The History and Power of Restorative Yoga Positions

In a day and age where lives are hectic and hurried, restorative yoga poses are particularly attractive to many yogis. The word yoga, in fact, actually means “to unite” in the language of Sanskrit. The practices of this physical, mental, and spiritual exercise is actually designed, going back to 4000 BCE, to help you feel whole as an individual. That is why the physical parts of yoga, the breathing and poses, are so popular in the western world.

Usually, yoga classes and even practice sessions you conduct alone will begin with a series of poses. Those, then, will often be followed by a restorative pose or two that will center you once again. Many modern teachers of yoga world wide have actually begun to concentrate the majority of their yoga teachings on the restorative yoga poses and practices. It only makes sense to do that with the state of people’s lives today. 

One such teacher of restorative yoga poses is B.K.S Iyengar. From Pune, India, Iyengar has been teaching yoga for over half a century. As one of the most creative and experienced yoga teachers in the world, he focuses much of his teaching and writings on restorative yoga poses. Early on, in fact, Iyengar modified yoga positions to benefit those with injury or to aid those who were at risk of injury straining to reach certain poses. He soon saw the restorative properties and possibilities. This creativity led to much of his teaching and the authority he now carries as one of the pioneers of this special adaptation of yoga. 

A common way of reaching restorative yoga is through the use of props that can help you get an injured limb or other body part into position even when there is sensitivity. The support of the props allows the body to relax even during stimulation. It is this active relaxation that will allow the body to pursue balance more easily. There are restorative yoga poses that work on both the entire body as well as individual body parts, depending on which ones you attempt.