Taking some time out is a huge part of wellness and a vital part of a healthy self-care routine and a large part of our ethos here at Bliss. However, when life is racing full speed ahead, so is your mind and it can be hard to fully recharge. Restorative yoga can help restore the balance of mind and body through deep stretches which allow the muscles to truly relax.
Restorative yoga is a practice all about slowing down and releasing your body’s tension with a series of long stretches supported by props. It is entirely different from most contemporary yoga classes which tend to favour more athletic styles of practice and is often recommended as an excellent antidote to stress.
Here are just a few of the reasons it may be worth investing some time into Restorative yoga for your body:
Benefits of Passive Practice
While active exercise can be great for your body, it can put a lot of strain on our muscles and joints. Holding poses for longer, helps your body to fully engage with the activity, enabling it to benefit from the position and increase flexibility.
Release Tension
Holding restorative poses allows you to notice where your body holds the most tension. Identifying these areas can help you make small changes in your everyday life to reduce the stress and tension which can build up in your body.
Shed the Pounds
A 2013 study from the University of California compared restorative yoga with a more active stretching regime over 48 weeks and found that women practicing yoga lost more fat. One explanation for this is that restorative yoga reduces cortisol levels, the hormone our body produces when we are stressed, of which high levels can be linked to increased abdominal fat.
Balance Your Nervous System
Restorative practice can engage your nervous system and take your body into a state that allows for renewal and rejuvenation by optimising energy flow and encouraging tissue renewal.
Quiet Your Mind
Perhaps one of the most sought after benefits modern yogis crave from their practice, restorative yoga can truly help calm the mind and lighten the load. However, this demands patience; just because your body is relaxing is does not mean your mind will automatically follow. Be patient and you will train your mind to find a place of stillness in the present moment.
We wanted to share our Bliss experience as far as it can go and so we created Bliss News. Even if you can’t go on a beautiful personalised Women’s Retreat right now, we hope you can take the time to add a bit more bliss to your life in whatever way you choose. Self love comes in all different shapes and sizes but the one thing it has in common is that it starts with you. We hope some of our ideas and laughs and wellness retreat additions are something you can incorporate into your everyday life... love Zoë xxx
Here’s what some of our amazing guests had to say about their personalised bliss experience and why they want to come back.
