Why Restorative Yoga Deserves a Place in Your Practice
In a culture that rewards hustle and constant productivity, rest can feel almost rebellious. Yet, it's often in stillness—not effort—where the most profound healing takes place.
Restorative yoga is a practice designed to help the body and mind unwind. Using props like bolsters, blankets, and blocks, each posture is fully supported and held for several minutes. There’s no stretching to the edge, no striving—just a quiet invitation to soften.
What makes this practice so powerful is its effect on the nervous system. By spending extended time in restful, supported poses, restorative yoga helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system—the body’s natural “rest and digest” mode. This shift allows heart rate and blood pressure to lower, stress hormones like cortisol to decrease, and the body to enter a state where it can truly repair itself.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology (2017) found that participants practicing restorative yoga reported significant decreases in perceived stress, anxiety, and depression, with benefits continuing over time. Another study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2009) showed that restorative yoga contributed to reduced fatigue and increased well-being in breast cancer survivors—demonstrating its support in both emotional and physical recovery.
But beyond the science, restorative yoga offers something deeply human: a space to come home to yourself. It's where the body learns it's safe to release. Where you realize that rest isn't a luxury—it's a necessity.
In a restorative class, you may do just five or six poses in an hour. And yet, many leave feeling as if they’ve had a deep massage or a full night’s sleep. It’s not about what you do—it’s about what you allow.
Restorative yoga isn’t lazy. It’s medicine.
Especially for those who have spent years pushing, achieving, and caretaking, the stillness of this practice can feel confronting at first. But with time, it becomes a lifeline—a quiet space to breathe, unravel, and begin again.
References:
Telles, S., Sharma, S. K., Yadav, A., et al. (2017). Yoga as a therapeutic intervention for emotional regulation and resilience. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73(7), 865–877.
Bower, J. E., Garet, D., Sternlieb, B. (2011). Yoga for persistent fatigue in breast cancer survivors: A randomized controlled trial. Cancer, 117(15), 3326–3334.
Streeter, C. C., Gerbarg, P. L., Saper, R. B., et al. (2012). Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Medical Hypotheses, 78(5), 571–579.
