Restorative Yoga

Hi everyone! As the teacher of Restorative yoga every Sunday, I just wanted to give Restorative a shout-out on the Vibe Yoga blog!

Why make the time for Restorative Yoga?

Our personal well-being can suffer if we don't take time for relaxation. A stress reaction is a very physiological, as well as psychological, result of our interpretation of the world. Dislike for a boss, anger at a friend, being too overwhelmed with this or that to get enough sleep creates stress reactions. These are commonly known stressors, but they can actually be categorized as distress, or bad stress. The same harmful stress reactions occur with eustress, or good stress. A new relationship, planning a wedding, or preparing for a new baby also create stress reactions in our bodies and minds.

Regardless of type, any stress can take a toll on each and every one of us as we move through our day-to-day lives. Judith Lasater, author of Relax and Renew states that "a life lived on overload affects health, sexual function, reproduction, relationships, job performance, athletic performance, and most important, one's sense of self."

Don't worry, there is a simple solution to creating a more well-rounded well being: Relaxation! Relaxation is the antidote to stress reactions. As I hinted at earlier, the mind and body are very connected. Stress in one creates stress in the other, thus, relaxing one will, in turn, help relax the other. I think this is the premise of Restorative yoga, and this is how I teach each Sunday evening: as a relaxation, rejuvenation, and renewal for mind and body.

What can I expect?

In each of my Restorative classes, I strive to create an atmosphere of peace: low, relaxing music, candlelight, and tons of props! I usually start with some simple, gentle movements—some spinal stretching and twisting, one downward dog, some lengthening of normally tight muscles. I like to do this to work out the restlessness, fidgety-ness, and busy-ness of our bodies, to warm the muscles and create space in the body to prepare for relaxation. Then we can settle in.

There are a handful of key Restorative poses. I try to mix these up a little, but there is so much benefit in them already. I figure, why reinvent the wheel? In these poses, which we stay in for 5-10 minutes each, props are used to provide comfort and support. Props include blankets, to bolsters blocks, to straps.

What is Restorative yoga?

Yoga is and has always been about more than asanas. Yoga is used in India to prepare the body for meditation, so one can meditate without distraction, without the nagging neck stiffness or restlessness legs. What about preparing the mind for relaxation? Every one of us has a mind that can run rampant if allowed, thinking of this, worrying about that, regretting this, thinking "I need to do" that. It's exhausting! Yoga itself is about stilling the mind to bring rest. Rest is different than sleep. Being able to rest quietly in the present moment is the ultimate goal of Restorative yoga.

With time and practice, you will be rewarded with the ability to drop with ease into a place of deep contentment—both on and off your mat.

I am committed to help you along in your process of relaxation training and exploration of mind and body relaxation, renewal, and rejuvenation in Restorative yoga. I am ALWAYS open to feedback to improve my class for you, so feel free to let me know what you do like, don't like, and want more of!

See you all on Sunday!

Best and Namaste,

Brenna*

Engaged On All Levels by Beth Kreitl

In yoga we often talk about connection of mind, body and spirit. We work to bring a conscious effort to that union throughout our practice. Imagine a teacher blending humor, spirit, and physical challenge in a way that invites this beautiful connection. This was my personal experience of taking a Master class with Janet Stone. 

It was nearly a year ago, and I had just completed one of the most wonderful and demanding experiences of my life. I had just completed my 200-hour yoga teacher certification. I was mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted, yet excited and hopeful.

I stepped into a warm, spacious studio in Chicago, full of eager students. Janet created a sense of community between us right away as we circled closely around her and chanted to Ganesha. From there she led us through a practice that artfully connected poses in a way that asked us to dig deep on every level. She encouraged us to call to mind our obstacles; she requested that we listen to our bodies instead of our egos; she created a space to laugh as she playfully integrated her “west coast humor.”

So the invitation is to consider what you need today. Perhaps you need to rejuvenate your practice. Perhaps you need a deliberate chance to connect deeply to yourself. Perhaps you need to work through difficulties on a physical level. Perhaps you need to explore humor as part of your yoga practice. Perhaps you need it all. This class may be just that opportunity.

Roots by Lauren Znachko

I have been to Yoga classes in Australia, Chicago, Costa Rica, New York and Toronto. I have spread my mat on many lawns, beaches, porches, canyons and hotel rooms. I have sprung a down dog in gas station parking lots, buddhist temples, living room floors and yes, even in the shower. But no matter if I find the the most enlightened guru or the the most serene view, I will always say that my yoga roots started in a little studio in Bloomington, Indiana called Vibe.

Ignite Power. Infuse Energy. Inspire Peace. If you have ever read these phrases on the website or worn a tank top with a portion of it printed across the front, then you have participated in some sacred moments not only in my personal practice, but in the practice of an entire community. Laura Patterson offered me a job behind the desk at the studio before I even knew what Vibe was. In typical fashion of a recent IU graduate I was not quite ready to leave but not entirely sure how to stay in this magical little town of Bloomington. But behind the desk at Vibe I was given the opportunity have a stake in something I believed in, to invest in something burgeoning and to invite the many joyful and weary spirits that walked through the door every day for class. When Laura asked me to help create a tag line for what Vibe was as a community it was not difficult to find potent and true words to match my experience.

Although I spent many hours on my mat in the studio at Vibe, I also spent a lot of time sweeping the floors at Vibe. Although I attended my first teacher training at Vibe, I also observed every day the talented and compassionate teachers that came to teach class. While I lived in Bloomington, Vibe was more than just a place to practice, and it was much more than the place where I worked. My experience at Vibe ignited a power in my practice on my mat. It infused me with an energy to pursue that practice off of my mat. And it inspired with the peace that when it was time to leave and grow, I had what I needed.

So, maybe you can imagine how great it feels for me to come back to Vibe. After time away of travel, training, and practice, it feels like a true experience of yoga to return--the union of a dream and a manifestation of that dream. 

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