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| Hi everyone,
I'm teaching a Restorative class for the first time- I'm on my second eight-week session. I don't have advanced training in Restorative Yoga but I love the teaching and the practice of Restorative Yoga, and know quite a few basic poses. However, I find myself struggling with what I am teaching in my sessions. Mostly I am struggling with a feeling that I don't know enough asanas to provide a greater variety, and that I don't know enough variations on the asanas I do teach. I get wonderful feedback from this class and have had returning students. I want to be able to continue to offer them new variations and help them discover deeper levels of the asanas.
I would love to hear others' thoughts about teaching a restorative class and maybe some resources for asanas and meditations. Thank you!
Namaste!
Edited by St. Paul Yogini 2006-02-03 5:34 PM
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| I'm probably not going to be a wealth of information for you but I used to take a regular restorative yoga class once a week taught by my Iyengar instructor, so I just assumed the class was the restorative side of Iyengar. We didn't too lots of poses within the hour since Iyengar uses lots of props.
Anyway, good luck ~
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| Judith Lasater has a great book about restorative yoga, I'm sure it will be full of great ideas!
For a restorative class, you don't need a TON of variety, because you want to give the students time to settle into the poses and allow their bodies to completely relax. What you may wish to do instead is offer a different "theme" or focus for each session. Since Valentine's is coming up, you could build on the theme of love - breathing love and compassion into all areas of your body. That could be really powerful! Or with spring coming up, renewal and rebirth would be a great focus.
Be creative! It's great to get fun ideas from others, but use them to spark what is in your own heart. Find something meaningful for you, and your students can't help but respond to the positive energy.
Good luck and let us know how it goes! |
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| Thank you both for your thoughts! Expert Yogi, I really appreciate the encouragement to go with what inspires me and to use the energy of the holidays and seasons ...I did do a death/rebirth theme around Halloween also that went over very well with my regular (non-restorative) class. I will also pick up Judith Lasater's book. Thank you so much for the feedback. I am so grateful for this community and this resource!
Namaste-
Lucinda |
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| St. Paul
Iyengar books usually have lots of good restorative variations. Yoga The Iyengar Way, Iyengar Yoga a Holistic Approach, and Cool Yoga Tricks are just a few I can think of off the top of my head. Also Paul Grilley's Yin Yoga book is pretty good.
You need to practice it before you teach it. So perhaps you need to stay home a couple of nights a week and break out all your props and come up with some new ideas. Go take some restorative classes from other teachers and steal some ideas.
Think about how you would normally structure a class. There are Standing poses first, so that's where you should start. Then think about back bends, forward bends, twists, hip openers, balances and inversions. Think about a good set of poses that involves one (or two) from each group. Then figure out the restorative variation. Multiply by eight and you have your eight week session all planned out.
Don't forget pranayama. A good restorative class should have some good pranayama and meditation.
Hope this helps.
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| You've got to get the Iyengar book "Yoga a Holistic Approach" which I noticed Yogaguy also recommended. They have it on Amazon.com for a great price. It shows many great poses, with tons of modifications to make them more therapeutic and/or restorative. It also lists ailments in the back, like depression or heart conditions, and gives you routines that help that problem. It's truly a great book. You'll need some props though, like pillows or bolsters and blocks and straps. |
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| Many many thanks to all of you. Yogaguy, YogaMommy, your comments were very helpful. I really appreciate all of you recommending specific books and techniques. It is such a wonderful journey to facilitate the opening of my students' bodies and minds in the restorative poses. I look forward to learning more from these books and from all of you on the forum.
Namaste!  |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 1738
   
Location: right where I'm supposed to be | I teach a few restorative classes. Was sort of thrust into it at first. My client base was between 55-70. You just have to be creative. I rarely put any stress on their major joints. I modify all poses to the least. I go SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. Build a class theme on deep stretching, real deep. I use aromatherapy and depending on class size, so some meridian point massage with essential oils.
Gives them this totally relaxing experience that stimulates all the senses.
Mishy
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Restorative Class Needs Focus
