WHEN DAYS BECOME SHORTER and colder, most mammals hunker
down, hibernating or just physically moving more slowly through
the winter. Not humans. For us, life only gets more frenetic when
temperatures drop and the holiday season arrives. While the
challenges that naturally arise in an active life can build strength,
resilience, and confi dence, a critical ingredient to that growth
is easy to forget in our hyperproductive culture: recovery time.
“You need to rest, to put it simply,” says the California-based
Iyengar instructor, restorative yoga teacher, and sleep researcher
Roger Cole. “It allows you to recover fully from all the stresses and
strains of life,” he explains—by relaxing muscles, lowering your
heart rate, and allowing your nervous system to stop constantly
reacting. “People come away from a restorative yoga class not
only more relaxed but also more focused and effective,” he says.
Restorative postures, which are often supported by blocks,
blankets, bolsters, and other props, are designed to maximize
comfort and allow practitioners to fully let go, which is why
INTRODUCTION BY KATE SIBER
SEQUENCE BY GAIL GROSSMAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARY JOBEthey are typically held longer—about 5 to 2o minutes. They are
also arranged with the head below or near the same level as the
heart, which helps to stimulate refl exes that quiet the brain and
heart. To many frazzled Western yogis, minimizing effort can feel
counterintuitive, but there are real benefi ts to what may seem
like doing very little.
Yoga has long been shown to decrease the stress hormone
cortisol, which, in elevated levels, is associated with weight gain,
high blood pressure, and heart disease. And a few small studies
on restorative practices specifi cally have shown that it can do the
same, and may also help cancer patients fi ght depression and
fatigue. Teachers of the practice witness even deeper benefi ts
from slowing down. For example, Cole’s students often report
better sleep for as many as three nights after a class. “Restorative
yoga and sleep complement one another,” he says.
Restorative yoga is in fact better than sleep for releasing tense
muscles, relieving joint aches, and transitioning the mind and
body quickly from stress to calm, says Cole. He continues: “It
also teaches conscious control of relaxation. Sleep is essential for
completing the job of full recovery of the nervous system, sorting
A restorative yoga practice
can help you rest, reflect,
and refresh.