THE SUBTLETIES OF RESTORATIVE YOGA

“As the breath works its way through the body, the changes begin to compound on one another. Think of the snowball effect; as the small layers build and build the changes become greater and greater.”

 


Many people admit that they were drawn to yoga for the wide range of physical benefits that it brings to the body. Large scale physical changes are most easily seen or felt, but small ones can fly under the radar. The subtle movement of energy, clearing of blockages, and calming of the nerves are equally as important for the practice as stretching the large muscle groups. These three subtleties can easily be overshadowed by the, “Oh my god, I just touched my toes,” thoughts that enter our mind. Restorative yoga focuses on these subtleties and brings ultimate balance to our practice. The awareness of these changes can help us understand how the body talks, and create a stronger connection between the body and mind. Relaxing and letting go into a pose is a skill to be developed, akin to learning a new language.



YOUR BODY TALKS

Not only do we experience internal chatter of the mind. If we listen carefully we notice that our body talks to us during the slow practice of Restorative yoga. We are often taught to calm the chatter that happens in our mind during our yoga practice. In a restorative class, it can be helpful to tune into what our body is saying to us. The sensations, will manifest themselves in many different ways, and are the body’s way of communicating with the mind. When entering a restorative posture, bring attention to the point of the body that feels the most tension or pressure. It may feel as if the body is telling you how the posture feels. Pay attention to this, as it will directly influence the way the pose develops. Adjustments to the props, orientation of the body, and breath are ways to assist with calming the nerves and thus reducing the sensations in the body.

 


BREATHE

At the start of the practice, find a baseline for your breath that is naturally soft, slow, and consistent. Focusing on the breath can help alert the mind of areas that are in need of attention. Allow the breath to slide through the body and feel for places that it seems to stick. This could represent an energetic blockage. The subtle variations in the breath will tell the mind that a change needs to happen. Listen for this and make adjustments as necessary, either to the breath or position.

As the breath works its way through the body, the changes begin to compound on one another. Think of the snowball effect; as the small layers build and build the changes become greater and greater. This takes practice. The body lets go slowly, and as a student, patience is needed to become conscious of this.

 


ADJUST YOUR BODY

With the breath as your guide, settle into your pose and watch the pace and depth of the breath. Allow yourself time at the start to adjust before completely relaxing into the support of the props. Notice how your position can influence each inhale and exhale. Make the necessary adjustments to the body and your props. Then, as the posture evolves, continue to adjust your positioning. It is a balance of release, breathe, adjust, release, breathe, adjust as you spend time in the pose.


CALM THE NOISE

Focusing on the body and breath allows the noise to subside. The time spent and awareness of the body gives the mind a moment to listen and respond to it’s needs. Everyone’s body will speak to them in a different way. Use each pose as an opportunity to learn something new about yourself, and how you react to situations. Embodying the principles of listening and responding to your needs during a yoga class will allow you to respond more seamlessly in day to day life. You will cultivate the tools that will help to limit the distracting noises that arise within the body.


 

As a student you are not only learning from the teacher in the room, but you are gaining knowledge and new skills from your own body. Continue listening, and the body will talk. Learn what the subtle feelings mean and you will begin to anticipate how to respond to the body. Keep up with your practice. You will begin to notice how subtle changes can have a big impact on your life.


Written by Meraki teacher Kenyon Neal

Join Kenyon for Restore Flow on Fridays at 1.15pm