rest easy

Incorporate restorative into your daily routine with these 10 easy poses Rest Easy HOME PRACTICE When life is at its most demanding, it’s hard to imagine finding a little extra room for relaxation. But that’s just when you most need to set aside time in your personal practice to get centered, says teacher Judith Han- son Lasater, a pioneer of restorative yoga. The sequence that she’s crafted here will help you do just that. These simple supported poses will gradually bring your attention deep inside, preparing you to rest completely in a luxurious Savasana (Corpse Pose) for 20 minutes. Lasater ticks off enough benefits to convince even the most time-pressed and stressed skeptic to add this project to the to-do list. “When you do restor- ative yoga,” she says, “you’ll stop having the consistent pain of fatigue that we ignore or hide with caffeine. You’ll begin to feel more patient. You won’t react as quickly.” In essence, Lasater believes that you will function more efficiently and effectively. Plus, she adds, you’re guaranteed to love the feeling of deep relaxation. “Never in my many years of teaching has anyone ever told me that they got into a relaxed state and didn’t want to go back to it,” she says. To surrender completely in Savasana or in any other restorative pose, set a timer for 20 minutes. Try not to judge yourself if you feel antsy or your mind races. Allow your thoughts to float by and come back to your intention to surrender. Most of all, try to build a habit of resting by incorporating­­ restor- ative yoga sequences into your regular routine, or even doing just one 15-min- ute pose each day. “Animals rest, babies rest, and civilized cultures rest,” Lasater says. “So, what’s the best thing we can do for our health? Absolutely nothing.” ANDREA FERRETTI before you begin after you finish RELAX Spend a few moments disengag- RELAX AGAIN It takes at least 20 min- ing from the busyness of life by sitting utes of rest to quell your body’s “fight or quietly with your eyes closed for 5 min- flight,” or stress, response, so be sure to utes while you breathe slowly and deeply. stay in Savasana for 20 minutes or more. Afterward, notice how you feel. Has your PREPARE Collect the props that this heart rate slowed down and your breath sequence requires—two blankets, a deepened? Do you feel calmer and more block, and a bolster (or more blankets grounded? Observe how you cannot be if you don’t have a bolster)—and find a relaxed and anxious at the same time. room where you will not be disturbed. Close the door, adjust the temperature REPEAT Practice this series at least once to ensure that you’ll be warm enough in a week to help you let go and live well. long-held poses, and begin.

| 2 | Rest Easy HOME PRACTICE 1 (Standing Forward Bend) 1 Set the intention of beginning a calming ritual. Stand with your feet a foot apart and exhale as you fold forward, holding on to your elbows. Keep your lower back slightly arched and your abdomen firm to stabilize your back as you fold. Stay for 5 to 10 breaths and inhale to come up, keeping your back arched and the belly active. Repeat 1 more time.

2 Cat-Cow Pose Rest on your hands and knees. Slowly exhale as you drop your head and round your entire spine into flexion. Stay for a moment, inviting the belly organs to lift up against the spine. Then inhale as you release them down and come into an arch (as pictured). When you flex, make sure that you lift “out” of the shoulder joints; when you arch, make sure that you drop your midback down below the 2 shoulder blades. Repeat 10 times.

3 Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor and paral- lel, heels near your hips. With an exha- lation, slowly curl up from the tailbone into Bridge Pose. Interlock your fingers under your body, and press your arms down as you tuck your shoulders underneath you. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths, release your arms, and roll down through your 3 spine. Take a couple of breaths and repeat, changing the clasp of your hands by inter- locking your fingers with the opposite thumb on top.

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4 Crisscross Backbend Fold two blankets so that they are approximately 7.5 inches wide, 28 inches long, and 5 inches deep 4 (adjust the dimensions if they don’t feel right for your height). Lay the blankets on your mat in the shape of a cross. Sit at the end of one blanket with your feet flat on the floor and lie back so that the other blanket brings your midback into an arch. Your head will hang back slightly; your throat will open. Bring your arms out to the sides and breathe long, easy breaths. Release your belly and close your eyes. Stay for 1 to 3 minutes. 5

5 (Bound Angle Pose) Sit on the floor and bend your knees, placing the soles of your feet together. Let your knees fall to the side. Drop your chin and breathe slowly for 2 full minutes.

6 Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) Place a block on the floor with one end of a bolster on top of it, so that the bolster is at a 30-degree angle to the floor. Sit in Baddha Kona- sana in front of the low end of the bolster and lie back. Place a blanket behind your head and support your outer legs and elbows with more blankets or small pillows. Cover your eyes and rest 6 for 10 minutes, paying attention to your breath. To come out, bring your knees together and roll slowly to the side.

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7 Salamba Upavistha Konasana (Supported Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend) 7 After you sit up, turn around, take your legs wide apart, and rest your chest on the bolster. Turn your head to one side for 1 minute, then to the other side for 1 minute. Make sure that you keep your legs straight, your knees slightly engaged, and your kneecaps pointing upward. Become aware of your breath with- out trying to change it, close your eyes, and relax.

8 Reclining Twist Lie back, bend your knees, and place your feet on the outer edges of your mat. Exhale and drop your knees to the right so that your left knee drops into the arch of your right foot. Let your left pelvis and shoulder follow the twist, letting them lift up natu- rally. Stretch your left arm on a diagonal above your ear to feel a stretch along your left side. Then bring the knees to center and do the other side. 8

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9 Salamba (Supported Child’s Pose) 9 End your active work by sitting in Child’s Pose. Spread your knees and bring the elevated bolster used in Step 7 between your legs. If necessary, place a folded blanket on top to help support your rounded spine. Hold for 1 or 2 minutes, spending equal time with your head turned to each side.

10 Savasana (Corpse Pose) Lie on your back in Savasana with a folded blanket supporting your head, neck, and the tops of your shoulders. Place a bolster under your knees and a rolled blanket under your Achilles tendons. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Cover your eyes with an eye pillow or a soft cloth, and cover up with a blanket to stay warm. Take a long inhalation and an equally long exhalation through your nose. Do this 20 times. Do not cheat yourself by skipping the most power- ful de-stressing pose—stay 20 minutes! When you are done, roll to one side and sit up slowly. 10

photos: RORY EARNSHaW; MODEL: ELIZABETH ROSSER; STYLIST: JESSICA HANSEN/ARTisTs’ SERVICES; HAIR/MAKEUP: MILES BERDACHE/ARTISTs’ SERVICES

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