3 Reasons to Try Restorative Yoga (For Teens and Adults)

We are a society obsessed with doing.

“What are you doing this weekend?”

“What do you want to do later?”

“What do you do for fun?”

“What do you do for a living?”

“What did you do today?”

I know I’m not the only one feeling exhausted from all the doing.

In this fast-paced world, one of the most radical and beneficial things we can do is take a break from all the striving, rushing, doing, and thinking.

Are you craving stillness, silence, and space? Do you want to feel more connected to your body? Do you want to increase feelings of peace and self-acceptance? A consistent restorative yoga practice can help.

I like to think of restorative yoga as intentional relaxation. In restorative yoga, pillows, blankets, and other props are used to support the body so you can find your most comfortable version of each pose and release all tension.  Poses are typically held for 5-20 minutes in order to make space for you to set aside your thoughts and focus on connecting to your body and your breath.

Anyone can practice restorative yoga. You don’t need any prior yoga experience, and you do not need to be flexible. The use of props enables you to make each pose work for your unique body.

Are you convinced yet? Just in case, here are three more reasons to slow down and try restorative yoga.

1. Reduce stress and anxiety.

Much of our stress and anxiety comes from living in the future.  We spend so much of our time imagining all the things that could go wrong.  We rehearse future conversations.  We wonder how we will complete our endless to do list.  

Restorative yoga gives us a chance to to practice living in the present moment.  As we relax into each pose, we can practice setting aside our thoughts and worries about the future and choosing to focus on our breath.  We can bring awareness to how it feels to be on our mats, in our bodies, right now.  As a result we make space for peace.  We make space for joy.  We learn not to cover up a perfectly good present with our fear of the future.

2. Give your body time to rest and heal.

We are hard on our bodies.  We neglect them.  We forget about our bodies.  We have things to do, places to go.  It seems like we’re always in a hurry.  When we do take a second to notice our bodies, we are critical.  We wish we could change this or that.  We forget what a gift our body truly is.  

Establishing a restorative yoga practice gives us a chance to reconnect with our bodies.  Each pose is an opportunity to become deeply aware of our bodies.  You have space to ask yourself: How does my body feel?  Where am I holding tension?  What does my body need?

Often what our bodies need is rest.  In a culture so obsessed with achieving, we often feel our worth is measured by our productivity.  As a result, we ignore our body’s signals.  We refuse to rest.  We tell ourselves we don’t have time, but the truth is our bodies need time to rest and heal.  The world will not, in fact, fall apart if we take an hour for ourselves. In fact, if we allow ourselves to rest, we can show up as our best selves and better serve others.

Restorative yoga teaches us to slow down.  It teaches us to give ourselves permission to just be.  Through restorative yoga we can allow ourselves permission to do nothing and be at peace with it.

3. Cultivate feelings of self-love.

Many of us find it relatively easy to cultivate love and compassion for others.  It is another thing entirely to cultivate love and compassion for ourselves.  We judge ourselves harshly and struggle to forgive ourselves for our mistakes.  We often find ourselves replaying the past and wishing we could have done things differently.  I can’t believe I did that.  How could I have been so stupid?

Restorative yoga teaches us to let go.  Let go of the past.  Let go of resentments.  Let go of regrets.  As we settle into each pose, we can practice acceptance.  We can practice setting aside our thoughts about the past. In each restorative pose we can practice the art of surrendering.  We can let the floor and our props support us, and trust that everything is as it should be right now. All of this translates to increasing self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, and self-love.

I encourage you to schedule some time for a restorative yoga practice. You can practice one pose or practice for an hour. You can practice at home or go to a class. None of that matters. What matters is that you are prioritizing and protecting your health, your peace, and your joy.

If you’re wondering how to get started with a restorative yoga practice, check out the video below. I’ll guide you through a simple and effective restorative practice that only takes 10 minutes!