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    Yvonne's Recommended 5 Restful Postures

    Yvonne's Recommended 5 Restful Postures

    Yvonne OGarro

    These recommended Restorative postures are suggested as 5 individual practices rather than 1 sequence of posture. I love to rest in one of the below for 20-30 mins listening to the sound of; my breath, the Tamboura or silence. Enjoy your restful practice.

    Effortless rest

    (3 eye pillows, 2 blocks, 2 blankets and belt) – eye pillow on the chest or on forehead

    Lay one blanket widthways over your mat to create a layer of warmth. Fold the 2nd blanket to support the head and neck. Bend knees to lay back, bringing the yoga belt to mid thigh, ground feet with heels in line with hips toes facing forward. Lengthen tailbone towards heels, noticing the back body release into mat, relax thighs into the yoga strap. Draw shoulders down away from ears and the chin towards your chest. Place the eye pillow on your forehead, across your eyes or on your sternum. The eye pillows provide a gentle weight which is grounding in Restorative and when used across the eyes decreases light stimulation which is soothing for our nervous system. Place your arms wherever feels most comfortable, tune into your breath and dissolve into your posture.



    Windscreen wipers

    (belt loosened) – head can be neutral or go to opposite direction of knees

    Start this posture as detailed in Effortless Rest but bring your feet wider than your hips, loosen belt so that thighs still feel held. Using the outside of one foot and inside of the other foot to let both knees roll to one side using the thighs and resistance of the belt to move slowly from right to left. Inhaling to the centre and exhaling to one side. Notice, without judgement, which side has more or less space, sending an offering of breath to the side that needs in. Your head can move in the opposite direction of your knees or remain neutral, whichever feels most comfortable. Keep moving with your breath for as long as it feels right for you in this lovely spinal/tension release.



    Supta Baddha Konāsana

    Reclining Bound Angle/Cobbler’s Pose – 3 blocks, blanket, 2 bolsters, hemp belt, eye pillow, sandbag)

    Lay one blanket width ways over your mat, place 3 foam blocks width ways in a row from top of your mat. Place a blanket folded into a small thick square, smooth folded edge towards you, on the 1st block. Sit a little in front of the foam blocks with one bolster either side of your thighs, bring soles of your feet together and rest knees/outer thigh on the bolsters. Heels are as close or away from buttocks as feels comfortable.

    (Optional) Make a large loop in your belt, bring it over your head ensuring the buckle is toward your dominant hand to adjust belt tension. Push the belt down to the sacrum (avoid lower back) then up and over your hips, then under the little toe side of your feet. Using the belt lengthens the tailbone and holds feet in place (ensure the buckle is in the gap of the thighs and not on skin or fabric). Optional – place sandbag on feet for grounding.

    Recline onto the 3 foam blocks, ensure that the 1st foam block is above your waist as you lay back, this ensures the chest will be lifted and open by foam blocks allowing breath to flow freely. Draw shoulders down back to create space across chest, pull blanket in support head, chin towards chest, palms facing up or wherever offers most comfort.

    Place eye pillows where feels best and dissolve into this deeply healing posture that is calming and allows fuller breaths plus the angle of thighs and pelvis allow for tension to be released and move deeper into relaxation.

    Prasarita Pādottānāsana – Spread foot Forward Fold with a Chair

    (chair, 2 blankets, bolster, belt, sandbag

    Using the long edge of your mat, place the chair to the centre of the mat. Place one blanket on the seat of the chair, a bolster and another blanket folded. Have a foam block handy, as the height of the props is personal and I describe it as a Jenga moment. 

    Make a big loop in your belt, standing in Tadāsana – Mountain Pose, step the feet as wide as feels comfortable. Bend knees and place the belt under aches of felt, ensure the buckle is facing you and adjust it so feet feel as if they are still in Tadāsana. Stand upright with hands on hips, turn heels out and toes in, root feet inhale, broaden chest and as you exhale hinge at hips and fold forward, sending sit bones back and up and lengthening chest forward. 

    Keep chest lengthening forward as you reach arms onto chair seat, rest forehead on the folded edge of blanket keeping nose and mouth free. Neck spine should be flat with no curve, adjust your head support (Jenga moment) with foam block, folding blanket more or less. Find your comfort, then enjoy the calming sensation of forward fold and freeness of breath into the back body plus gentle opening to hamstrings.

    (If the hamstrings are not allowing you to rest with ease, the same posture can be achieved by sitting down in front of the chair and folding forward, adjusting prop height to rest forehead).

    Adho Mukha Savaāsana – Downward Facing Relaxation pose

    (bolster, 4 blocks, 2 bricks, blankets, rectangular bolster, chair, sandbag

    Place the folding chair (or sturdy coffee table) near top of mat, place bolsters horizontally, 1 in front of the chair, the 2nd behind the chair, slightly away from chair legs. Fold 1 blanket to cover chair seat, 2nd blanket fold into a small thick square, 3rd blanket create thick ankle roll (or use baby bolster).

    Place 4 foam blocks in the middle of the bolster behind the chair, place cork bricks either side of foams, place the small thick blanket on top of foams, smooth edge facing chair. Place rolled blanket/baby bolster towards foot end of your mat.

    Knee on the bolster in front of the chair, keeping feet and knees hip distance apart. Bring blanket roll/baby bolster under ankles. Draw shoulders back and draw then leading with chest bring yourself through the chair. Ensure your hip crease is in contact with the chair seat. Lengthen chest forward, keeping nose and mouth free, to rest forehead onto folded blanket on top foams.

    Another Jenga moment where you decide if height is comfortable allowing neck spine to be flat (no curve). Lengthen tailbone away. (Optional) place sandbag on tailbone & draw down towards heels feeling tailbone lengthen and ground.

    Roll shoulders away from wards, roll forehead towards hairline creating more space and now dissolve into this deeply calming and nourishing posture allowing breath to move with ease. Enjoy!