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Restorative Yoga (and mobilise)

Restorative yoga is healing yoga. This gentle form focuses on relaxation and letting go in the poses. Your body is comfortably supported in the poses with pillows and blankets. The poses are held longer than in regular yoga classes, sometimes up to 20 minutes. You barely need to exert yourself. The poses are mostly on the mat: often lying down, but sometimes half-seated. They are adapted to the individual. You can let go of all performance pressure.

By letting go of performance and tension in the body, space opens up. The parasympathetic nervous system is activated, which relaxes both body and mind. By physically letting go, you can also let go mentally. There is focus during a pose. Restorative Yoga helps you find your way inward in a friendly manner and seek out the peace that is found there (eventually).

Mobilise comes from physiotherapy and manual therapy. This is an option and will not be used in every class. The instructor provides personal guidance during the class/workshop, offering hands-on mobilisation through massage or passive stretching. This keeps the groups small, and sometimes there will be 2 instructors present to provide this guidance.

Anyone from 18 years old can participate, even if you have physical complaints and are somewhat stiff or rigid, or if you are stressed or experiencing burnout, which makes it accessible to everyone. Especially if you have a busy life, this is a blessing for body and mind and allows you to recover and recharge.

Restorative Yoga supported with pillows and blankets

Benefits of Restorative Yoga and mobilise

  • More space and flexibility in your body
  • Improved breathing
  • More peace in your mind and body
  • Reduced stress
  • Activation of the body's self-healing ability

Restorative Yoga is sometimes confused with Yin Yoga, which is quite a different practice. The difference with Yin Yoga is:

  • In Yin yoga, postures are held for 3 to 10 minutes and it is important to perform the postures correctly and breathe into the stretch, whereas in Restorative yoga postures are held for 10 to 20 minutes and the most important goal is to find comfort in the posture.
  • In Yin yoga you create stretch and focus in a specific area of your body, giving space to the connective tissue. In Restorative yoga you release tension by surrendering into the posture. It is a reset for your entire system, bringing it into balance and allowing energy to flow again.
Lying relaxation posture

Workshop/class on Friday evening