Restorative Yoga has been such a saving grace for my yoga practice. I never thought I’d look at a yoga bolster with the same affection as I would my yoga mat! My mat and I have such a connection, it’s that safe place that is just for me, my movement, my breath, my focus. Sweat drips, hands grip, feet hop, turn and curl.
A restorative practice is practically the opposite of a vinyasa flow class. One begins with a few moments of mindful breathing and scanning the body up and down, simply to check in with oneself and become grounded into the practice space. The main difference between restorative postures and a flow sequence is that we hold each asana for 5-10 minutes versus 5-10 breaths! We must first get our minds and bodies prepared for relaxation before attempting to rest in a posture (mind chatter free) for minutes at a time. We live in a time where we are always in our heads, buzzing off caffeine rather than seeing the world clearly and peacefully - insert restorative yoga as your medication.
At the MKE MindBody Wellness lounge you will find small, intimate class sizes maxing out at 5 yoga mats. Our room is lit with candlelight, comforted by an oversized rug and inspiring with imagery of tropical palms and plenty of green potted plants. Aromatherapy is an amazing asset to the center as we have custom blended oils that enhance the restful experience. Light, hands on adjustments will be used from the instructor, but only at the students approval.
We maintain our restorative practice in order to rest and digest our body, tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system is our goal with these long relaxing poses. As previously mentioned, we’re living in a time of high stress, typically keeping our sympathetic nervous system active and firing the fight or flight mode regardless if we find a lion in our living room or get a dirty look from our boss.
Your body will feel warm and supported with blankets, bolsters, folding chairs, blocks and straps along with gentle encouragement from the instructor. Allowing yourself to surrender to relaxation, aromatherapy and let go of ruminating thoughts are just a few benefits of joining us for a restorative yoga class. We hope to see you soon!
Every Sunday Evening
Meditation class, 6-6:30pm, $10, 8 people max
Restorative Yoga 7-8:15pm, $15, 5 people max