Restorative yoga

Restorative yoga is the practice of arranging the body in fully supported shapes, usually with bolsters, blankets and blocks, and staying there for several minutes while the nervous system settles. Unlike most exercise, the goal is not effort but the absence of it, every part of the body should feel held rather than working.

A typical session covers only a handful of poses in an hour, since the value comes from duration and stillness rather than variety. Supported reclined bound angle, supported child's pose and legs-up-the-wall are common anchors, each set up so a person could comfortably stay for five to ten minutes without any part of the body bracing.

It suits home practice particularly well because it needs no space to move and very little equipment, just one or two firm props used well. A common mistake is rushing the setup, since a restorative pose that still requires small adjustments after settling in has not actually been supported yet, it just looks like a resting shape from the outside.