this with out significant planning. Then I discovered Restorative Yoga. AHHHHH
What is Restorative Yoga?
Born from Hatha yoga and perfected by B.K.S. Iyengar and Judith Lasater, restorative yoga focuses on replenishing and balancing your energy (prana) which has been lost or taken by the stresses of life. Restorative yoga comes from and Indian tradition, and uses props to support you in a passive way. Many of the passive postures in restore come from the active poses that you might see in an Ashtanga yoga practice. The yoga poses are held for an extended period of time, usually five to twenty minutes, with a focus on rest and relaxation. The philosophies of yoga apply to this gentle practice as well. Learning patience, faith and devotion through practice helps you cope with everyday stress. Restorative yoga is deeply relaxing when you are able to train the mind to be quiet, bringing about a sense of harmony. The practice is receptive rather than active, and teaches the art of “letting go”. The practice leads to self-discovery as the mind and body find a state of balance. In this balanced state you just might find what ails you. Using the breath and external support as tools, tension and stress is released on a deep level, which promotes healing from within.
Physical Benefits
Life is full of loads of repetition, unfortunately this can lead to imbalances. Taking the time to rebalance yourself also restores your energy. Below are some additional benefits to this practice.
- Promotes healing from injury
- Disease prevention by reducing cortisol levels and glucose levels
- Promotes hormonal balance in women
- Headache relief
- Calms and relaxes the nervous system
- Reduce physical tension and pain
- Supports over-all health and well-being
Psychological and Emotional Benefits
Mental health, which influences our thoughts and actions, covers three ways we experience “well-being”. Psychologically, socially, and emotionally. These three areas can be affected in many ways. One way we are affected, is a lack of energy. This is where Restorative yoga can help. Taking the time to nurture your body, mind and spirit, helps unravel stress that has accumulated over time. It works on a deep level to release emotions and energy that affect all aspects of us. Through this therapeutic practice, our mental state and our emotional state can both be brought into balance.
How Does Restorative Yoga Work?
Our bodies have an automatic response to danger, this is called the fight, flight or freeze response. This enables us to respond quickly to threatening situations, even if those situations are psychological threats. These threats affect each one of us differently based on our individual experience, the coping mechanisms we have acquired and our overall view of life. Meaning, what we value, where our boundaries are and the rules and beliefs we have set for ourselves. That being said, our systems spend a lot of time operating in the sympathetic nerves system. This system can be described as the antagonist to the parasympathetic nervous system which stimulates the body to “feed and breed” and then to “rest and digest”.
Did you know that the release of hormones that flood your body when you go into fight or flight must pass through your tissues and then be released into your urine before your body returns to normal? This process takes about 20 minutes. You need 20 minutes of respite to completely calm down. So, if someone tells you to CALM DOWN, say OK give be twenty minutes of peace. If the stressful situation continues, your heart rate will remain elevated and your body will continue to pump out adrenaline. Your thinking will be clouded, you will be reactive even when you KNOW that a different response is called for. Cortisol is also released; this hormone initially promotes survival and motivates us for success. If the stress is chronic (ongoing) cortisol dysfunction can occur. There is a large body of evidence linking the relationship between stress and pain. Cortisol is a potent anti-inflammatory and glucose mobilizer, but if cortisol is constantly being released due to prolonged stress, it does the opposite producing widespread inflammation and pain. Ouch!
Restorative yoga aims to shift you from sympathetic to parasympathetic arousal. Using centering techniques such as, breathing, meditation, supported yoga poses and visualization, to help you feel at ease in your body. In this calm state the nervous system promotes healing, repair, immunity, and anabolic growth required for restored energy reserves and longevity.
Moving at a slow pace that feels natural to you, an awareness of the breath is created. This triggers the parasympathetic nervous system to activate, and mitigate the effects of the stress response. As your system begins to relax, an over all calming effect makes space for a heightened awareness. In this heightened awareness, physical sensations, thoughts or emotions may arise. This is part of the yoga experience, getting to know our true nature on a deeper more intimate level. The focus is inward, away from worldly cares. The practice becomes a safe place for self-exploration of who you are, what you want, and ways you can serve the world. As I said earlier, the practice is passive and receptive. The greatest benefits come from a releasing and surrendering, rather than a forcing. Surrendering allows for acceptance of your individual limitations as well as your strengths.
Restorative Yoga for Everyone
Does restorative yoga sound easy? Actually, it is an advanced practice, that everyone can do if they desire. It is a journey into stillness. It can have a profound affect on calming the overstimulated mind and healing the physical body, but it takes practice. Releasing habitual tension, perceptions and sometimes painful emotions takes time and self-care. Conscious relaxation is a skill to develop… a skill to un-wind. When we can face things in our lives that we are avoiding, we can heal. It is a practice that asks us to stop and engage, instead of running away or controlling. Restorative yoga awakens what is called in Sanskrit “Ojas”, which means “vitality and Immunity”. (gobodhiyoga.com)
On a physical level Ojas has the qualities of holding things together, providing support, substance and lubrication. Ojas supports our emotional calm, our mental and emotional endurance, and allows us to feel deeply, to have the ability to empathize and to be patient and compassionate. When we are in balance, we feel a sense of contentment. The practice of restorative yoga gives us the opportunity to turn inward, helping us maintain these qualities. Rest, nourishment and self-care are all so important in our fast-paced world. If you find you struggle with restorative yoga you’re not alone. Remember, restorative practice is practice, and with dedication the mind can be trained to focus and the body can learn to surrender. It is not a one-size fits all. The practice gives you the opportunity to discover what works best for you. You learn to see what you are avoiding, and in turn, what you embrace. Releasing tension and focusing on the breath are key to the practice.
Why I Love Restorative Yoga
I can be a nervous Nelly, and
tend to worry a lot about things that I can’t control. I have a hard time being still, unless I intentionally set aside time, like vacation or meditation. I know it may sound like a coined phrase, but restorative yoga takes me from a state of “doing” to a state of “being”. It gives me glimpses of quietude, and a calm state of mind. I have learned many profound insights about myself, by asking honest questions. In the end, this awareness has enlightened me and helped me on my path of transformation. Like always, good luck on your journey.
Namaste, Holly
