Mix and Match … I know, I know, it’s not a wardrobe but the practice can be customized for your unique needs. The Heart of Yoga – Developing a Personal Practice by T.K.V. Desikachar (son of Sri Krishnamachaya)… upon opening the book, this quote: “I dedicate The Heart of Yoga to J. Krishnamurthi, who taught me how to be a good yoga student.”
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Restorative yoga is about being compassionate to yourself so that you can be compassionate towards others. In treating yourself in loving manner and by defogging your inner lenses with tender sweep of loving soft silken breath, you wipe away layers of – whatever that does not serve you – accumulated over time …
During the practice, as you take the time to look into your inner landscape, you will learn to see yourself clearly as that shining bright self that you really are. Your essence will reveal itself through this mindful practice.
I find it to be a practice to refresh and awaken the mind while allowing the body to rest in yoga poses designed to provide certain energetic effects. All categories of asanas are practiced – backbends, forward bends, side bends, twists and inversions — in a completely receptive manner through the support of bolsters, blankets, straps, blocks … as the props allows the muscles (where most tensions are held) to fully release. We are unaware sometimes of how much tension we hold within our muscles… that unease of tightness, soreness… even pain. Sometimes it’s in a knot; tight and unforgiving… Full release comes only when you are guided to invite it – I see my role as that “guide” on such a journey. Each pose is held from 5-20 minutes giving the body ample time to unwind and move into the parasympathetic nervous system leading to an experience of healing rest. Did you know that our body can be in the state of sympathetic nervous system in a matter of fraction of a second; while getting to the parasympathetic system will take well over 10 minutes (for some, more)? Yes, from cavemen days, we were designed to respond instantly in “fight & flight” to what our body perceives as threats for survival. In stark contrast, our relaxation response takes a bit of coaxing as we are wired to reject feelings of vulnerability, equating that feeling to state of insecurity and thus, risks of danger. It is, however, during relaxation that our body works at its peak efficiency to strengthen and heal from within…
So when we are by design tend to be more in the sympathetic mode, we have to make a concerted effort to tend to the parasympathetic nervous system or else, over time, it’s inevitable that our nervous system will become out of balance. In mass, resulting in a whole healthcare crisis with ailments starting even as early as in our teen years dealing with chronic stress, hypertension, hypotension, heart problems, and respiratory issues where emotional toll may also play a role … all this modern day suffering we may not have had when we were too busy toiling away on the fields for our next meal and fighting off tigers and bears so that we can see our children grow and thrive.
How often do you give yourself the gift to be away from the normal activity and focus on integrating the body and the mind ? By re-migrating the energies of the body — air/breath, fluids/blood, solids/internal organs — through specific pathways, restorative yoga creates a deep sense of relaxation and rejuvenation. Well designed sequences of restorative poses are each designed for a specific energetic result and complements your active practices, so that you can exercise more effectively. Indeed, among many benefits, you can treat it as a RESET button for your muscles (physical/mental and emotional), so that it can be again turned ON to take you through the day to day with more zest – Joie de Vivre! – To reap the benefits, “You” just have to get out of the way as my teacher would say. You don’t have to hold onto things you don’t need. It’s nice to have active daytime sweaty yoga practices; then at the end the day, ease into graceful flow or yin and restorative… Pick and choose to match your needs. Then it becomes a ritual. It’s ALL GOOD!
