Seated Meditation
This is the pose in which you do your opening meditation.
Come & sit in a way that feels good for you in this moment. Close your eyes, take some deep breaths. From there, see if you can observe the following:
- Can you drop your shoulders even more towards the floor (while the back stays straight)?
- Can you release a bit more in the lower jaw? Creating space between the teeth.
From there (after around 2-3 minutes), bring your chin towards your chest. If you want, you can roll your head from left to right & back; make sure to move your chin alongside your chest (so don’t roll your head when your head is to the back).
Once you feel at ease, relaxed, and ready to go to your first restorative pose, continue with the rest of the practice.
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Duration
10 minutes (or as long as you feel you need it)
Options
Make sure you can sit comfortable; you can use a (meditation) pillow to sit upon, or maybe move your back against the wall.
Wall Shoulder Stretch
Slowly transition from your seated position to all fours. From there, facing the wall, you move your butt towards the heels.
You can move closer to the wall (for a more intense stretch), or move a bit away from the wall if you want to soften the stretch later on.
From there, place your hands on the wall; make sure (!) that they are wider than the shoulders.Â
This pose will help you to open the chest & release tension between the shoulder blades.
Duration
5 minutes
Options
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Instead of sitting on your knees, you can also choose to sit in easy pose or a crossed legged position.
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Do you want a bit more for the hips?
Come and sit in Hindi squat (malasana) & continue the shoulder stretch from there. (To make this pose more restorative, you can place a pillow underneath your butt).
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Supported Childs pose
Coming out of the Wall Shoulder Stretch, you move away from the wall. See if you want to move around in all fours, maybe adding some cat-cow movements.
From there, you 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 minutesÂ
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 Fish
From Childs pose, slowly move around on all fours. From there, place the bolster to the side and grab a pillow.
To go into supported fish, we use a (meditation) pillow. If you use a regular pillow, you maybe want to fold the pillow in half. You can also use a rolled up towel, that you place in one line with your spine.
From there, grab your pillow (or your towel) and place the pillow in between you shoulder blades, in one line with the spine.
The easiest way to do this, is to come onto your back, place your elbows in the ground. From there you can move the pillow in place. Make sure your neck stays “free”, meaning that the pillow or towel is not underneath your neck.Â
From there, you slowly bring your head back and drop your arms open to the side.
Duration
5 minutes
Options
Is it not comfortable to let the head “hang” back?
Place another pillow or block underneath your head for support.
Supported Caterpillar
From supported fish, you slowly transition into a seated position. See if you want to use the windshield wipers, or move in another way.
From there, you place the bolster in one line with the short side of your yogamat. Place your legs over de bolster.
Now drop your head onto your chest and from there explore if there is space to fold forward towards the legs a bit more.
Duration
10 minutes
Options
Let your head drop (bringing the chin towards the chest), in order to create a deeper stretch for the neck & the space between your shoulder blades.
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(Supported) Savasana
Come and lie down for your final relaxation.Â
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.Â
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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