Restorative Yoga for Anxiety | Regulate Your Nervous System

This short restorative yoga practice can help you regulate your nervous system and with that also regulate your anxiety. We will take 3 longer holds that are supported by various pillows and blankets, to really feel safe and supported in our practice. Make sure that you have a soft surface, a bolster or a big pillow, one small pillow, and perhaps a blanket handy, and then let's restore.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to this restorative yoga for anxiety.

My name is Doris,

I'm amongst other things a true mindformed yoga teacher and I want to guide you through three restorative poses today that can really help to regulate your nervous system and therefore reduce and regulate your anxiety.

So what you might need for this practice and what I really do recommend is to have a bigger pillow if you have a yoga bolster that's great but you can also use bigger pills that you might find on your sofa or perhaps use a few smaller pillows or even a folded blanket so you have a little bit of support for the spine and the belly.

And for restorative yoga that means that we're going to stay in poses for about five minutes today and we really do want that support so this is why we're going to use these props today.

And next to that bigger pillow or bolster I recommend to have a bit of a smaller pillow as well.

You also won't be needing a yoga mat however I do recommend to have a soft surface and maybe you want to just spread out a blanket.

I also find that this can be really nice to have a dedicated space and maybe even set these both metaphorical but also physical boundaries.

And maybe you want a second blanket here as well in case you get cold.

And once you're settled and paused this if you need a bit more time I invite you to come into a comfortable seat.

You could do this on the sofa,

On a chair or on the ground whatever feels most comfortable.

I really like to hug my smaller pillow to my chest so this might feel good to you or perhaps you want to hold yourself,

Hold the arms,

Hold your shoulders and give yourself a hug.

And in this seat of yours I invite you to focus on your breath.

Without trying to guide the breath simply noticing when and how the inhale comes into the body and how the exhale leaves the body again.

Maybe you can notice movement in your body,

Say a lifting in the chest or the belly and maybe you can notice that lowering down again as you exhale.

Throughout this practice you can keep your eyes closed or open whatever makes you feel most safe.

Perhaps inviting a little bit of softness into the face,

Into the jaw,

Into the shoulders.

And as we're just breathing here if you notice that you're feeling a bit anxious now then it might feel nice to sway side to side.

That gentle rocking motion can be really great and helpful for a nervous system.

So sometimes stillness is a bit too much so know that you can always have mindful movement to come back to.

Breathing in and breathing out again.

And just gifting yourself a few more rounds of breath.

And then slowly starting to release your breath knowing that it's still there but we just want to set up our first pose.

So perhaps it feels good to squeeze that pillow once again,

Squeeze your body.

Maybe you want to gently open the eyes if they were closed.

And then whenever you're ready and know that there is no rush we're going to set up our first pose which is a supported child's pose.

So you could do this without props and in any way that you want to take a child's pose.

However for this restorative version I like to have something underneath my chest.

You could set up the blanket as a sort of cape here if you're getting cold so you're really snuggled up nicely.

So to set up we're going to come into hero's pose.

So you're going to sit on your heels bringing the knees as far apart as it feels comfortable or as close together as you'd like.

And then if you have a bolster or that bigger pillow or the pile of pillows here,

Bringing them underneath the chest so you've got something to lean on.

So you're not lying on the floor but rather feel a little bit of support from your props.

Finding a comfortable position for your arms and if you have something underneath your forehead then it might feel more comfortable to lie on one cheek rather than for it down.

And as we are staying in this pose for about five minutes it's really worth to set it up properly,

Make it comfortable for yourself and take this time even as a sign of self-love and self-appreciation and self-care to really really get comfortable.

And sometimes when we stay in poses for a longer period of time they can change and how we feel in them can change.

So know that you always have agency and you always have the choice to change or even come out completely and perhaps re-enter or simply choose to stay out of the pose.

It can be a really powerful act to take action and adjust and serve your needs.

Once you're settled in I invite you to focus on your breath,

Feeling it enter the body and leaving the body again.

Know that even though I'm not always talking that I'm still here,

That we're connected through this practice and that by simply taking this time for yourself that this is already a huge step in such a great accomplishment to your day.

You're going to be together for about two minutes in silence,

Always have your breath to keep you company here.

And relax.

Maybe one or two last rounds of breath in your child's pose.

And then to come out really taking your time here you can slowly bring the hands towards the ground and push through your arms to very slowly roll up back into a seat.

Taking your time to come out,

No rush,

Perhaps looking around the room and allowing the body to acclimatise to a vertical position after being more in a horizontal line for quite some time.

It might feel nice to eventually stretch the legs out as our next pose is going to be with bent knees again.

Maybe gentle circles of the neck could feel nice or perhaps a very yummy stretch.

Leaving the set up more or less as it is,

So having the bolsters stretched out in front of you and maybe you want to keep that little cape of a blanket as well here can feel really nice.

And then once you're ready and again take your time if you're not,

For our second pose it's going to be a deer twist.

So having this pile of pillows,

This bolster in a line out in front of you,

So you're facing the shorter edge of that pillow or that bolster.

Starting from hero's pose again sitting close to your pillow and then moving your knees out to the right so you're starting to sit on the left outer thigh and your left hip.

And from here you're going to turn your torso towards that bolster on the ground and frame it with both hands.

And from here you might first want to shift your knees a little apart,

Find a really comfortable position in your lower body.

And then start to walk the torso down towards that pillow and again maybe lie on your left cheek here,

That might be most comfortable or it could also be the right cheek.

And allow both arms to come to the ground.

And find a comfortable shape for your shoulders,

For your arms,

For your upper body.

This should feel really yummy and supportive.

You might want to change the distance between sit bones and bolster or pillows.

Again don't be afraid to shuffle around,

To move around until you've really found a comfortable,

Dear twist.

Finding a soft face,

A soft jewel and maybe a soft gaze as well.

Focusing once again on your breath,

Your constant companion throughout this,

Throughout life.

And maybe you can notice your body slowly melting towards the ground,

Melting against your support.

And again know that I'm here,

Know that you can always listen to the sounds and I will leave you to enjoy this pose in silence now for about two minutes.

Taking perhaps two conscious breaths again.

So unravel,

Taking your time again,

Maybe walking the hands slowly onto the ground so that you can push up.

Unravelling vertebra by vertebra until you find yourself back in the seat,

Kind of sideways to that pillow.

From here maybe gentle neck circles,

Maybe extending the legs or simply sitting in silence.

And then for the other side,

Simply turning about 180 degrees to how you were sitting before.

So both knees are out to the left and you're sitting on your right outer thigh.

Have your right side towards the pillow.

Then gently starting to first shift your legs in a comfortable way again.

And then turning to face your bolster with your torso,

Framing it with your hands and starting to take the journey towards the ground and finding support with your pillows,

With your props here.

Maybe lying on your right cheek this time.

In a way giving your pillows a hug here.

Maybe you now have a bit of understanding of how this pose is comfortable for your body.

But again don't be afraid to take agency to make it the most comfortable,

Dear twist for you today.

Perhaps inviting a sense of softness into the body and maybe into the mind as well.

Perhaps you can feel movement in the body with the wave of the breath.

Perhaps a rise in your upper body on every inhale and a lowering of the chest on the exhale again.

And perhaps there is even a sense of a smile on your lips.

Perhaps connecting to a sense of safety.

Having this pillow,

This bolster to lie on.

Being in an almost curled up shape,

Protected and safe.

And as you're staying with this sensation,

Once again I'll give you a bit of time and space to simply be with yourself knowing that I'm still here.

I'll guide you out of this space.

Breathing in and breathing out again.

If you're ready to come out of your dear twist,

Starting to very gently prepare the hands to push the body up.

This can take as long as you'd like.

Almost sloth like motions are more than welcome here.

Eventually you will find your way out of dear twist.

Maybe extending the legs,

Moving the body or enjoying that sense of stillness after your restorative pose.

Perhaps to finish here you want to hug that pillow of yours in again.

Maybe there is a sense of a smile on your face or perhaps just the thought of a smile can be enough.

Gifting yourself one last full breath.

Maybe bringing chin towards chest as a humble gesture of gratitude towards body and mind for allowing you this practice.

I want to thank you for taking this time to practice on so much more than just a physical level and I hope that your anxiety feels a little bit more regulated.

Know that you can always come back to this practice or join any of my life classes as I know first hand how yoga can help regulate your anxiety.

Thank you so much for taking this time.

Namaste.

Reviews

This was a beautiful, simple and calming practice. Thank you. x

Wonderful. My nervous system loved this practice and your calm soothing voice 🙏🏼🤍

Very supportive and calming