Former yoga teacher in Wellington New Zealand
When I was researching the purpose of śavāsana (corpse pose), I came across a comment from restorative yoga expert Judith Lasaster that it takes the average person 15 minutes to physiologically relax. She talked about this in a podcast on
Legs up the wall (viparita karani) is often best known for the benefit of triggering the parasympathetic nervous system, sometimes called the rest and digest response. In these variations you can add a range of different stretches for the legs and hips, while also gaining the stress-relieving benefits of the pose.
These brief audio-recordings are guided meditations that explore imagery in nature. One uses mindfulness and the other connects feelings to nature.
Some yoga poses can help trigger the rest and digest response, or the parasympathetic nervous system. They work by giving the body physiological cues that it should move into the rest and digest state. They’re known as inversions. Here a few gentle options to try.
he gentle version of supported bridge pose can help trigger the parasympathetic nervous system (think rest and digest response) by providing a gentle and safe way to raise the body above the head. It makes a safe and easy alternative to headstand or shoulderstand.
Reclining cobbler’s pose or supta baddha konasana is a classic from restorative yoga. Relaxing while positioning the body for a gentle release of tension in the chest, shoulders and hips.
Restorative yoga is more than just getting comfortable with extra pillows. It offers relaxation by stretching fascia, triggering the rest and digest response and supporting conscious relaxation like meditation.
Mantra meditation is repeating either out loud or silently to yourself a word, phrase or syllable as a form of meditation.
Try my 20 minute audio recording of a guided meditation and explore the idea of letting thoughts come and go.
This brief audio recording walks through how to do alternate nostril breathing including an option to visual the practice if you would rather not use your fingers to control your nostrils.