Today, the average person is overwhelmed by all kinds of distractions and stressful situations. Whether you have a demanding job, a long commute or looming student loans, you’re likely to feel the effects of chronic stress while living in the West.
Thankfully, yoga is a great tool for relieving stress and getting to the root of the lifestyle choices that exacerbate stress. One of the best forms of stress yoga is restorative yoga. This style of yoga, developed by BKS Iyengar and popularized by his student Judith Lasater, builds your energy instead of draining it like other forms of exercise.
To demonstrate the real benefits of restorative yoga, consider these 15 reasons why you should be practicing restorative yoga.
lose weight
lose weight
In fact, restorative yoga has been shown to help people lose significant amounts of weight, despite not actually burning calories. In fact, there are many factors that can cause you to gain weight. Practicing restorative yoga can balance your hormones, drastically reduce cortisol in your body, and can help you understand the root cause of your weight gain. The National Institutes of Health conducted the study and found some startling claims. The study looked at two groups of people who needed to lose weight. One group did basic stretching in the gym, while the other did restorative yoga. The restorative yoga group lost 2.5 times more belly fat!
increase flexibility
increase flexibility
Another benefit of restorative yoga is that it can help you gain flexibility in a holistic way. Instead of forcing yourself into uncomfortable positions and risking injury, use props to gently stretch your muscles.
The idea of restorative yoga is to use props to encourage deep relaxation while holding poses for extended periods of time. Eckhart Yoga
If you’re interested in restorative yoga, either find a studio that offers it, or invest in basic props like straps, mats, blankets, and blocks. These will go a long way in helping you gain flexibility and really reap the benefits of restorative yoga.
peace of mind
peace of mind
Do you have a headache? Do you often think too much, or are you always cranky? Then you’ll love the feeling of mental calm that restorative yoga brings. Restorative yoga is usually practiced with eyes closed, with rice lightly pillowed over them. It’s unnerving, and the weight really helps with the headache. When you practice restorative yoga, you feel energy flowing from your head to your feet. This is a foundational practice that can help calm stubborn thoughts and prepare you for deeper meditation. If you’re struggling to calm your mind, restorative yoga can often help.
strengthen the immune system
strengthen the immune system
Everyone has two nervous system pathways: the parasympathetic (rest and digest) and sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous systems. Practicing restorative yoga can help you tap into your parasympathetic nervous system. Your body can only heal when it’s in the parasympathetic nervous system; when you’re under stress, you can’t fight off illness well or digest food efficiently. By practicing restorative yoga, your body can switch into this immune-boosting mode, and the effects last even when you’re off the mat. In addition, restorative yoga stimulates the lymphatic system, which flushes out toxins and infuses vital organs with oxygen. You know what hates oxygen? cancer cell!
Increased vagal tone
Increased vagal tone
Have you ever met someone who always seems calm and just lets the stress go off them? Such people usually have naturally high vagal tone. The vagus nerve runs from the base of the skull down the spine and connects to all vital organs such as the stomach, lungs, and heart. When this nerve has a healthy tone, you can control your reactions in times of stress. Practicing yoga, especially restorative yoga, can significantly increase your vagal tone. This means that the more you practice, the easier it is to withstand life’s inevitable stressors without feeling serious ill effects.
increase breathing capacity
Many recovery backbends and sidebends are performed with the support of a mat. These stretches lengthen the intercostal muscles located around and between the ribs. When you stretch these muscles, you increase your breathing capacity, and the effect lasts long after you’re off the mat. In addition to its anatomical benefits, restorative yoga calms your body and digests your nervous system. This allows you to take deeper breaths instead of the shallow ones you get with the fight-or-flight response.
Find out where your body is stressed
Find out where your body is stressed
When you’re still and wrapping your body in the support pad, it’s hard to ignore areas of your body that are tense or immediately decompressed. As you tone your body with restorative yoga, you may find that your back or shoulders are stressed. Once you know you have stress on your shoulders, you’ll recognize tense situations more quickly. Let’s say, the next time you watch the news, you notice that your upper back is starting to hurt. They may realize that the news is a source of unnecessary stress and turn it off. Over time, such decisions can greatly reduce your stress levels.
release stored emotions
Trauma is an inevitable part of life. No matter who you are, you will have trauma – even if you live a perfect life, the mere act of having a baby will leave you with b