Seated Meditation
This is the pose in which you do your opening meditation.
Make sure your hips are higher than the knees, and the knees are supported (either down on the ground or supported by blocks or folded blanket).
Start with closing your eyes; follow your breath. From the breath entering the nose, moving down towards the throat, the chest and the belly. You can place one hand on your chest & one hand on your belly to notice where your breath is.
Release your lower jaw; this will help to release the diaphragm, which will open up more space to breath.
Take a couple of minutes (as long as you feel you need to slow down), in order to follow your breath and to slow down your thoughts to focus on your practice here today.
Duration
5 – 7 minutes (or as long as you feel you need it)
Options
Childs pose with “higher” arms
Move yourself into childs pose (knees together or knees open to the side & big toes touching).
Place two blocks (or books / pile of magazines) in front of you. Place your lower arms on top of the blocks: your right hand is on top of the left elbow & the left hand is underneath the right elbow. If this does not feel comfortable for the shoulders, you can always slide the elbows out to the side a bit more (the hands will be moving towards the wrists).
From there, drop your head down (in between the upper arms, towards the ground).
Duration
5 – 7 minutes
Options
Instead of placing the arms on top of each other, you can also place your elbows on top of the blocks. Drop your head down between your arms. Bring your hands together behind your head in pranam (palms of the hands touching).
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After coming out of the pose, go for cat cow, or shoulder rolls. See what feels good for your body in this moment :).
Supported Anahatasana
Place a bolster or (pile of) pillows onto your mat.
Place your hands wider than the shoulders, and keep your hips in one line with your knees. Gently tilt the pelvis (creating a hollow back) and lower your upper body to the floor.
The bolster (or (pile of) pillows) is going to end up underneath your chest, to give you some extra support.
Duration
5 – 7 minutes
Options
If 5 – 7 minutes feels to long, always feel free to move back in (supported) childs pose sooner.
Supported Childs pose
Bring your big toes together and move your knees open to the side. Grab your bolster and move the bolster all the way against the inside of your legs. From there, slowly lie down with your upper body on top of the bolster. Place one cheek on the bolster. Make sure to turn your head, halfway through the pose, to even out the stretch on either side.
Duration
5 – 7 minutes
Options
If the bolster is to low: place blocks underneath the bolster.
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Pain alongside the bridge of the feet?
Place a blanket underneath the feet
Supported Savasana Backbend
Arms above head
After Childs pose, take a moment to move around on all fours (hands and knees). From there place a couple of blocks or pillows on your mat, creating a “pile”. Place your bolster against this pile of stuff (blocks or pillows), so it ends up like the Mister Sticky above.
From there, turn your back towards the bolster. Make sure to move your butt all the way against the bolster. Hold on to the bolster, while you are slowly lying down with your back on the bolster (we hold the bolster to make sure that there is no space between the bolster and our butt / lower part of the back once we are fully lying against the bolster).
Bring your arms over your head and place your lower arms above your head on the bolster (maybe holding on to your wrists or lower arms itself).
Duration
7 – 10 minutes
Options
If both arms above the head is too intense for the shoulders, try one arm at the time. Changing arms halfway through the pose.
(Supported) Savasana
Come and lie down for your final relaxation.
Don’t ever skip savasana! This is the most important pose in every yoga practice. It is the pose that allows your body to come back to a “neutral” position after doing all the “unnatural” movements.
Duration
as long as you feel you need it
(but please go for at least 5 minutes)
Options
You can put a bolster or pillow underneath your knees for extra support (this will help you to relax the lower back even more).
(Alternative) props for Restorative Yin
Bolster = couch pillows or pregnancy pillow
Meditation pillow = regular pillows
Yoga blocks = Big (old) books
Blankets
Restorative Yin on Demand
Do you feel like doing more Restorative Yin practices with me from the comfort of your own home?
Check out the different membership options to get access to the Yoga on Demand Catalogue (more than 250 classes with me in different Yoga styles).
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