Restorative Yoga... What is it, really??? Every Friday morning at 9:30 am at Brightwater Yoga students are finding the answer to that question within themselves.  Lately, interestingly enough, the class has grown in numbers and students are sharing with me how amazing they feel all day after the class and at times that feeling lasts for days at a time. Why do they feel so good? Why is the class growing in popularity?  The answer is simply because this class gives us permission to let down our guard and actually relax in a structured environment under the guise of watchful, caring and empathetic eyes. Basically, we just don't know how to relax. The fact is relaxation is a process that just has to happen. It cannot be forced or even anticipated. In a typical Restorative Class at Brightwater, there will be lots of props scattered all over the floor by each student. The teacher will demonstrate a pose and then guide the students as to how to set up for the pose and, once in the pose, the students will hold that pose...sometimes for 5 minutes and sometimes for up to 45 minutes. What is important to understand though is that this class (for the most part) is completely passive - meaning that there is no muscular engagement necessary to hold the pose. Instead, the props "hold" the pose and the student is asked to let go and "fall" into the posture. At first, this may be more difficult than you might think which is why postures are often "held" for long periods of time. There is this amazing state of being somewhere between sleep and still being awake, with clarity and totally relaxed. That is the place this class is attempting to introduce you to and allow you to exist within.   I often describe this class as being very subtle. It's often the subtleties in life that we either overlook or are the hardest to access.  That's why this class is unlike any other class at Brightwater Yoga...not even Gentle Yoga and, at the same time, it is a wonderful compliment to all of them. This class targets calming the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in an effort to restore energy by creating a sense of true calm and quiet that can ultimately be accessed even when not in class. There's a strong emphasis on observance of breath - which I should clarify that is very different from breath work or Pranayama.  You are encouraged to simply observe your breathing while in the poses in an effort to give the mind somewhere to "rest" so that it doesn't take over. Come in and give one of these classes a try the next Friday morning you have some time...I feel sure you and your body will be so glad you did!!      Namaste.