Can Restorative yoga be tailored to my specific health needs?

NOTE: This blog does NOT replace a medical professional!

Always check with your health care provider before beginning any yoga practice especially if you recently had surgery, illness, injury, are pregnant or are postpartum.

Depending upon your particular situation, your health care provider may suggest you work one-on-one with a yoga teacher or yoga therapist. In this case a yoga sequence will be developed specifically for you and your circumstance. The same sequence will be repeated with changes made as needed.

Once you receive clearance from your health care provider, a Restorative yoga class or home practice may be very beneficial.

1. All Restorative yoga classes promote relaxation and tension release. Most of the things we do in our daily life can lead to imbalances in our bodies and minds. Taking time to release tension and let go of everyday stress is essential to promoting health and wellness. Restorative yoga helps to balance the nervous system, counteracting the effects of stress.

By stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, restorative yoga offers *potential health benefits. Below is a list of just some of the benefits:

• Promotes healing after surgery/injury
• Lowers cortisol (stress hormone) levels
• Relieves tension and stress
• Calms the nervous system
• Relaxes sore muscles
• Helps reduce obesity
• Relieves sciatica
• Strengthens the immune system

2. Restorative yoga sequences vary from class-to-class depending upon the teacher. There are a variety of Restorative yoga class sequences tailored for many common health issues including:

• · Fatigue
• · Stress
• · General respiratory illness
• · Digestive disorders
• · High blood pressure
• · Sore muscles
• · Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
• · Jet Lag
• · Back pain
• · Tight hips
• · Upper body tension
• · A variety of other health issues

Also, the book, Restorative Yoga for Life by Gail Boorstein Grossman, provides excellent information and sample sequences.