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Sometimes we get exactly what we need exactly when we need it. I’ve been tired, hot, under the weather and to beautifully coincide with this the Gaiam yoga club gave me a week of forward folding and restorative postures.
Forward folds, by their very nature are passive. Gravity helps us to stretch the muscle groups in our legs and lower backs. By letting go and handing the pose over to gravity and the breath we can go much deeper than we think we can and in the process let go of tension and pain. These postures are lessons in patience though, they cannot be forced, they cannot be rushed. We have to sit with them and release gently, slowly and with awareness.
Foward folds are also something that a lot of us find difficult, especially when we are new to yoga. A lifetime in chairs or even of running, walking and cycling without adequate stretching can make our hamstrings tight. Members of my beginners classes often cannot touch their toes at first. Often it alarms them, but usually they make vast improvements in relatively short amounts of time, especially if they practice with patience.
According to the yoga teacher’s bible (Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha) forward bends “loosen up the back, maintaining good health and increasing vitality. These practices move the spine into the position known as the primary curve, the shape it takes in the womb. During a forward bending asana each of the vertebrae is separated, stimulating nerves, improving circulation around the spine and nourishing the spinal cord.”
What’s not to like right? 
In forward folds and other restorative postures (Supta Baddha Konasana, supported Savasana) you will also become aware of the breath slowing down; becoming longer, softer, calmer. And in turn the mind will begin to slow down and the awareness will begin to withdraw, preparing the body for meditation.
In our fast paced society even our yoga practices tend to be strong, sweaty, vigorous. And there is nothing wrong with that. But sometimes our bodies are calling out for some rest, some restoration, some yin. I was lucky enough to get a wake up call via the power of the interwebz at exactly the time when I needed a week off from a strong practice. I need to listen to my body more.
Readers, do you let your bodies restore?
The Gaiam Yoga Club is currently running two memberships – US$25 per month or US$65 per quarter (which saves you US$10). Both packages include a 10 day free trial period.
