One of the Best Things I’ve Bought (and no, it’s not chocolate) - hint - restorative yoga!

Well, you’ve probably guessed it’s yoga related, and there were close contenders, my weighted yoga blanket, my gorgeous eye pillow, but no, drum roll….my yoga bolsters (I have two)!!. Not flashy or expensive but big, soft props that have deepened my love of restorative yoga.

Restorative yoga changed my whole understanding of rest. Most of us have a misunderstanding of what rest is - watching TV, endlessly scrolling, or some other form of entertainment - but with these things, we are still in our head, still ‘thinking’.  When we are in a restorative posture, we can move into ‘being’, into deep rest, which allows our body and nervous system the opportunity to slow down, soften, and deeply rest. 

From the outside, restorative yoga looks like lying down and doing nothing. And it is!! It’s not flashy or physically challenging - you’re simply supporting your body with bolsters, cushions, blankets, or whatever props you have to hand. But beneath that stillness, something powerful happens. It’s not about stretching or pushing your body—not about doing, it’s about undoing. Letting go. Creating the conditions for your nervous system to regulate and heal, and for your breath and mind to settle in a way that’s rarely possible in our busy day-to-day lives.

It’s not about achieving anything-it's about being kind to yourself, being gentle and giving yourself time to just be. And it’s wonderful that science is catching up with what yoga has been teaching for years. Practices like restorative yoga are now proven to help with sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, support recovery from burnout or illness, and offer gentle physical opening without any strain. 

So, although I love my bolster, you don’t need loads of yoga props to try it. You don’t even need a bolster (though I do recommend getting one if you can). One of the easiest ways to start is to:

*Set a timer for ten minutes with a gentle alarm, can be longer if you have time. 

* Lie down on your back and pop your legs up on the sofa or a chair so that your knees are bent at 90 degrees. Use blankets to support and bring softness to the back of the body/ legs.

* Take time to be warm and check that your head is comfortable. 

* If it feels comfortable to focus on your breath, lengthen your exhale by taking a few humming breaths or breathing out through an imaginary straw. If your mind races, that’s okay, come back to the rhythm of your breath. If it’s too much to be in silence to start, put on soothing music with no words, and when you have done it a few times, try it with no music. 

That’s it. That’s restorative yoga. No fancy poses, no sweating, no expectations. Just a quiet, supported space to rest and reconnect. In our busy times and our stressed out world, it’s hard to overstate just how radical and important this is. It’s not a reward for productivity, not because you’ve earned it, but just because you’re human—and you need it. Rest doesn’t make you lazy. It makes you whole. It allows you to show up for life in a softer, more present, more compassionate way.

I also love to share restorative yoga, and supporting others to move into rest. I offer one-to-one therapeutic sessions and also share workshops in Brighton, you can find details here. https://www.yogawithtammy.co.uk/restorative-yoga-workshop  - next dates are 

Saturday 13th September- 2.30-4.30pm and Saturday 11th October- 2.30-4.30pm

Would love to hear your experience of restorative yoga, or please let me know if you have any questions.