Restorative Yoga Poses: A Guide to Deep Relaxation and Parasympathetic Nervous System Activation

When you think of yoga you probably think about a practice which aims to stretch and strengthen the body, usually through some active movement and stretching. You may be familiar with Hatha or Vinyasa styles of yoga which have certainly gained a lot of popularity. These are probably the most common types of yoga you’ll find in your local studio and also see depicted on TV and in the media. However, since you’ve found this blog post you might actually be aware that there are other types of yoga which take a different approach. Restorative Yoga is one such type of yoga that uses props to support the body in passive poses. This allows the body to fully relax and release tension. This is because Restorative Yoga Poses actually interact with the parasympathetic nervous symptom in a number of interesting and beneficial ways. 

First, the slow, deep breathing that is practiced while in Restorative Yoga poses helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the “rest and digest” response, which helps to slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure, and relax the muscles and slow, and the good news is deep breathing can help support all of these functions! Second, the supported poses in Restorative Yoga help to release tension from the body, and this is often a pretty common reason why people try Restorative Yoga, since we all seem to have a little extra tension in our bodies from time to time. Third, the calming environment in which Restorative Yoga is typically practiced can also help to promote relaxation and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is, of course, not unique to Restorative Yoga Poses as a similar calming environment is typical of most yoga and meditation practices, although many people find themselves more at home trying Restorative Yoga Poses than they would sitting upright and cross legged trying to “clear their mind”.

Research has shown that Restorative Yoga can have a number of positive effects on the parasympathetic nervous system, including:

• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Improving sleep quality
• Reducing pain
• Improving mood and well-being

Overall, Restorative Yoga is a great way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and promote relaxation and well-being.

Restorative Yoga is a great way to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain. It can also improve sleep quality, boost mood, and increase energy levels. If you’re looking to try it for yourself, we have a number of fantastic Restorative Yoga practices in our On Demand Video library. One such practice we can encourage you to check out would be our Nightly Nourish class, which is a Restorative Yoga practice you can try just before bed.

If you’re looking to develop your own custom at home Restorative Yoga practice, it may be a bit difficult to know where to start. As some food for thought, I’d like to offer some of my favourite Restorative Yoga poses:

Supine Restorative Bound Angle:

Relaxing in this Restorative Yoga pose gently stretches the inner thighs, groin, and knees. It also stretches the spine and chest. This is a great one for releasing the hips and can be adjusted via the height of the blocks or supports so the stretch can be comfortable without pushing you out of your comfort zone (which is the “sweet spot” for Restorative Yoga in general).

To do this pose:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet together.
2. Place a yoga block under each thigh.
3. Adjust the height of the blocks so that your knees are comfortably supported.
4. Allow your arms to rest at your sides or place your hands on your belly.
5. Stay in the pose for 5-10 minutes. Breathe deeply.

If you head on over to our On Demand Video library you’ll find the class Restorative Yoga: Shine the Light of Awareness which features this Supine Restorative Bound Angle pose within a complete Restorative Yoga practice.

Supine Restorative Tree Pose:

This pose is actually quite similar to Supine Restorative Bound Angle Pose, but in this case we stretch one hip at a time. This is a really good option if you have tight hips or lower back pain which prevent you from comfortably remaining in a Bound Angle position.

To do this pose:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet together.
2. Bend one of your knees and place the sole of your foot on the inner thigh of your opposite leg.
3. Place a yoga block under your bent knee.
4. Adjust the height of the block so that your knee is comfortably supported.
5. Allow your arms to rest at your sides or place your hands on your belly.
6. Stay in the pose for 5-10 minutes, then repeat on the other side.

Legs up the Wall :

In my opinion if you’re going to do at least one restorative Yoga pose then let it be legs up the wall (or gentle leg elevation). This pose is very relaxing and calming, while being very simple. You barely need any props to make this pose comfortable, just a rolled up towel or a small bolster if you have it can help with padding and slightly elevating the hips. This is a great one to improve circulation and reduce swelling in the legs and feet, so it’s really good for anyone who spends all day on their feet.

To do this pose:

1. Lie on your back with your legs raised up the wall.
2. Place a bolster or folded blanket under your hips if needed. This can be a very slight elevation just to pad your hips, or a more pronounced lift. The more you lift your hips here, the less intense the stretch will be which may help for some people to find comfort in this pose.
3. Allow your arms to rest at your sides or place your hands on your belly.
4. Stay in the pose for 5-10 minutes.

So that’s just a few examples of my favourite Restorative Yoga Poses. If you’re looking for a way to relax and de-stress, I highly recommend trying restorative yoga. It’s a great way to take care of yourself and your well-being and can really be a fantastic “active rest” addition to any complete yoga practice. In fact, Restorative Yoga can be a very complementary complement to a more strenuous practice, such as in our very popular Sweat & Surrender practice which combines Yoga with Weights and Restorative Yoga into a complete package. We hope you check it out!