Great for any age, slower paced and gentle!

While yoga in itself focuses on muscles and proper muscle alignment, restorative yoga is all about restful postures and is designed to “re-boot” your nervous system and balance out your body.  Your muscles are to remain quiet in the restorative method.  Practicing this form of yoga will give immediate results by lowering your blood pressure and heart rate, loosen up joints and ease bones.   Restorative Yoga will help to keep your endocrine system in check and even boost the immune system.

Restorative Yoga is a wonderful way to close out your day and can be helpful in reducing insomnia as it is very relaxing for the body as well as the mind. All poses aim to reduce stress and they are all practiced using props such as a bolster or rolled blanket, blocks, cushions, a wall, a chair, yoga straps, eye pillows, etc.   The idea is comfort and relaxation and staying in a pose for many minutes.  Therefore props aid in making you comfortable and to be able to hold the position for any length of time.

Yoga Pose: Viparita Karani (Legs up the Wall)

Benefits: Putting the legs up the wall is a very gentle way to do an inversion. It brings blood to the head and heart; relieves tired or cramped legs and feet; gently stretches the back of the legs, front torso, and the back of the neck; relieves mild backache, and calms the mind.

Viparita Karani “destroys” old age and death. “You will become an Adept in all the worlds and will not perish even at world dissolution (pralaya)” (Gheranda Samhita 3.36).

Links:

What is Restorative Yoga?

http://www.dorestorativeyoga.com/index.html

Yoga cuts depression by half in women with breast cancer

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/dietandfitness/4798846/Yoga-cuts-depression-by-half-in-women-with-breast-cancer.html