| Restorative Yoga goes beyond remedial yoga. It is the | | | | next. In summer she tended to feel better but as soon |
| pathway to a very deep and profound self healing. | | | | as winter began she would start to feel low and ill. She |
| Remedial Yoga works with people who have had | | | | began to notice that she was sensitive to wheat and |
| specific injuries and helps them rebuild the function | | | | that her tummy didn't quite cope with eating late at |
| where the injury was whilst keeping the rest of their | | | | night or very spicy dishes anymore. It just seemed to |
| body mobilised. Restorative Yoga is also for people | | | | struggle to cope with whatever she put in it. Her |
| who have been ill or injured and are in their recovery | | | | energy got even lower and her spirits just wouldn't lift |
| period - but very specifically it is for people who are | | | | as she looked forward to a life of coping and |
| highly stressed and recognise that their levels of stress | | | | struggling against feeling so poorly. Her doctor told her |
| are affecting their body and their health badly. | | | | she was depressed and prescribed antidepressants |
| A typical example of someone who would benefit | | | | for her. She also discovered that her blood pressure |
| from Restorative Yoga is a person who is becoming | | | | was higher than it had ever been before and was |
| burnt out through their lifestyle and the particular | | | | warning her like the red light flashing on the dashboard |
| demands it has. They probably would have been | | | | of the car - her petrol was about to run out! |
| chronically stressed for some time and their bodies will | | | | Angela hated taking the anti-depression medication and |
| be giving a lot of signals saying that it is getting too | | | | really wanted to do something to help herself. This |
| tired and depleted to carry on like this. They may have | | | | was when she came across Restorative Yoga and |
| been told they have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ME or | | | | also began to see a herbal specialist who gave her |
| fibromyalgia and warned against the perils of carrying | | | | some gentle natural remedies to support her very tired |
| on their current lifestyle. | | | | body and weakened systems as she did her new |
| As the body moves into this chronic state of stress | | | | yoga practice. Restorative Yoga enabled her body to |
| and the systems such as the digestive system, the | | | | find a place of rest and balance again. For a short time |
| immune system and the cardio vascular system get | | | | every week Angela let her body be supported and |
| more and more overloaded they stop working well. Bit | | | | very gently put into positions that opened her rib cage, |
| by bit the person finds that they have a whole series | | | | stretched her spine and eased her digestive system. |
| of small health problems which then escalate into | | | | She learnt how to mediate while she was resting in the |
| something more serious. For example, Angela got | | | | various poses that were right for her body. She also |
| divorced 6 years ago and because she had to work | | | | learnt how to breathe fully, yet gently, using all her lung |
| so hard to try to keep up payments on her mortgage | | | | capacity. Her body, which had been deprived of |
| she was constantly worried and scared - but also | | | | enough oxygen for so long with her shallow breathing |
| physically tired running a job, seeing to her children and | | | | pattern, responded very quickly as it absorbed the vital |
| grandchild and keeping the house and garden under | | | | energy in the air. Her skin tone improved, her digestion |
| control. A couple of years later her mother became ill | | | | strengthened and her heart rate calmed down as her |
| and needed nursing and attention and Angela found | | | | body's nervous system realised that it didn't have to |
| the energy from somewhere to give her mother the | | | | be in fight or flight mode every day. She taught her |
| support she needed. However that was when she | | | | body that sometimes it is OK to be working at high |
| had her first asthma attack. After that she was | | | | gear - but when that time is over it is time to go back |
| always a bit worried that she would have another one | | | | to a balanced state of mind and body. |
| and noticed that she quite often felt dizzy. Her doctor | | | | Angela is one of many people who have found their |
| told her she needed to take it easier but that seemed | | | | way back to health through practicing Restorative |
| out of the question to Angela given what was | | | | Yoga and allowing the body to find its own 'inner |
| happening in her life. The following year she caught a | | | | healer'. Talk to your Yoga teacher or have a look for |
| very bad cold and that turned to bronchitis. Leaving her | | | | a specialist in Restorative Yoga near you if you |
| weak and ever more fatigued she then caught a | | | | recognise yourself in Angela's story. Your body will |
| series of flu viruses throughout that winter and the | | | | love you for it! |