Restorative Rest: Front Body Release With Crocodile Pose

Crocodile is a simple restorative practice that rests the heart, belly, and hips with the support of a bolster, folded towels, or firm pillows. Rest is one of the most important things we can do for our physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. And we are living in a culture that equates stopping and resting with failure and death. Resting is non-doing that allows the body and nervous system to unwind itself and combat the toxic effects of chronic stress.

Transcript

Hey friend,

It's Susan.

Welcome to a restorative rest practice.

Today,

Crocodile.

A simple front body release using two firm pillows or a bolster for support.

Rest is one of the most important things we can do for our physical,

Mental,

And emotional health.

And we are living in a culture that equates stopping and resting with failure and death.

Given that,

A practice of resting is a radical act of healthy self-care.

Resting is different than sleep,

Different than stretching.

Resting is non-doing that allows the body and nervous system to unwind itself.

The practice is one of presence and noticing that gives the nervous system the opportunity to engage in what Dr.

Herbert Benson calls the relaxation response.

Research shows that the relaxation response may help people to counteract the toxic effects of chronic stress by slowing breath rate,

Relaxing muscles,

And reducing blood pressure.

Many of us carry tension in our front body,

A tight throat,

Clenched heart,

A sucked in belly,

And rigid hips.

Crocodile pose offers support for the front body to allow these tender places to release and unwind themselves.

We begin with some gentle movement and breathing and then go into this simple restorative rest practice that softens these tightly held places.

For this practice,

You need a yoga bolster or a couple of firm pillows,

Maybe off of your sofa,

Or two thick towels folded into squares.

If you'd like to gather your props,

Just pause the recording and I'll be here when you get back.

Once you've got your props ready,

Let's set up so we're ready to rest.

You can do this practice either on the floor or on a firm bed or sofa.

If you're on the floor,

Make sure there's something under you like a carpet,

A yoga mat,

A blanket,

Or like I like,

A combination.

You want the surface to be soft and comfortable.

Take your bolster,

Pillows,

Or folded towels and line them up the long way in your space.

Make sure you have some space on either side and above and below the props.

Now that we're set up,

Let's start by moving the body a bit before we rest.

First,

Stand with feet about hips width apart or a little wider,

A stance that feels good and stable.

Close your eyes or lower your gaze and take a deep breath,

Reaching your arms up to the sides and overhead.

Exhale your arms softly down.

Notice your body.

Notice your mind and see what's happening.

Notice if you feel tension anywhere or openness anywhere.

Notice if you feel numb or disconnected or if you feel jittery or spacey.

Just observe.

Now press your feet down into the floor and breathe your arms up along your sides.

Let your palms come together at the top and then as you exhale,

Slide your palms down the center line of your body.

Do this two more times,

Breathing in,

Reaching and stretching up.

Let your palms then exhale your palms down the center.

And again,

Breathe in and stretch up at the top,

Lengthen your body.

Then exhale,

Palms come together and down the center line.

This time,

Breathe in and reach your arms up overhead and then as you exhale,

Soften your knees and roll your body down,

Folding forward from the hips.

You can rest your forearms on your thighs,

Put your hands on the seat of a chair in front of you or put your hands on the floor.

If it feels good,

You could also take your hands and your elbows.

Right away,

Bend your knees a lot so your torso,

Your front body rests on your thighs.

And breathe a lot,

Fill your back ribs with breath.

Let your head hang,

Shake and nod the weight of your head,

Releasing your neck.

Feel the front of your body resting on your legs.

You might shift your weight a little side to side or even twist a bit.

Take a couple of long,

Slow,

Deep breaths here in forward fold.

Notice the sensation of space and length in your neck,

Your spine and back,

Your shoulders.

Notice the support of your legs under your front body.

Take one more big breath here and as you let it out,

Slowly make your way down to the floor or whatever surface you're practicing on.

Now let's set up our restorative rest practice,

Crocodile pose.

Make your way onto all fours or tabletop with your hands and knees on either side of the bolster or pillows.

Your belly floats over the supports.

Spread your hands out wide so you can feel the spaces between your fingers and let your index fingers point forward.

If your wrists are tender as mine often are,

You can rest on fists with thumbs pointing forward.

Place your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.

Make a choice of your toes either tucked under to stretch your feet or toes lengthening back to open the fronts of your ankles.

From here,

Move your spine around.

You can start with traditional cat and cow poses.

Inhaling,

Lift your chin and tailbone.

Exhale,

Tuck your chin and tail down.

Inhale,

Lift.

Exhale,

Tuck under.

Give yourself the time to feel the front of your body lengthen on the inhale and the back of your body expand on the exhale.

After a few breaths of cat and cow,

You can decide to keep going or to move your spine in any way that feels good.

Around in circles,

Wagging side to side,

Hips sliding forward and back or side to side.

Follow sensation.

Follow what feels good.

Keep breathing and sensing your body,

Feeling front,

Back and sides.

Now,

Let's take crocodile.

Slowly and gently let your body soften from tabletop down onto the bolster or pillows.

Rest your position so your head can rest at the top and your belly rests at the bottom of your support.

Depending on the length of your supports and the length of your body,

Your hips may be up on the pillows or on the floor,

But your head should definitely rest on the pillow.

Now,

Lengthen the right side of your body.

Your right arm reaches long on the floor ahead of you and your right leg reaches back on the floor behind you.

On the left side,

Let your knee and elbow come close together on the floor.

Turn your head toward your bent left arm and leg and let your cheek rest on the pillow.

Pause and check out how this feels.

It should feel comfortable like you could stay here for a while.

You might want to adjust where your hips and head land.

You might want to play with the placement and orientation of your feet.

On my bent leg side,

I like to have the arch of my foot on the floor and on the straight leg side,

I like the top of my foot on the floor.

But see what feels good to you.

Check out how your hands are placed on the floor and the placement of your cheek on the pillow.

Once you feel comfortable,

Take a long,

Slow,

Deep breath in and let your body soften into the support.

The front of your body,

Soft and vulnerable,

Is supported and connected to the earth.

Let your face,

Heart and hips be heavy.

Imagine your tailbone is heavy and long like a crocodile's.

Let your breath flow easy and steady with the intention of letting go of any clenching or gripping.

And this may take a little while.

Most of us spend much of our days holding,

Bracing and protecting.

This posture is a chance for your body to let go of chronic tension and reset your nervous system.

Allow your breath to flow seamlessly in and out.

Breathe in easy and smooth.

And without pause,

Let your breath flow out evenly.

In and out.

A smooth,

Circular breath.

Imagine each breath gently unwinding the fibers of muscle and tissue,

Relaxing your bones closer to the ground.

Just pause here.

Listen to your breath.

Notice any sounds around you.

Let them come and go.

Feel yourself supported.

Notice any sensations in your body.

Allow them to come and go too.

Keep breathing and sensing for a few breaths,

About a minute.

Take a deep breath in and super slowly push yourself up onto all fours.

Take more time than you think you need to do this.

As you come slowly into tabletop,

Move your spine around in any way that feels good.

You can cat cow a couple of times,

Circle,

Stretch.

After an asymmetric pose like crocodile,

The body loves to feel some symmetry.

So move your head,

Tail,

Spine,

Shoulders and hips.

When you're ready,

Take crocodile on the other side.

Slowly and gently let your body come back down onto the bolster or pillows.

Adjust yourself so your head rests at the top and your belly rests at the bottom.

Like on the first side,

Your hips may be up on the pillows or on the floor.

Lengthen now the left side of your body,

Your left arm reaching long on the floor ahead of you and your left leg reaching back on the floor behind you.

On the right side,

Let your knee and elbow come near each other on the floor.

Turn your head toward the bent right arm and leg and rest your cheek on the pillow.

Pause and check out how this feels.

Make any adjustments to your hips and head placement.

Check out how your feet and hands feel,

Your knees and elbows.

What adjustment could you make that would feel even a little bit more comfortable?

And once you feel at ease,

Take a long,

Slow,

Deep breath in and let your body soften into the support.

Like a crocodile in warm mud,

Imagine your tailbone reaches long and heavy behind you.

Your belly nestles into the softness underneath.

Let your face,

Heart and hips be heavy.

Let your breath flow easy and steady.

Do your best to let go of any clenching or gripping.

Take your time.

There's no rush,

Nothing to do.

Invite your front body to relax when it's ready.

And notice this second side might feel different than the first.

That's completely normal and totally fine.

Just notice how it is here.

Allow your breath to move in a big,

Easy circle again.

Without pauses at the top or bottom,

Just in and out.

A smooth,

Circular breath.

Each breath smoothing and softening.

You can imagine yourself both floating and sinking at the same time.

Floating effortlessly and sinking deeply.

Listen to your breath.

Notice sounds outside you and sounds inside you.

Notice any sensations,

Tightness or tingling,

Warmth,

Coolness,

Weight,

Lightness.

There's nothing to do about them.

Just notice them coming and going.

Flowing around you and flowing through you.

Keep breathing and sensing for a few breaths.

When you're ready,

Take a deep breath in and slowly,

Slowly push yourself up into all fours.

Take lots of time.

When you arrive on hands and knees with broad fingers and toes either tucked or long,

Move your spine around in any way that feels good.

Gently move your head,

Tail,

Spine,

Shoulders and hips.

Notice how your body feels now.

To close the practice,

You can slowly turn around and lie on your back on the pillows if that feels good or not.

Move the pillows aside and lie directly on the floor,

Maybe with one of the pillows under your knees.

Just let the back of your body be supported for a bit.

Take a few long,

Slow breaths.

You can stay here as long as you like.

Give yourself all the time you need to deeply rest and soak in the relaxation response.

When you're ready to end your practice,

Come out slowly,

Slowly.

Roll to one side gently and pause there for a full breath.

Then slowly push up into sitting.

Pause there for a breath in and out.

Feel your body reorient into upright and then gently transition into whatever is next for you.

Thank you for taking the time for the radical self-care of rest and for supporting the amazing instrument of your life,

Your body,

With the essential nutrient of the relaxation response.

I'm Susan.

Thank you for practicing with me.

Until soon,

Breathe deep,

Shine bright,

And show up.

Reviews

Hello beautiful 🌸☀️🌸☀️🌸Thank you so much for the wonderful movements 🍫so delicious for the body like eating chocolate 🗺️have a blessed day 🕉️Namaste