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Restorative yoga is a slow, gentle style of yoga that promotes deep relaxation and peacefulness.
It's practiced at a deliberate pace, focusing on long holds, stillness, and deep breathing. Unlike more active styles of yoga such as Vinyasa or Bikram, restorative yoga places a greater emphasis on holding poses for longer periods (five minutes or more) during each session.
Gentle Yoga Poses to Reset and Relax Mind
Restorative poses are held for a minimum of five minutes. If you want to hold the pose longer, you can do so for as long as it feels comfortable. Some people hold restorative poses for a long time.
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Here's a look at six such poses:
1) Fish Pose
If you spend a lot of time sitting for work or other activities, try the fish pose. This restorative pose can stretch and lengthen the spine, relieve tension in the neck and shoulders, and open up the chest.
You can make it even more comfortable by folding a bolster or two folded blankets or towels and placing them under your shoulders and head.
How to do it?
- Place two folded blankets on the floor, parallel to each other with a small gap between them.
- Sit down with your back against the blankets, and extend your legs in front of you.
- Rest your head on the second blanket.
- Stay in this pose for at least ten minutes, breathing deeply and releasing tension in the muscles.
2) Child's Pose
The Child's Pose can help relieve stress and fatigue and gently stretch the spine, hips, glutes, hamstrings, and shoulders. This pose is great for relieving back and neck pain if you prop your head and torso up with a pillow.
How to do it?
- To experience a simple stretch in the lower back, kneel on the floor with your knees hip-width apart.
- Touch your big toes together, and keep your buttocks on your heels.
- If that's too difficult, you can allow your arms to rest alongside your body with palms facing up.
- Sit up, and breathe deeply, staying in the pose for up to five minutes.
- Pull your torso up into a seated position.
3) Happy Baby
Happy baby is a reclined yoga pose that stretches the hips, opening them up and releasing tension in the lower back, glutes, and groin.
How to do it?
- Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet flexed towards your armpits.
- Use both hands to grab the outer sides of your feet, pulling your knees towards your chest while resisting with your legs.
- Rock gently back and forth in this position, massaging your lower back as you do so.
- If you need help stretching this area, use a strap or towel instead of gripping onto your feet.
4) Cow Face
It's a seated pose that can help you relax after a run (or any time you need a little recovery) and stretch tight muscles in the hips and glutes. The full pose also provides a great shoulder opener.
How to do it?
- Lie down on the floor, and stretch your legs out in front of you.
- Bend your left knee, and draw it up towards your chest, resting your right knee on top.
- Lift your hips, and balance them on a pillow, block or bolster, if necessary.
- Keeping your back straight, lower your tailbone and upper body towards the floor till you feel a stretch in the front of both thighs.
- Repeat the pose on the other side by bending your right knee and drawing it up towards your chest.
5) Downward Dog
The downward dog is one of the most versatile poses in yoga. It stretches the calves, hamstrings, and foot arches, lengthens the spine, and opens the shoulders. It also warms up the body and provides deep relaxation to the muscles.
How to do it?
- Start in the downward facing dog pose on your mat.
- Make sure your knees are directly under your hips, and spread your fingers wide as you push into your palms and lift your tailbone towards the ceiling.
- Pedal your feet a little if you feel a deeper stretch in your calves, but remember not to let your heels touch the floor – keep some length in your spine.
6) Half Pigeon Pose
The half pigeon is another great hip opener and a relaxing yoga pose. The front leg gets an awesome external rotation stretch, but so does the back leg, which is stretching the psoas and hip flexor.
How to do it?
- Sit on your mat, and lengthen your left leg behind you.
- Lift up, and flex your right foot to protect your knee. Square your hips, and relax them.
- Use your hands to support you in this upright posture, or lower down onto your forearms for a deeper stretch.
- You may need a block under your back leg to help support your body.
Takeaway
Doing yoga is a great way to prepare the body and mind for healthy living. It lessens tension, releases stored stress and gets you fit – it's an awake way to get your body ready for things you want to achieve in life.
The aforementioned poses mentioned can help you ease into the day, or they can be done after a tiring day so that you can relax before going to bed.
