Restorative yoga

Restorative work is often confused with yin, and the difference is worth knowing: yin loads connective tissue deliberately, while restorative removes load altogether. Bolsters, blankets and blocks hold the shape for you, so a reclining chest opening or a supported forward fold requires no muscular effort at all. A whole class may contain only four or five shapes.

What it is for is the opposite of training. The aim is to put the nervous system into its resting state and leave it there long enough to matter — in practice, five minutes is the point at which most people stop fidgeting, and the useful part starts after that. It is the most appropriate practice during illness recovery, in burnout, during heavy work weeks, and for anyone who already exercises hard and keeps getting injured.

In a KEO session, restorative shapes carry the last third of a sound session and much of the slower garden practice: knees supported, a blanket over you, nothing to hold. Props are provided and we will build the shape around you rather than asking you to approximate it. If you are told to rest by a doctor but told nothing about how, this is the format to ask for.