Featured Pose: Reclined Cobbler's Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

by Baxter

Reclining Cobbler’s pose is deeply restful, much loved restorative pose that is relaxing when you’re stressed and refreshing when you are fatigued. It provides a gentle stretch for your front body, spine, and hips. It’s also an excellent pose for aiding digestion, as it relaxes your abdominal area, and the versions with support under the torso encourage the movement of waste through your digestive system.

Because backbends are typically uplifting, you can use this supported backbend to improve your mood when you are feeling discouraged or depressed. You can also use Reclined Cobbler’s pose for meditation and breath practices, if you want an alternative to sitting poses.

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

• digestive problems, such as chronic constipation
• tight hips or spine
• stress
• fatigue
• recovery from illness
• insomnia
• cooling from overheating
• symptoms of menstruation, PMS, or menopause
• depression

Timing: We recommend that you stay in this pose for at least 10 minutes to trigger the Relaxation Response. If you’re comfortable in the pose, you can gradually lengthen your time up to 45 minutes. It’s a good idea to set a timer, in case you fall asleep. 

Cautions: Everyone should be completely comfortable in the pose. Those of you with back pain issues should ensure that in the variations with support under the torso that your back is completely comfortable. If not, try another version, and if that doesn’t work, ask for help from your local teacher. Those of you with shoulder problems should ensure that you have no shoulder pain. If you do, try placing folded blankets under your arms. Those of you with hip or knee pain in the pose should use higher props under your legs so those joints stay comfortable. If you can’t figure out how to get completely comfortable on your own, consult with your yoga teacher. Don’t fall asleep in the pose, as you can overstretch.

1. Classic Version 

To set up for the pose, fold one or two blankets lengthwise, into long rectangles that are about 4-6 inches wide. Then lay the blanket(s) lengthwise along the long axis of your mat. 

Sit in front of the narrow edge of the blanket (not on it) and come into Cobbler’s pose by bending your knees, bringing the soles of your feet together, and releasing your knees towards the floor. Next, place your hands on the floor slightly behind your hips to support you, and slowly lower your torso and head onto the folded blankets without lifting your buttocks off the floor or the mat. To support your head, fold the far end of the top blanket under to create a pillow. Take your arms out to your sides, at an angle of 45 to 90 degrees, with your palms facing up. (Sorry, the photo doesn't match exactly, but you get the idea.)

When you are comfortable in the pose, close your eyes and focus on releasing any tension in chest, shoulders, spine, and hips. Once you have physically relaxed, you can bring your attention to your breath as a way of staying present in the pose. 

To come out of the pose, use your hands to bring your knees together and the soles of your feet to the floor. Then roll to one side, and use your hands to come up to sitting. Sit quietly for a few breaths before moving on.

2. Elevated Bolster

By providing a higher support for your torso, this variation makes the classic pose accessible and/or more comfortable for people who are tight in the hips or have a hard time with back bending. And some people just consider it more relaxing. Because your head is much higher than your heart, this version makes it easier to stay awake in the pose.

To set up for the pose, place a bolster lengthwise along the long axis of your mat, and place one or two blocks underneath the bolster to create a sloping angle towards the front of the mat. If desired, add a folded blanket or towel at the far end to support your head and neck.

To come into the pose, sit in front of the bolster (not on it), come into Cobbler’s pose, and use your hands to lower yourself onto the bolster. If your hips or knees are uncomfortable, support them with blocks or rolled blankets. Position your arms as in the classic pose. (Sorry, the photo doesn't match exactly, but you get the idea.)

When you’re comfortable, close your eyes and use the same focus as the classic version. To come out of the pose, use the same techniques as for the classic pose.

3. Support for Hips and Knees

If you have tight hips, painful knees, sacroiliac joint problems, or experience any discomfort with your legs in Cobbler’s pose, this variation provides support that will hopefully eliminate discomfort.

Set up for the pose as in the classic version. When you come into Cobbler’s pose, slip blocks or rolled blankets under your knees and upper thighs, and release your legs completely onto the supports. If your legs can’t relax completely or you’re still not comfortable, try higher supports. 

Come into the pose as in the classic version. If needed, you can re-position the props under your legs to find the optimum support.

When you’re comfortable, close your eyes and use the same focus as the classic version. To come out of the pose, use the same techniques as the classic version. 

4. Calves on a Chair 

(Sorry, no photo.) 

Because your spine is in a neutral position, this variation is a good alternative for those with back pain or discomfort while back bending. And because this pose is an inversion (your legs are higher than your torso), it is a good alternative for those who cannot do Legs Up the Wall pose due to tightness in their legs and for those who want to reduce swelling in their legs. 

To set up for the pose, place your chair on the front of your mat, with the seat facing the back of the mat, and put a mat or folded blanket on the chair seat for cushioning. 

To come into the pose, start by lying on your back in front of the chair with your calves resting comfortably on the chair seat. Then release your knees apart into Cobbler’s pose, allowing your feet to separate as you do so, until the outer sides of your lower legs are resting comfortably on the seat. If your lower legs are not relaxing completely, try scooting your buttocks further forward or back.

When you’re comfortable, close your eyes and use the same focus as the classic version. Stay as long as you wish, but come out early if your legs fall asleep. 

To come out of the pose, bring your knees together and step your feet to the edge of the chair seat. Then roll to one side as you gently lower your feet and legs to the floor. Use your hands to come up to sitting, and sit quietly for a few breaths before moving on.

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Mini Digestion Practice

by Baxter and Nina

Even though we posted this sequence a few years back, the day before American Thanksgiving seems like a good time to revisit Baxter's Mini Digestion Practice. Even if you don't celebrate American Thanksgiving—or if you don't overeat on that day—sooner or later we all need to pamper our digestive systems a bit.

A simple underlying principle for working with digestive issues is that no matter what’s going on, all digestive issues respond to restorative poses. Remember, the opposite of the Fight or Flight Response is the Rest and Digest Response (also known as the Relaxation Response—see Relaxation Reponse and Yoga for information). So, this mini restorative practice, which consists of three of Baxter’s favorite restorative poses, can be very helpful for digestive problems as well as other problems caused by stress, such as insomnia, fatigue, and anxiety. 

1. Reclined Cobbler’s Pose, from 10 to 20 minutes. Set a timer so you don’t fall asleep in the pose.

You will notice from the photograph that we’re using quite a few official yoga props (including a block under the bolster to prop the bolster at an angle). Don’t let this prevent you from trying it! If you don't have bolsters and blocks, look around your house to see what else you can use; try cushions from your couch, folded blankets, beach towels, and so on. Just make sure you’re completely physically comfortable in the pose. (See Featured Pose: Reclined Cobbler's Pose for more information.)

One of the important parts of completing digestion is good elimination. In addition to physical relaxation, which this pose provides, gravity is also helpful for good elimination. As you can see from the photo, Reclined Cobbler’s pose creates a gradual slope from your head to your hips. Therefore, it’s possible that this pose can help with problems such as constipation and sluggish elimination. One of our favorite teachers, Patricia Walden, suggests that this pose may increase blood flow to your organs, as well as cool your digestive fire. 

2. Supported Child’s Pose, for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn your head to the other side when you’re half way through.

Make sure your bolster (or folded blankets, stacked pillows or couch cushion) is pulled in against your pubic bone so your belly actually rests on the prop. If necessary, turn the bolster on its edge or add folded blankets on top of the bolster to make sure your belly is fully supported. (See Featured Pose: Supported Child's Pose for more information.)

As you can see from the photo, Child’s pose is a forward bend of your belly toward your thighs. Because the bolster is pressing against your belly, it’s possible this posture will have a stimulating effect on your digestive system and your abdominal organs. Patricia Walden suggests that this pose can relieve constipation, gas, and bloating.

3. Legs Up the Wall pose, from 10 to 15 minutes. Come out if your legs fall asleep.

We’re showing two versions of the pose, one with just a folded blanket and the other using a bolster with a folded blanket underneath it and a second folded blanket under the spine. Try both versions to see which one is more comfortable for you. If they are equally comfortable, try the higher version, as this may enhance your relaxation. (See Featured Pose: Legs Up the Wall Pose for more information.)

This pose is a slight inversion (more so on the bolster than on the blanket). Therefore, it could have any even more profound quieting effect on your nervous system than the first two poses. Also because your hips are higher than your heart, there is a mild reversal of the effects of gravity, which could quiet an over-stimulated system in people who have, for example, IBS or chronic diarrhea. Patricia Walden says this is an excellent pose of nausea and diarrhea. However, if you have a history of gerd or chronic heartburn, take care with this pose, and come out if makes your symptoms worse. 

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Yoga Relaxation Techniques: They're Not Interchangeable (Rerun)

by Nina

Patterns in the Sand 2, by Brad Gibson

Okay, I admit it. It’s probably my fault. I’ve been going around saying that you can trigger the Relaxation Response (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga) using any of the following: restorative yoga, inverted poses, Savasana, pranayama, meditation, and yoga nidra, etc. as if all those practices were somehow interchangeable. This has led to questions like the following comment left on a Friday Q&A: Yoga Nidra, Restorative Yoga, Meditation and Savasana:

It is very helpful to read the distinctions between these four practices as I try to practice all of them, but it's hard to find the time. I'd be really interested to get your thoughts on whether it's important to do all four? For example, if you do restorative while listening to a nidra CD, do you also need to meditate? I'm interested to know what the various benefits are of these four practices, or are the benefits all the same? 

Let me start by saying that what I said previously—that you can use any of these practices for stress management—still holds true. And it is also true that you can choose whichever techniques you prefer to trigger the Relaxation Response. However, these practices each have different roles to play in a balanced yoga practice. 

The role of meditation in a balanced yoga practice is particularly important. That’s why I asked Timothy to write an article on the purpose of meditation (see his absolutely wonderful post Is Meditation an Essential Par of Practicing Yoga?). Basically, although you can use meditation for stress reduction, its role in classical yoga is to quiet the mind to allow union with the divine or “liberation”: 

1.2 Yoga is the cessation of movements of consciousness.
1.3 Then the seer dwells in his own true splendor.

— from Yoga Sutras, trans. B.K.S. Iyengar

Meditation is also, as Timothy mentions, a “fabulous tool to study your mind and slowly gain more control over it.”

Pranayama is also an important component of classical yoga, which precedes meditation as one of eight steps on the path to samadhi (union with the divine). It is considered an instrument to “steady the mind” and a gateway to dharana (the first phase of meditation).  

“Pranayama removes the veil covering the light of knowledge and heralds the dawn of wisdom.

Its practice destroys illusion, consisting of ignorance, desire and delusion which obscure the intelligence; and allows the inner light of wisdom to shine. As the breeze disperses the clouds that cover the sun, pranayama wafts away the clouds that hide the light of intelligence.” — Sutra 2.52 trans. by B.K.S. Iyengar

On the other hand, the two types of asana I recommended for triggering the Relaxation Response, restorative yoga and supported inversions, are brilliant 20th century inventions, mostly developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, which are designed specifically to maximize physical relaxation and reduce stress. Judith Lasater, one of the most renowned teachers of restorative yoga, writes in the introduction to her book Relax and Renew: 

“The antidote to stress is relaxation. To relax is to rest deeply. This rest is different from sleep. Deep states of sleep include periods of dreaming which increase muscular tension, as well as other physiological signs of tension. Relaxation is a state in which there is no movement, no effort, and the brain is quiet.

"Common to all stress reduction techniques is putting the body in a comfortable position with gentle attention directed toward the breath.”

Likewise, yoga nidra is also a 20th century invention (though you may see some claims to the contrary) developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. The first sentence of his book Yoga Nidra defines the practice like this:

“Yoga nidra, which is derived from the tantras, is a powerful technique in which you learn to relax consciously.”

In yoga nidra, you lie in Savasana while the voice of a teacher (or a recording) guides you through a physical and mental relaxation process. So, like restorative yoga, yoga nidra is specifically intended as a relaxation technique, and as such does not replace meditation or pranayama in a balanced yoga practice. This would be true of any form of Savasana in which an external voice is providing instructions and/or imagery for you. Unlike other relaxation techniques, yoga nidra includes a sankalpa (an intention) that allows you to influence your subconscious (or so it is claimed). For example, “I will awaken my spiritual potential,” “I will be a positive force for the evolution of others,” or “I will be successful in all that I undertake.” So this may be something you wish to take into consideration when choosing your relaxation practice.

Unlike the modern restorative postures, Savasana is a much older pose. Based on what I’ve read about the original practice, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Savasana is a reclining form of meditation. For some traditional yogis, it was a meditation on death, hence the literal translation of the name Savasana is “Corpse pose,” and it was sometimes even practiced alongside actual corpses. To practice Savasana properly, however, you must actually do the work of meditating while you are in the pose (and make sure you don’t fall asleep). If you don’t actually meditate while in Savasana, then, well, you are simply relaxing. But that's okay, too, if that is what you are after.

So there you have it. Which of these practices you decide to adopt really depends on what your goals are as well as your preferences. If you’re just after stress management and better health, it doesn’t really matter which you chose. However, if your goal is the “liberation” that is yoga’s ultimate aim, both pranayama and meditation are essential steps along the path.

Sorry if I caused any confusion! 

Ultimate liberation is when the gunas, devoid of any purpose for the purusa, return to their original [latent] state; in other words, when the power of consciousness is situation in its own essential nature. —Yoga Sutra 4.34 —trans. Edwin Bryant

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Of Mice and Men: Yoga as a Refuge

by Nina

Two Mice by Hokusai

Recently a friend sent me a link to this video on stress by Dr. Kelly McGonigal because she thought I might find it interesting. Well, I started to watch it thinking I might share it on Facebook, but I was so troubled by what Dr. McGonigal said during the first minute that I switched it off. What Dr. McGonigal said—and perhaps she was just being dramatic—was that she had entirely changed her mind about how stress affects our health because of a study she read that showed that people only got sick from stress when they believed that stress was bad for them.

I just found that hard to believe! Now I know Kelly’s a Stanford psychologist and all, but I’ve been married to a scientist for a very long time so I tend to be very skeptical about some of these types of studies. So I decided to do a reality check with said scientist (for our newer readers, that would be Brad Gibson, a medical researcher at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging). I told him about what she claimed, and asked if that was possible.

“It’s BS,” he said firmly. “After all, most of the studies on the effects of stress have been done on mice.”

I understood his point: they didn’t exactly divide the mice into two groups, one who they told that stress was bad for mice and the other who they just stressed out without telling them that stress was bad.

And just as I was starting to wonder how you stress out a mouse, he said, “For example, in some studies they make it impossible for a mouse to create its little nest.”

I thought that was fascinating—a mouse needs to go off by itself for periods of time into its cozy little place in order to stay sane.

Brad went on, “If they disrupt a mouse’s ability to nest, it becomes very stressed out and there are obvious chemical changes they can measure. If they continue the disruption for only a short period of time, the mouse’s chemical balance will return to normal. However, if this goes on for a very long period of time, the imbalance can become permanent.”

Well, we’ve been talking on this blog about the negative effects of chronic stress since the early days (see Chronic Stress: An Introduction and Stress, Your Health and Yoga). But what this particular story about the experiments on mice made me think of was my own yoga practice. Yes, my regular home practice is my refuge, not unlike the little nest a mouse makes for itself to retreat to. Spending that quiet time alone, feeling my body and my breath, almost never fails to make me feel better than before I practice. And when I am experiencing stressful events—that is unavoidable of course, and maybe the point Kelly McGonigal was trying to get to—I tailor my practice to calm and comfort myself. And this yoga as a "refuge" concept is one of the main reasons I’m on a mission to encourage people to start practicing yoga at home, even just for short sessions.

Restorative yoga in particular, with all the blankets and pillows and comfy bolsters, is a little bit like nesting, isn’t it? If you’re not familiar with restorative yoga, read Restorative Yoga: An Introduction and see Mini Restorative Practice for a mini restorative practice that is suitable for most everyone. Even just a brief session of Supported Child’s pose can be extremely calming and comforting.

P.S. I suppose that some of you will or have already watched the entire video, and may want to straighten me out about what Dr. McGonigal's real message was. Feel free! But this post isn’t really a response her video so much as a little tale of mice and men.

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More Love for Baroreceptors: Supporting Your Head in Restorative Poses

by Nina

When I first starting taking yoga, I was confused about why my teachers were always rushing put to a folded blanket under my head when I was lying on my back. Something about the position of my head when I was lying on the floor was driving them crazy, but what was it? And why was it such a problem?

Later I learned that they were adding this support because, when my head was flat on the floor, due to tightness in my shoulders, my neck was arching up and back and my chin was tipping away from my chest. Putting the folded blanket under my head allowed me lie with my chin pointing toward my chest like this:

This was considered to be the proper--and healthy—position for the head in supine poses. So I went along with it. But secretly I continued to wonder why. In case you have already noticed, I'm like that—always wanting to know the whys as well as the hows, always wanting to dig a bit deeper. Which is probably why I ended up as a yoga blogger, but I digress.

Anyway, it was only when I learned about baroreceptors that I found a satisfactory explanation. As I mentioned yesterday (see Why You Should Love Your Baroreceptors), when your neck is slightly flexed (the position when your chin is pointing toward your chest), the position puts some pressure on the baroreceptors in your carotid arteries. And this pressure can cause the same response as an inverted pose does on your nervous system—switching you from fight or flight to the relaxation response. The opposite neck position with your neck in extension (a backbend position with your chin tipping away from your chest) can have the opposite effective, stimulating your nervous system.

Of course, this understanding of the role of baroreceptors in yoga poses is very recent. In fact, the understanding of the role in regulating blood pressure in general is pretty recent as well. So the yoga teachers, like B.K.S. Iyengar, who developed restorative yoga discovered the best position for the head through personal observation, not science. (That says a lot about personal observation, doesn't it?) Interestingly, the head position Jalandara Bandha, with neck flexed and chin pointing down toward the chest, used in seated poses for pranayama, which is much older than restorative yoga, was probably adopted for the same reasons. Yoga practitioners noticed that head position enhanced the quieting effect of the practice.

I thought I'd tell you all this not just because you might not have made this connection on your own, but because I also realized there might be some people out there who don't have teachers running to put a folded blanket under their heads every time they lie in a supine restorative pose. So that's both the how and why for you. The how is that when you lie on your back, if your chin does not easily point down toward your chest, always add some support under your head. The why is that having your chin pointing down toward your chest will enhance your relaxation due to slight pressure on your baroreceptors.

Long live head support!

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Supported Forward Bends: Peaceful Poses for Stress, Anxiety, Neck Pain and Headache Prevention

by Nina

We finally took some new photographs, and now I’ve got a portfolio of my favorite poses for stress management and anxiety! So I thought that today I’d introduce you to some of favorite quieting poses: supported forward bends. A supported forward bend is one where you use a prop, such as a bolster, stack of blankets or a chair seat to support your head and arms as you stay in the pose. Relaxing onto the support helps remove straining from the pose and enhances the quieting quality of the forward bend. These are gentle, inward-turning poses that both calming and nurturing.

You can do supported forward bends in two forms: standing and seated. Standing supported forward bends are particularly good for stress as they are partial inversions. See Just in Time for the Holidays: Inverted Poses for information about why inverted poses, including partial inversions, are so beneficial for stress management.

Because the supported seated forward bends are less active than the standing versions, they are more quieting. And because you’re resting the weight of your head and relaxing your neck, these poses may also help with neck pain and headache prevention. I love supported seated forward bends, especially when I’m feeling anxious, however, some people do not enjoy supported seated forward bends, finding them rather too quieting, in other words, sort of deadening. And they’re probably not the right poses for people suffering from depression. So you’ll have to try for yourself and see what you think.

In general, when setting up for these poses, it’s important to be honest with yourself about how many props you need to be truly comfortable. The aim here isn’t to feel a stretch, much less any pain, but to use the pose to quiet yourself physically and emotionally.

As you come into the pose, bend from your hip joints and keep your back straight. This will help prevent back strain that comes from rounding your back. If you need to sit on a folded blanket to encourage the bend from your hips—most of us do—then add that prop as well (see photo).

When you bring your head onto the prop, do not force your head down. If your head doesn’t reach easily, you need a higher prop. For the Standing Forward Bend, you can stack two blocks, with one on the lowest height and the second on the highest. Stacking two blocks end on end, however, is unstable, so be honest with yourself and get your chair! (Besides, if you compare, most chair seats are lower than two blocks end on end, anyway—check it out and see.)

If you want to sequence these poses, I recommend starting with the standing versions first—they are better for warming up your legs and hips, and are more active—and then moving onto the seated ones. Of course, any of these can be done alone, or as part of any restorative or stress management sequence (we’ll have some of those coming in the near future). And there’s no reason at all why you can’t end an active practice with a supported seated forward bend of your choice, followed by Savasana.

1. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), with your head on a block or chair
2. Widespread Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana), with your head on the floor or on a block or chair
3. Wide Angle Pose (Upavista Konasana) or Seated Crossed Legs, with your head on a bolster or chair
4. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana), with your head on a bolster or chair

I hope these poses bring you peace.

Update: Wondering where those photos are? It turns out, they're not quite ready yet. We took them, but I don't have access to them this afternoon. I'll add them to this post as soon as I get them, so check back again.

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Yoga Relaxation Techniques: They're Not Interchangeable

by Nina

Patterns in the Sand 2, by Brad Gibson

Okay, I admit it. It’s probably my fault. I’ve been going around saying that you can trigger the Relaxation Response (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga) using any of the following: restorative yoga, inverted poses, Savasana, pranayama, meditation, and yoga nidra, etc. as if all those practices were somehow interchangeable. This has led to questions like the following comment left on a Friday Q&A: Yoga Nidra, Restorative Yoga, Meditation and Savasana:

It is very helpful to read the distinctions between these four practices as I try to practice all of them, but it's hard to find the time. I'd be really interested to get your thoughts on whether it's important to do all four? For example, if you do restorative while listening to a nidra CD, do you also need to meditate? I'm interested to know what the various benefits are of these four practices, or are the benefits all the same?

Let me start by saying that what I said previously—that you can use any of these practices for stress management—still holds true. And it is also true that you can choose whichever techniques you prefer to trigger the Relaxation Response. However, these practices each have different roles to play in a balanced yoga practice.

The role of meditation in a balanced yoga practice is particularly important. That’s why I asked Timothy to write an article on the purpose of meditation (see his absolutely wonderful post Is Meditation an Essential Par of Practicing Yoga?). Basically, although you can use meditation for stress reduction, its role in classical yoga is to quiet the mind to allow union with the divine or “liberation”:

1.2 Yoga is the cessation of movements of consciousness.
1.3 Then the seer dwells in his own true splendor.

— from Yoga Sutras, trans. B.K.S. Iyengar

Meditation is also, as Timothy mentions, a “fabulous tool to study your mind and slowly gain more control over it.”

Pranayama is also an important component of classical yoga, which precedes meditation as one of eight steps on the path to samadhi (union with the divine). It is considered an instrument to “steady the mind” and a gateway to dharana (the first phase of meditation).

“Pranayama removes the veil covering the light of knowledge and heralds the dawn of wisdom.

Its practice destroys illusion, consisting of ignorance, desire and delusion which obscure the intelligence; and allows the inner light of wisdom to shine. As the breeze disperses the clouds that cover the sun, pranayama wafts away the clouds that hide the light of intelligence.” — Sutra 2.52 trans. by B.K.S. Iyengar

On the other hand, the two types of asana I recommended for triggering the Relaxation Response, restorative yoga and supported inversions, are brilliant 20th century inventions, mostly developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, which are designed specifically to maximize physical relaxation and reduce stress. Judith Lasater, one of the most renowned teachers of restorative yoga, writes in the introduction to her book Relax and Renew:

“The antidote to stress is relaxation. To relax is to rest deeply. This rest is different from sleep. Deep states of sleep include periods of dreaming which increase muscular tension, as well as other physiological signs of tension. Relaxation is a state in which there is no movement, no effort, and the brain is quiet.

"Common to all stress reduction techniques is putting the body in a comfortable position with gentle attention directed toward the breath.”

Likewise, yoga nidra is also a 20th century invention (though you may see some claims to the contrary) developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. The first sentence of his book Yoga Nidra defines the practice like this:

“Yoga nidra, which is derived from the tantras, is a powerful technique in which you learn to relax consciously.”

In yoga nidra, you lie in Savasana while the voice of a teacher (or a recording) guides you through a physical and mental relaxation process. So, like restorative yoga, yoga nidra is specifically intended as a relaxation technique, and as such does not replace meditation or pranayama in a balanced yoga practice. This would be true of any form of Savasana in which an external voice is providing instructions and/or imagery for you. Unlike other relaxation techniques, yoga nidra includes a sankalpa (an intention) that allows you to influence your subconscious (or so it is claimed). For example, “I will awaken my spiritual potential,” “I will be a positive force for the evolution of others,” or “I will be successful in all that I undertake.” So this may be something you wish to take into consideration when choosing your relaxation practice.

Unlike the modern restorative postures, Savasana is a much older pose. Based on what I’ve read about the original practice, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Savasana is a reclining form of meditation. For some traditional yogis, it was a meditation on death, hence the literal translation of the name Savasana is “Corpse pose,” and it was sometimes even practiced alongside actual corpses. To practice Savasana properly, however, you must actually do the work of meditating while you are in the pose (and make sure you don’t fall asleep). If you don’t actually meditate while in Savasana, then, well, you are simply relaxing. But that's okay, too, if that is what you are after.

So there you have it. Which of these practices you decide to adopt really depends on what your goals are as well as your preferences. If you’re just after stress management and better health, it doesn’t really matter which you chose. However, if your goal is the “liberation” that is yoga’s ultimate aim, both pranayama and meditation are essential steps along the path.

Sorry if I caused any confusion!

Ultimate liberation is when the gunas, devoid of any purpose for the purusa, return to their original [latent] state; in other words, when the power of consciousness is situation in its own essential nature. —Yoga Sutra 4.34 trans. Edwin Bryant

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Featured Pose: Supported Child's Pose

by Baxter and Nina

This is one of the most comforting restorative poses. The position is one that small children take naturally when they are trying to rest or self soothe. And while many of the other restorative are supine (facing up), which can make some people feel vulnerable (especially if they are suffering from anxiety), in this pose you are in a prone position (facing down), which feels safe and nurturing.

Supported Child’s Pose allows you to rest deeply without falling asleep. Most people find that even a few minutes in this pose calms the nervous system while resting the body and soul. According to the yoga tradition, Child’s Pose can be beneficial for certain digestive conditions, including constipation, bloating, and flatulence.

The supported version of Child’s Pose is more accessible than the classic version for people who are tight in the hips, knees or ankles, as well as for those who are particularly stiff in the spine. It’s also a good way to broaden and open your upper back, which gets tight from sitting and/or being upright all day.

Your head is turned to the side in this pose, creating a passive rotation of the cervical spine that could help with the range of motion of your neck (for neck health). The pose takes your knees into full flexion (bending) which can improve the range of motion for people with stiff knees. And because your feet are pointed and your ankles are stretched, the pose can increase the range of motion in those joints. Finally, this is an accessible forward bend that allows those who find seated forward bends difficult to experience the soothing qualities of a comfortable forward bend.

You can practice this pose on its own for a short rest or include it at the end of any practice or as part of a restorative sequence, such as our Mini Restorative Sequence for Digestion.

Instructions: Start by assembling your props, including a bolster, preferable a round one (though whatever you can get your hands on, including a couch cushion, can work), and one to three blankets. The number of blankets you will need depends on how stiff your ankles or the tops of your feet are, so you may need to experiment.

Fold your blankets in standard fold (see photo) and set them cross-wise in the center of your mat.

Next, kneel on the blanket stack so your knees are supported by the blanket while your with your ankles are at the back of the blanket stack so your feet can hang off the back. Point your toes backward (do not tuck them under), with your big toes lightly touching and your knees as wide apart as your bolster is wide. Before bringing your bolster into position, sit down on your heels.

Because even a round long bolster will get flat over time, take your bolter and rotate it so the thickest part is facing toward the ceiling. Then pull the bolster up to your lower belly and pubic bone, but no lower. Do not bring the bolster under your pelvis or sit on it. Now, keeping your hips relatively low, drape your belly and chest out onto the bolster, turning your head to one side and letting your cheek rest on the bolster. Check to make sure that you feel your entire front body is supported by the bolster. If there are any gaps between you and the bolster, take the time to place blocks or other props underneath the bolster to support your entire body and remove the gaps. Make sure you’re comfortable before settling into the pose.

When you are comfortably supported by the bolster, bend your arms at the elbows while keeping your upper arms in line with your shoulders. Rest your forearms on the floor, parallel to the sides of your body.

While you are in the pose, it’s more restful and relaxing if you take a focus for your mind. It’s especially easy in this pose to practice breath awareness, so try bringing your focus to feeling your back body moving with your breath. But you can can do any mediation technique you like. Stay in the pose for about three to five minutes, turning your head to the other side half way through the duration.

To come out of the pose, slide your hands back so they are on the floor beneath your shoulders. Then use the strength of your arms to roll your head and spine back toward vertical. If it’s comfortable for you to sit back on your heels, sit for half a minute to acclimate to being upright again or change to any comfortable position.

Cautions: This is a very safe pose, and with proper use of props it should be accessible to almost everyone. If you have any joint issues in the hips, knees, ankles or neck, you may have to change the propping. Although a mild stretching sensation is fine, you shouldn’t feel any pain in this pose. So if you do experience pain, come out immediately and try changing your propping. If you can’t get comfortable on your own, try asking your yoga teacher for some help. And if you really cannot get comfortable, you can try the same pose upside down! Really. Try lying on your back with the bolster along your torso, and wrap both your arms and legs around it.

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Restorative Yoga: An Introduction

by Nina

Last fall I did a series of posts on yoga and stress. Working from my first major post on the topic (see Relaxation Response and Yoga), which listed the various types of poses and practices that are helpful for stress, I added posts that expanded on each of the items I listed, except one: restorative yoga. My reason for skipping over the topic of restorative yoga was simple: I didn’t have any good photographs of restorative yoga poses that I could use with my post! But last week for Baxter’s post on digestion (see Mini Restorative Practice for Digestion), I finally had a chance to take a few photos of three of the classic, most frequently practiced restorative poses. And I woke up this morning realizing that it was finally time to address this topic.

Restorative yoga is a form of yoga that was specially designed to provide deep rest and relaxation. In restorative yoga, you use props to support yourself in the shape of a classic yoga pose, including forward bends, backbends, side stretches, twists, and inversions. For example, in Child’s Pose, rather than folding forward all the way on to the floor, you use a bolster or stack of folded blankets to support your entire front body.

The props you use in restorative yoga not only make the pose more comfortable but they take the effort out of the pose. Rather than using your muscles to hold you in the shape of a pose as you would normally, the props hold you in the pose so you can simply let your muscles relax. With your muscles completely relaxed, you can then turn your attention inward, focusing on your breath, physical sensations, or any other object of meditation, which allows the relaxation response to switch on.

Restorative yoga is perfect for those days when you depleted, sick, stressed out, low on energy or are just in the mood for a soothing practice. For people who can’t practice inversions for stress reduction, restorative yoga poses are an excellent alternative. For example, Reclined Cobbler’s pose with props is the perfect choice for a 10 to 20 minute stress reduction practice.

Are you looking at this photograph and wondering why you would want to go through all the trouble of getting all those props together when you can just lie down in Savasana (Corpse pose)? Well, I’m writing today to answer that very question.

First of all, like active yoga poses, the type of restorative pose you do can have a strong effect on your moods and emotions. And because you typically stay in a restorative yoga pose for longer periods of time, the emotional effect can be even stronger. For example, the forward bend of Child’s pose is normally quieting (as a forward bends for people who can practice them comfortably), and the restorative version is even more quieting. Active backbends can be simulating and uplifting, and while the restorative versions are not stimulating (all the effort is taken out of them), a restorative backbend can also be uplifting, providing an anti-depressant effect. (See Yoga and Your Emotions for information on the emotional effects of poses.)

And, secondly, in Savasana your body is in an anatomically neutral position, so no muscles are being released or stretched. In a restorative pose, however, you still receive many of the benefits of the pose itself. For example, in a restorative backbend, you are opening your chest and stretching many of the muscles that become tight after driving long distances or sitting hunched forward at a desk all day. Passively stretching your muscles as your relax increases your feeling of relaxation, as some of the stress you have been holding in your body is gently released. And because you are completely comfortable and relaxed, you can stay in the pose for much longer amounts of time. So restorative poses are actually a good way to work on flexibility, as well as relaxation.

But the best way for you to understand the benefits of restorative yoga is to experience them. So if you’ve never tried restorative yoga, experiment by trying either one of the poses I’ve shown today (or any other you’ve seen before). As always, you can just do a single pose or you can do short or full-length sequence (see Mini Restorative Practice for a short sequence). If you’re feeling hyper from stress or anxiety, you may find it difficult to lie down in a restorative pose. In this case, I recommend doing either an active yoga practice or some other form of exercise first before the restorative pose.

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Friday Q&A: Why Not Sleep?

Q: On yesterday's post Mini Restorative Practice, you wrote about Reclined Cobbler's pose that we should set a timer so we don't fall asleep. Why isn't it okay to fall asleep in a restorative pose?

A: Good question! There are actually two reasons not to fall asleep in a restorative yoga pose. The first reason is that with the exception of Relaxation pose (Savasana), in all restorative poses there are parts of your body that are being stretched. For example, in Reclined Cobbler's pose you are stretching your groins and inner thighs, and your back is supported into a backbend shape. Falling asleep in the pose means you risk staying in the pose too long and over-stretching muscles. That's why teachers will warn you to set a timer—to ensure that you don't over-stretch and injure yourself.

A second reason to stay awake in restorative poses is because there are several benefits you gain from conscious relaxation than you don't gain from sleep alone (though, of course, getting enough sleep is also vital for your health). Briefly the differences between sleep and conscious relaxation are the following:

1. Dreams can actually cause stress through nightmares and anxiety dreams. During conscious relaxation on the other hand, your production of stress hormones gradually decreases, and other symptoms of stress, including both the physical and emotional sensations, subside.

2. During conscious relaxation, oxygen consumption decreases 10 to 20 percent during the first 3 minutes of practice while during sleep it decreases only 8 percent after about 4 or 5 hours. This reduced need for oxygen reflects the fact that during conscious relaxation your body is in rest and digest mode, not in stress mode where you are preparing to run or fight.

3.    During conscious relaxation, there is a marked decrease in blood lactate, a substance associated with anxiety attacks. Blood-lactate levels fall rapidly within the first 10 minutes of conscious relaxation, while sleep has no effect on blood-lactate levels. As you relax, your thoughts stop racing and your mind quiets while your body is resting and digesting.

4.    Alpha waves (slow brain waves) increase in intensity and frequency during conscious relaxation, but are not commonly found during sleep. Dr. Roger Cole, a sleep researcher and long-time yoga teacher, says that during rest or meditation our brain waves may slow to the alpha rhythm (8-12 cycles per second), during which we remain quietly aware of ourselves and our surroundings, without a lot of self-directed mental processing. Sometimes they may slow even further to the theta rhythm (4-7 cycles per second), during which we may get a “floating” feeling, dreamlike mental imagery, and withdrawal from the outside world. There is still much that is unknown about these unique states, but what is known is that regular practice of conscious relaxation helps foster ongoing feelings of serenity, contentment, and even happiness.

See Conscious Relaxation vs. Sleep for more information about the benefits of conscious relaxation over sleep.

—Nina

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Featured Sequence: Mini Restorative Practice for Digestion (or just relaxation)

by Baxter and Nina

Baxter’s been thinking a lot about digestion lately because he’s going to be teaching a workshop on yoga for digestion this Saturday, June 2, at Fourth Street Yoga in Berkeley, CA (see 4th Street Yoga for details). And he’s observed that a lovely underlying principle for working with digestive issues is that no matter what’s going on, all digestive issues respond to restorative poses. Remember, the opposite of the Fight, Flight or Freeze response is the Rest and Digest response (also known as the Relaxation response—see Relaxation Reponse and Yoga for information). So with that in mind, today we’re presenting a mini restorative practice consisting of three of Baxter’s favorite restorative poses, which you can use to help with digestive problems as well as other problems caused by stress, such as insomnia, fatigue, and anxiety.

1.    Reclined Cobbler’s Pose, from 10 to 20 minutes. Set a timer so you don’t fall asleep in the pose.

You will notice from the photograph that we’re using quite a few official yoga props (including a block under the bolster to prop the bolster at an angle). Don’t let this prevent you from trying it! If you don't have bolsters and blocks, look around your house to see what else you can use; try cushions from your couch, folded blankets, beach towels, and so on. Just make sure you’re completely physically comfortable in the pose.

One of the important parts of completing digestion is good elimination. In addition to physical relaxation, which this pose provides, gravity is also helpful for good elimination. As you can see from the photo, Reclined Cobbler’s pose creates a gradual slope from your head to your hips. Therefore, it’s possible that this pose can help with problems such as constipation and sluggish elimination. One of our favorite teachers, Patricia Walden, suggests that this pose may increase blood flow to your organs, as well as cool your digestive fire.

2.    Supported Child’s Pose, for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn your head to the other side when you’re half way through.

Make sure your bolster (or folded blankets, stacked pillows or couch cushion) is pulled in against your pubic bone so your belly actually rests on the prop. If necessary, turn the bolster on its edge or add folded blankets on top of the bolster to make sure your belly is fully supported.

As you can see from the photo, Child’s pose is a forward bend of your belly toward your thighs. Because the bolster is pressing against your belly, it’s possible this posture will have a stimulating effect on your digestive system and your abdominal organs. Patricia Walden suggests that this pose can relieve constipation, gas, and bloating.

3.    Legs Up the Wall pose, from 10 to 15 minutes. Come out if your legs fall asleep.

We’re showing two versions of the pose, one with just a folded blanket and the other using a bolster with a folded blanket underneath it and a second folded blanket under the spine. Try both versions to see which one is more comfortable for you. If they are equally comfortable, try the higher version, as this may enhance your relaxation.

This pose is a slight inversion (more so on the bolster than on the blanket). Therefore, it could have any even more profound quieting effect on your nervous system than the first two poses. Also because your hips are higher than your heart, there is a mild reversal of the effects of gravity, which could quiet an over-stimulated system in people who have, for example, IBS or chronic diarrhea. Patricia Walden says this is an excellent pose of nausea and diarrhea. However, if you have a history of gerd or chronic heartburn, take care with this pose, and come out if makes your symptoms worse.

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Friday Q&A: Restorative Yoga

Q: Thanks to your blog, I’ve been practicing Legs Up the Wall pose on a regular basis now, and I just love it. However, I have a friend who can’t do inversions due to blood pressure concerns. What are some relaxing poses that she can do?

A: Restorative yoga is perfect for someone like your friend, as well as anyone who is sick, stressed out, or low on energy, or who just wants to experience a soothing practice. Restorative yoga is a form of yoga that was specially designed to provide deep rest and relaxation. In restorative yoga, you use props to support yourself in the shape of a classic yoga pose, including forward bends, backbends, side stretches, twists, and inversions. For example, in Child’s Pose, rather than folding forward all the way on to the floor, you use a bolster or stack of folded blankets to support your entire front body.

Standard Child's Pose

Restorative Child's Pose

The props you use in restorative yoga not only make the pose more comfortable but they take the effort out of the pose. Rather than using your muscles to hold you in the shape of a pose as you would normally, the props hold you in the pose so you can simply let your muscles relax. With your muscles completely relaxed, you can then turn your attention inward, focusing on your breath, physical sensations, or any other object of meditation, which allows the relaxation response to switch on.

Now you might ask, why would you go through the trouble to put yourself into a restorative yoga pose when you can just do Savasana (Corpse pose)? In Savasana your body is in an anatomically neutral position, so that no muscles are being released or stretched. In a restorative pose, however, you still receive many of the benefits of the pose itself. For example, in a restorative backbend, you are opening your chest and stretching many of the muscles that become tight after driving long distances or sitting hunched forward at a desk all day. Passively stretching your muscles as your relax increases your feeling of relaxation, as some of the stress you have been holding in your body is gently released. And because you are completely comfortable and relaxed, you can stay in the pose for much longer amounts of time. So restorative poses are actually a good way to work on flexibility, as well as relaxation.

We definitely plan to introduce some restorative yoga poses and sequences on this blog in the future, but until then, three of the books on our list of recommendations yesterday (see here) are good resources for information on restorative yoga: Moving Toward Balance, Relax & Renew, and The Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health.

—Nina

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The Relaxation Response and Yoga

by Nina

A Garden Path by Joan Webster

Last week I wrote about the stress response, and how dangerous chronic stress is for your physical and emotional wellbeing (and possibly your longevity). So at this point you might be wondering: wouldn’t it be nice if there were an easy way for you to switch off your stress? I mean, something quicker and less expensive than a month in Tahiti or a week in a spa.

Well, it turns out there is. Remember, between stressful situations, your body needs to rest, recover, and acquire new energy. So your nervous system responds by:

• lowering your blood pressure 
• reducing your heart rate, diverting blood back to the skin and gastrointestinal tract 
• contracting your pupils and bronchioles 
• stimulating your salivary gland secretion, accelerating digestion, and promoting normal movement of food through the gut 

Dr. Herbert Benson coined the term “the relaxation response,” to describe this phenomenon, and he discusses it in detail in his book The Relaxation Response (which I highly recommend). I’ve also heard the term “rest and digest” to describe this state, when your body is recovering and restoring itself, and I find this is a helpful way to think about it, as the opposite of “fight or flight.”

Of course when you are stressed out, you can’t just tell yourself to relax. (I remember when I was suffering terribly from chronic stress, a therapist told me to “stop worrying.” I said, “Are you kidding?” and, duh, never went back.) But this is where yoga performs so brilliantly. Because, as Dr. Benson discovered, to trigger the relaxation response all that is required is:

1. A quiet environment
2. A focus for your mind, such as a sound, word, phrase, physical sensation (breath or body part), or fixed gaze at an object
3. Passive (non-judgmental) attitude 
4. A comfortable position
5. 10 to 20 minutes

If this makes you immediately think of meditation, you’re right about that. But yoga has bunch of different options that you can use to trigger the relaxation response:

• Meditation. See here for information on how to meditate. 
• Breath practices (pranayama). See here for information your nervous system and your breath. 
• Restorative poses with a focus for the mind (such as your breath or the relaxation of your muscles). See Restorative Yoga: An Introduction.
• Corpse pose (Savasana) with a focus for the mind (such as your breath, the relaxation of your muscles, or peaceful imagery). See here for information. 
• Yoga nidra (yogic sleep), a long, structured form of Savasana. See here for information about yoga nidra and here for a mini version of yoga nidra that you can stream or download. 

Eventually, after his initial studies, Dr. Benson removed two items from the list: a comfortable position and a quiet environment. He soon realized that a mind-body practice, such as the yoga asana practice, can be a “moving meditation,” as long as there is a focus for your mind (such as the physical sensations of your body in the pose) and a passive attitude (refraining from judging yourself in the pose, such as how you look or whether you’re doing it “right”). See What is Mindfulness?

Finally, studies by Dr. Roger Cole proved that inverted and semi-inverted poses, where your heart is higher than your head, trigger the relaxation response through the mechanisms that control your blood pressure. This is why supported inversions, such Legs Up the Wall pose and Easy Inverted Pose (legs on a chair), are so effective. See Just in Time for the Holidays: Inverted Poses and Why You Should Love Your Baroreceptors.

And in weeks to come, we’ll provide further information about all seven of these options for triggering the relaxation response: meditation, breath practice, restorative yoga, Savasana, Yoga Nidra, mindful yoga practices, and inverted poses. 

By now you may be saying to yourself that while these practices definitely seem like a bargain compared to vacations and spas (free to be exact), they seem like a bit of work. Can’t I just skip all this “practicing” stuff and get a bit of shuteye instead? Sorry, but it turns out the state of conscious relaxation you achieve by triggering the relaxation response is very different than sleep, and I’ll be discussing that difference in my next post (though, of course, a good night’s sleep is also important for your physical and emotional health). See here for a comparison between conscious relaxation and sleep.

What about turning on the TV or reading a good book? Activities, such as TV and reading, while good distractions, aren’t necessarily relaxing. Hey, suspense, though good for a plot, can be very stressful, and I not only cry at the movies, but sometimes during sad parts of a novel! I’m not saying you should never watch TV or read, just that these activities can’t take the place of the conscious relaxation that yoga provides. So as Baxter said last week, "Got 10 minutes?"

And now, dear readers, I’d like to ask you for your help. What are your favorite yoga stress management techniques? What do you find the most useful? And have I overlooked anything? Also, if you’d like to vote on which yoga stress management techniques you’d like to hear about first, let me know. Leave your answers in a comment to this post or email them to me (see the Contact Us page).

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