Want to calm your body and mind?

Upgrade your self-care routine with the best restorative yoga poses for deep relaxation and inner balance.

You canmeditate, take a bath, spend some timein an infrared saunathe list goes on.

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One often-overlooked method thats worth adding to every wellness routine, however, is none other than restorative yoga.

What is restorative yoga?

Restorative yoga focuses on bringing the nervous system into a state of relaxation, Vincent says.

Two young women practicing ballet with a teacher in the dance hall.

general manager and lead teacher withYogaSix North Carlsbad

You may be wondering: Whats the difference betweenrestorative vs. yin yoga?

Restorative yoga involves doing supported yoga postures for relaxation that require you to exert little to no effort.

This allows you to find healing and stress relief through restorative yoga.

Woman doing hip exercises

Withyin yoga poses, youre targeting the deeper connective tissues with the goal of stretching and lengthening your muscles.

While beneficial to flexibility and joint mobility, this makes yin yoga more uncomfortable than restorative yoga.

Here are some positives restorative yoga may bring you, from boosting your immune system to helping you sleep.

Cropped image of woman doing lunge yoga pose

But how can you find stress relief through restorative yoga, exactly?

By giving your body and mind the time to relax, youll improve your adrenal function, Vincent says.

This will repair the mind-body connection and balance your nervous system.

Woman in leggings and bra doing Lunge with Arm Extended Up pose hip opener stretch during yoga session in morning at home.

general manager and lead teacher withYogaSix North Carlsbad

It improves sleep

If youre hoping to sleep like a baby, restorative yoga can help.

Restorative yoga poses are supported with different props so that the body can release muscular tension, she says.

It boosts your immune system

Achieving inner balance through restorative yoga can greatly benefit your immune system.

Woman doing arm exercise without weights while sitting on mat at home.

Having too much cortisol in your blood can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system, Vincent says.

It supports healing and recovery

As the name suggests, restorative yoga helps restore your body.

(If youre looking foryoga for trauma, restorative could be a great option for healing, too.)

A woman in sports clothes does yoga or gymnastics at home. Daylight. She smiles

Vincent says to do the supported yoga postures for relaxation below at least three times a week.

To support your body in relaxing into this pose, you could use:

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Supported childs pose (Balasana)

You probably already know and lovechilds posefrom your regular yoga classes.

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Corpse pose (Savasana)

Ahh, Savasana.

FAQ

1. Who should not do restorative yoga?

Thisgentle yogapractice is truly for everyone, according to Vincent.

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But thats something you shouldnt be afraid of.

How long should you hold restorative yoga poses?

The amount of time you hold should hold different relaxing yoga postures varies.

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With that being said, always listen to your body and do whatever feels best to you.

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