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Yoga pantry – how to substitute yoga props in your restorative practice.

Restorative yoga sessions online means you will have to provide your own props as this practice does require a few so you can be as comfortable as possible as you surrender into great rest.

The Primal Practice Of Re… Restorative Yoga

Rest, relax, restore, rejuvenate, revitilise, refresh, regenerate, reinvent, renew, reclaim, replenish….the list goes on. The prefix “re” in Latin means “again and again” or “to go back to “, so it’s not surprising that the verbs that represent these states of being use it so widely . As humans we unconsciously drift away from these natural states of harmony, only to find ourselves consciously revisiting them through various means of recreation and therapy to restore the balance in our lives. Now more than ever this is needed! Indulge in your own retreat without leaving home! Learn to cultivate the ideal restorative environment so you can fully relax into cosy poses like legs up the wall, mountain and supported supta baddha konasana. You don’t need a whole week, or even a whole day to feel more grounded, rested, centred, and calm.

Restorative yoga is a passive and therapeutic form of yoga that provides deep rest for tired bodies, stillness for busy minds and rejuvenation for the entire nervous system. The yoga concentrates on surrendering your weight to supports and softening stretches helping you to relieve negative stress and emotional strain. Restorative yoga helps you to discover where you are unconsciously holding tension and how to release it.

So what do we do if we haven’t got any? Fortunately over the last year while adjusting to this new way of living many of us have inadvertently experienced an explosion of unexpected resourcefulness and creativity, qualities that have always been within us, but may have lain restlessly dormant.  When we’re desperate, we spring into the present moment to fix the situation….hunt around your house for these substitutes and join me on your mat via zoom on Friday evening at 7 pm for a blissful 90 minutes self-care and nurture:

Yoga Blocks/bricks

Yoga blocks and bricks are great props for all types of yoga not just restorative. A good place to start looking for substitutes is on your bookshelves. The brick is short and thick, whereas the block is flatter and wider.

Yoga Straps

Yoga straps are wonderful for working on going deeper into your stretches, but not everyone has one lying around at home.You can easily use a belt, a tie, a piece of rope or your dressing gown belt as a yoga strap. Just be sure to check that the fabric or material that it’s made of is strong enough to hold your stretch.

Yoga Bolsters

A bolster is really just a long pillow with more stuffing than most pillows for greater support. They’re used a lot in gentle restorative backbends. Roll up a big towel into a tube shape and place a pillow over the top for extra support.

Yoga Blankets

In all seriousness, nobody really needs a yoga-specific blanket. Yoga blankets are often rolled up to support parts of the body, used to slide the knees or feet across hard flooring, or used to keep warm during savasana. You could even use a regular towel or a bed sheet.

Eye pillow

A clean sock will do to keep out the bright lights.

Using your homemade props as support, essential oils and candles create your own sacred space and sink deeply into “ananda” (bliss) through these nourishing restorative postures releasing all effort and letting the tiredness begin to drain away leaving you feel revitalised.

This class is £7 or free for unlimited monthly payment. Recording is £5

Contact me for more info on props or details of the class.

Please contact me if you have any questions or requests:
[email protected]
Tel: 07712 274 064
or through my Facebook page