Restorative Yoga
20-Hour Teacher Training
Restorative yoga is often described as a practice of deep rest, but after decades of teaching it, I understand it as something more nuanced: a practice of regulation.
Using stillness, breath and the intelligent support of props, we create conditions in which the body no longer has to work so hard to hold itself up, brace, anticipate or respond. The practice is deliberately receptive. Rather than asking more of the body, we reduce demand and allow the nervous system time to settle, reorganize and find its way toward greater equilibrium.
There is tremendous wisdom in that.
We live in bodies designed to move between states of activation and rest, effort and recovery, engagement and withdrawal. Restorative practice helps us become more fluent in those transitions. Over time, we begin to recognize the difference between collapse and genuine rest, between stillness and shutdown, and between simply stopping and actually feeling supported enough to let go.
This 20-hour training is an immersion in both the practice and the craft of teaching restorative yoga. We will explore not only how to construct and sequence restorative postures, but why they work: the relationship between stress and relaxation, the nervous system and vagal regulation, breath, the psoas, and the energetic dimensions of practice.
A significant part of our time will be devoted to the practical intelligence of teaching. We will work closely with bolsters, blankets, blocks and straps, learning how to read individual bodies and adapt postures rather than relying on a single idealized shape. We will explore sequencing, pacing, transitions, mindful touch and non-verbal communication, as well as the subtler art of creating an environment in which another person can genuinely settle.
Restorative yoga may be taught as a complete practice or woven intelligently into other forms of yoga and wellness work. Throughout the training, we will look at both—giving teachers a deeper understanding of the practice itself and the confidence to use it responsively with the people in front of them.
The training combines lecture and discussion with daily restorative practice, hands-on exploration, partnering and teaching experience. It is designed for yoga teachers and wellness professionals who want to expand the depth and range of their work, as well as dedicated practitioners who want a more sophisticated understanding of restorative yoga.
I have taught and trained teachers in restorative practice for many years, and what continues to interest me is that the work is deceptively simple. Rest is not the absence of practice. It is a capacity we can cultivate—and learning how to create the conditions for it is a skill.
Course Topics
Restorative Yoga: Principles + Practice
Relaxation, Stress + Nervous System Regulation
The Vagus Nerve + Polyvagal Theory
The Psoas Connection
Prana + Energetic Anatomy
Breath + Pranayama
Restorative Postures + Individual Adaptation
The Intelligent Use of Props
Sequencing + Pacing
Integrating Restorative Yoga into Hatha + Vinyasa Practice
Mindful Touch + Non-Verbal Communication
The Art of Holding Space
20 Continuing Education hours available for eligible Yoga Alliance teachers.
Want an introduction?
Restorative Yoga Fundamentals
This 5-hour training is a perfect introduction to the essentials of Restorative Yoga and offers the clarity required to facilitate a true restorative yoga “experience”. Participants will learn the fundamentals of what makes this style of yoga a unique and effective modalilty for releasing mind-body tension, and they will gain hands-on, practical experience in utilizing yoga props (blocks, blankets, bolsters, sandbags, straps, eye pillows) to create the ultimate conditions for deep rest.
Course Topics:
Foundational Restorative Yoga Theory - Relaxation and the Stress Response -Yogic Breathing and the Autonomic Nervous System- Key Elements of Restorative Yoga Pose Set-up - Holding Space as a Restorative Teacher - Mindful touch and Non-verbal communication
*This program is suitable for yoga teachers, bodyworkers, health professionals, and all students wanting to deepen their understanding of Restorative Yoga.
