Restorative Habits – How to cultivate a little peace?
What does rest mean to you at this time in your life?
Jo Saxton says that "Rest is not the absence of activity but the presence of peace." That is to say, there are many different ways to rest, aside from lying down at home. It’s perhaps more helpful to regard rest as something that helps to foster a peaceful state and limits the restless energy that many of us find ourselves experiencing, hopping from one job to the next.
I'm a 'do-er' kind of person… Naturally I’m drawn to energetic movements. When I was younger I swam competitively and loved the feel of my body working hard... I enjoy the feeling of my heart beating, my skin tingling and that energy vibrating through me. However, since I can remember, I’ve always found a real benefit in taking little savasanas when I’m feeling exhausted or depleted. About 20 minutes is just the tonic for me and often works better than a caffeine hit.
Though I've practiced yoga and mindfulness for years, and I talk about yoga every single day running Jasmine, some forms of mindfulness do not come easily to me, but that’s okay, because there are different ways to restore and I have been fortunate enough to learn from some excellent teachers including the Queen of the Restorative Practice, Anna Ashby.
The more I learn and train in Restorative yoga, the more I’m fascinated by it and the growing need in our culture to value the pause. "Instead of asking, 'Have I worked hard enough to deserve rest?' ask, 'Have I rested enough to do my most loving, meaningful work?" ~ Nicola Jane Hobbs. Isn’t this sentiment just wonderful? Read it again. Why does this idea of ‘deserving’ rest come from? Surely, by taking care of our bodies and minds, and by understanding how we draw our energies, we have far more balance and propensity to welcome joy into our lives…
You may like to reflect on your relationship with rest…
1: How was rest modelled to you growing up?
2: How do you 'see' rest?
3: What does it look like in your life today?
4: If you live with others, how do you model rest and what messages are they receiving?
What does stress look like?
Stress is a normal and healthy reaction in the body when change occurs, resulting in physical, emotional and mental responses. The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it – the responses that are created is stress. Stress responses help your body adjust to new situations. Stress can be positive, keeping us alert, motivated and ready to avoid danger. For example, if you have an important test coming up, a stress response might help your body work harder and stay awake longer. But stress becomes a problem when stressors continue without relief or periods of relaxation.
The body’s autonomic nervous system controls your heart rate, breathing, vision changes and more. Its built-in stress response, the “fight-or-flight response,” helps the body face stressful situations. When a person has long-term (chronic) stress, continued activation of the stress response causes wear and tear on the body. Physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms develop.
Stress has a larger impact on our society than many might think. In the UK (2022):
The most common cause of stress is work-related stress with 79% saying they frequently felt it (Statistica)
One in 14 UK adults (7%) feel stressed every single day (CIPHR)
30% of older people reported never feeling overwhelmed due to stress, compared to just 7% of young adults (Mental Health Foundation and YouGov)
74% of people feel so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope (Mental Health Foundation and YouGov)
Inpatient hospital admissions caused by stress-related illnesses in the UK cost around £8.13bn (Statistica)
46% say that they eat too much or too unhealthily due to stress (Mental Health Foundation and YouGov)
It’s rather clear that the reality of modern living leaves many of us fatigued – emotionally, mentally, and physically. Technology further suppresses many of our body’s natural responses - vital and tangible cues – that help the nervous system feel safe. The pandemic furthered our reliance on technology as an interface for connection which poses a real problem for the nervous system which has evolved over the millennia through direct contact and interaction with others. We live in such a multi-sensory environment where noise and light surround us and the natural rhythms of our body clock struggle to operate. It’s a perfect storm of connected disconnect with everything at our fingertips but a lack of community… a restlessness. In a culture that values striving, achievement and goals, what we don’t favour is inactivity, what many people think of as ‘wasting time’. How can we progress towards a goal by doing nothing?
Think of it in relation to this analogy… You decided to go swimming but when you arrive, the sea is stormy, choppy, and the waves are coming in, one after another. Is the best decision to dive in and swim? You might want to get right in and swim as you planned, but you wouldn’t last long before fatigue hits you. So you pause, you rest and you do nothing. Then you enter the water when all is calm and you take your time, you appreciate the experience and stay for longer – calm and focused.
What happens to our bodies & minds when we relax?
If we don’t learn how to truly rest the parasympathetic nervous system, we’re depriving the body of the opportunity to fully let go.
Lowering your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate
Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain
Improving concentration and mood
Reducing fatigue
Reducing anger and frustration
Boosting confidence to handle problems
Boosts immune system
Boosts creativity
Helps you be your best self
But rest can take many different forms…
Rest is defined as: “shifting from what’s external to what’s internal and making time and space for our inner selves, our minds, and our creativity.” Rest is the only way to engage the part of our nervous system that allows for relaxation.” It is literally vital for our physical and mental health. We need to start valuing taking care of ourselves as much as we value accomplishing tasks.
Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith insists "we go through life thinking we've rested because we have gotten enough sleep -- but in reality we are missing out on the other types of rest we desperately need" and outlines different types of rest that are essential for human flourishing.
1: Physical Rest – Giving your body a break. This is the usual definition of rest we're all familiar with. But while we know we need to spend a decent number of hours in bed to stay healthy, a steady drumbeat of studies shows a large proportion of us still don't get enough physical rest - Sleep, Yoga Nidra, Sound Baths, Gentle Stretching
2: Mental Rest - A "non-thinking" activity to keep the swirling tornado of thoughts at bay - baking, painting, single tasks
3: Psychosocial Rest – Some people energise or support you… Others drain you… Something relating to your space – either being close or being by yourself - a hug, or something more intimate. Equally it could be having your own space.
4: Sensory Rest – Calming and soothing - giving your 5 senses a break when you’re feeling overstimulated - Quiet walks in nature, calming smells, regulating movement, soft textures like blankets or socks, mood lighting.
5: Creative Rest – Time to create and enjoy the journey of making something - Drawing, decorating cakes, creating designs, trying new crafts or recipes, creative writing
6: Spiritual Rest - All humans, no matter their religious affiliation or lack thereof, have a need to feel connected to something larger than themselves - Meditation, prayer, rituals, reading
7: Emotional Rest – Expressing our feelings freely - sharing not pushing deeper down, being truthful about how we’re feeling, not pretending - can be crying, journalling, therapy
8: Playful Rest - Trying something new or childish, carefree - watching Emily in Paris, board games, playing on the swings.
What exactly is Restorative Yoga?
Patanjali’s 8 limbs of yoga provide us with a roadmap to live a meaningful and purposeful life. It relates to how we interact with the world around us, to the values we hold dear… How we use our physical yoga practice and how we can control and utilise the breath and ultimately move towards a more mindful and balanced existence. The restorative practice is often described as Limb 3 and a half – that is, it sits between the 3rd limb asana (the postures) and the 4th limb pranayama (the breath). At the heart of this practice lies the breath and discovering a comfort in stillness, letting go of tensions and allowing the mind and body to be. We move through a series of mat-based poses, supporting the body, with lots of props, to surrender down. With comfort, we can invite stillness and breathe fully and expansively. Restorative yoga challenges us to be with ourselves, fully, immersively, without apology. It is not doing nothing. We are connecting with our ‘whole self’ and subsequently widening our propensity for joy and peace. It is vital!
Can you recall that beautiful state between awake and sleep, when you feel calm and although you’re present, it’s kind of ‘floaty’?
Well that’s the state we look for in the Restorative Practice – a lightness through the mind and a heaviness through the body. It’s different to Yin which can feel very intense, working into the connective tissues, the ligaments, and the joints. Restorative is gentle and a practice for the mind. Above all else, it’s a practice of ahimsa (non-harm, love)… compassion for yourself. There’s no right or wrong way and that narrative in your head is not the truth.
Can you treat yourself with kindness, as you would a loved one who you care about deeply? Each time you step on to your yoga mat, it’s an invitation to connect with yourself, whatever your needs are on a certain day.
As yoga teachers, we simply hold space for you whether you need to move or rest…