We’ve all heard the axiom: no pain, no gain.
Our culture conditions us to believe that growth — in any realm — requires sacrifice, pain, constantly pushing our limits, and extending beyond our comfort zone.
In my own workouts, I like the intensity of heavy lifting and pushing my edge to see my true capacity. I often get caught up in the belief that if I’m not feeling a certain muscle working, then I’m doing something wrong.
As a yoga teacher and trauma-informed coach, I often tell my students that yoga isn’t the full solution. I encourage them to get under a barbell and lift.
And at my CrossFit gym, I advocate for yoga.
People at my CrossFit gym proclaim that they’re “too intense” for yoga. But for people who are used to being always on the move, Restorative Yoga can be its own type of intense — a “heavy lift” for mindset.
For some, it feels like a waste of time; an indulgence they can’t afford amidst the demands of a busy and hectic life.
But it’s those very same people who benefit the most from practices like Restorative Yoga.
What Is Restorative Yoga?
In truth, all yoga can be restorative and rehabilitative, so it’s crucial to be clear on what we’re talking about here.
When we’re talking about Restorative Yoga, we are referring to a specific practice in which we use props like blankets, bolsters, blocks, and straps to support every joint and muscle in a pose. Sometimes we also use sandbags to help ground the body and eye masks to reduce light.
Why Restorative Yoga Is So Hard
In a culture of doing, restorative yoga is the radical and revolutionary act of being.
If you have an overactive mind that likes to release itself through intense physical effort (as I do), surrendering to a pose without sensation feels weird.
The stillness and silence can be intense and overwhelming for nervous systems perpetually locked in flight or fight mode.
The Value of Restorative Yoga For CrossFit Athletes
We often cycle between hyper-arousal and exhaustion, never getting true restoration. And many of the things we do for “recovery” often aren’t as restorative as we think they are.
For example, although a massage or body work offers many benefits and can feel good in the moment, deep tissue work can trigger muscle guarding, a protective reflex in which surrounding muscles tighten to stabilize and protect an irritated area.
Sleep is vital to the body’s repair mechanisms, but we aren’t conscious of our position when we sleep. Most people have had the experience of waking up with pain in a shoulder, arm, or neck after sleeping in an awkward position.
In a Restorative Yoga practice, we take care to prop the body for its comfort, assuring that all bones and joints are aligned and supported.
Contrary to some beliefs, this isn’t about getting a deeper stretch — or any stretch at all. The props remove muscular effort to induce deep relaxation, creating the conditions in which the body can facilitate its own healing.
Research shows that Restorative Yoga positively influences autonomic nervous system function and helps regulate the body’s stress response. With the body fully supported, the nervous system can finally enter the parasympathetic state known as rest and digest.
For many athletes, restorative yoga may support recovery more effectively than many of the supplements they rely on.
The deep rest state achieved during a Restorative Yoga practice triggers unique restorative biological processes such as reducing cortisol, improving immune function, and supporting the body’s natural repair mechanisms.
With its emphasis on conscious deep relaxation, Restorative Yoga restores equilibrium, improves circulation and delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscles after intense exercise, and invites fuller respiration at a cellular level, supporting cellular function.
Restorative yoga is conscious re*hab*ilitation — a practice that helps us find safety in our bodies so we can return home to ourselves.
Create Conditions For Optimal Performance
Optimal performance isn’t just a function of training harder or doing more; recovery and restoration are also part of the picture.
When the body is integrated and the nervous system is regulated, everything functions more effectively.
When I come back to my lifting after a Restorative Yoga session, I feel better and I lift better.
If you’re conditioned to the hectic pace of life or used to pushing your edge, Restorative Yoga might feel challenging at first. It feels like you’re “doing nothing” — because that’s what’s happening. But while you’re “doing nothing,” a lot of repair is happening under the surface.
Consider that this practice of being might just be your version of a “heavy lift.” Like every other skill, it requires training to master.
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