Restoration

Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash.

Today I find wonder in restorative yoga.

Last night I couldn't sleep. My body wanted rest but my brain was wide awake. How often does that happen to you? Sleep issues run deep in my family, but luckily this doesn't happen to me very often. When it does, though, boy is it frustrating. And the more you think about how much you need to get to sleep because you'll be so tired the next day, the harder it is to fall asleep! I get into a feedback loop of anxiety that keeps my wheels spinning.

I tried to identify why I was still awake and what my conscious brain needed to address in order to let go of mental alertness. I think there were too many issues to count. So I kept tossing and turning and hoping to fall into sleep with luck or the right position, and finally after 1:30 a.m. I was able to drift away. 

Today, I had to focus on keeping my eyes open for work and drinking enough coffee to propel me through the day. On my lunch break, I didn't do housework because I didn't feel like I could put forth a good enough effort to make it worth it, and I certainly couldn't do any of my typical exercises. So often I focus on exercise that raises my heart rate, makes me sweat, or leaves my muscles sore; I forget that restorative exercises are just as important. For me, they help with flexibility and mobility as well as relaxing tense and tight fascia, a result of stress and postures I hold for too long (like sitting at a desk). 

I did about eight minutes of gentle core work (my baby is over a year old and I am still trying to fully recover from my C section, which is sort of sad and embarrassing because I didn't focus on it enough in the early days when I went back to work, but I've learned that grace with my body is far more important to me than the ability to do certain poses). Then, I did about 40 minutes of restorative yoga (also called yin yoga) where I held postures for longer and was supported by props (a pillow and two blocks). I was able to rest deeply while still gaining benefits from the poses, so it felt more productive than taking a nap. Indeed, instead of waking up from a nap feeling groggy, I sat up from yoga feeling re-energized. It actually did more for me than my morning coffee had done.

I usually opt for a more "active" workout, but today was a good reminder that a gentle session can be just as invigorating. I've forgotten how good restorative yoga feels, and I'll certainly be doing more of it in the weeks to come, because now more than ever, don't we deserve to be a little more gentle with ourselves?

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