Exercise for people who hate it
Stephen Heard signed up with Auckland’s Contemporary Yoga Centre to try the most sleepiest practice of all.
Good news for the inactive – restorative yoga allows you to get healthier by practically doing nothing at all. Restorative yoga isn’t your typical method of sun saluting. It’s part yoga, part meditation, and at times, part snoozing. Inspired by the work of B.K.S. Iyengar, the yoga maestro who trailblazed drawn-out poses and the use of props to support the body, the practice uses blankets and large sausage-shaped yoga pillows (or bolsters) to assist with poses that are held for extremely long periods of time.
In your average one-hour class only two to four postures are actually practised; participants can lounge in poses from anywhere between five and 30 minutes. Several folded blankets lay on the floor at Auckland’s Contemporary Yoga Centre or The Cave.
At my nest of fabric, restorative yoga advocate and teacher Karla Brodie helps me into the start resting position before the class even begins. My head rests on a neat blanket square while another is spread across my upper body.
The student next to me was already deep in a nap. After some focused breathing, the lights dim and we start with a round of introductions. Attendance reasons range from seeking enlightenment to simply looking for an escape from the hustle of life. Brodie suggests that the practice is similar to origami because of the time spent folding blankets.
The first posture is a variation of the common ‘‘legs-up-the-wall pose’’ (Viprita Korani), using inversion to align the spine and allow for the maximum flow of blood. The feet are raised with a bolster before several sizes of blankets are folded, tied and folded again for a supportive base.
Once lying in position, Brodie completes the experience by adding and adjusting several more blankets, including an eye cover. It’s basically like being tucked into bed. The comforting experience is completed with a meditation commentary that story-tells its way through the cycle of breathing, and the appreciation and focus of singular body parts. A soundtrack of snoring kicks off throughout the space.
The second posture is a supported ‘‘child’s pose’’. We arrange our sausage-bolster and blankets into another foundation to allow for maximum support while lying on our stomachs. The relaxation is deep with this one – with no concept of time, we may have been in this position for around 25 minutes. The posture is cut short by a tiny gong announcing the end of the class.
Returning to Earth, Brodie mentions that the class may trigger an increase in energy or make you enter a dreamy state. The drowsy, comatose feeling is immediately evident. I leave with a cup of sleepy tea and fall asleep that night before even touching the pillow. Restorative yoga could be the ultimate remedy for restless sleepers. Brodie says that participants often comment they have the best night’s sleep after a class.
‘‘The deeply nourishing and restful approach to yoga supports easeful breathing, good digestion and a settled nervous system.
‘‘The practice is a powerful antidote to high levels of stress, anxiety and fatigue, both mental and physical. Through the regular practice of restorative yoga we can cultivate a fitness of being present and calm.’’ There are more risks actually getting to the studio than encountering anything of great danger in a class of restorative yoga. Brodie suggests that the only thing people should be worried about is falling asleep, ‘‘especially if a participant is riding life with elevated levels of stress and a layer of fatigue beneath’’. Restorative yoga classes can be found across the country. For more information see karlabrodie.co.nz