WORKSHOP

Rest as Practice:

The Science & Art of Restorative Yoga

About

Rest is not passive. It is a skill, a practice, and a profound physiological reset for the nervous system.

This afternoon workshop offers a deep dive into the practice of Restorative Yoga, drawing from the lineage of Judith Hanson Lasater—one of the world’s most influential teachers of restorative practice—whose approach has shaped how this method is understood and taught globally.

Rooted in Iyengar-informed prop use, applied physiology, and nervous system regulation, this session explores how carefully supported postures can guide the body into a state of true rest—where holding, doing, and effort begin to dissolve.

You’ll be guided through a series of fully supported restorative postures designed to cultivate down-regulation, ease, and integration after the morning’s exploration of tension release work. Together, these sessions form a powerful pairing: first understanding release, then learning how to rest into what is released.

This is an invitation to slow down in a way that is structured, intentional, and deeply nourishing.

For yoga teachers, therapists, and dedicated students, this workshop also offers an opportunity to receive continuing education credit (Yoga Alliance CECs) and deepen your understanding of how rest itself can be taught as a therapeutic skill.

Objectives

  • Understand the principles of restorative yoga and its physiological effects on the nervous system

  • Learn how props create conditions for true muscular and mental release

  • Explore the difference between relaxation and restorative practice

  • Experience a guided restorative sequence for deep nervous system down-regulation

  • Understand how rest supports recovery, resilience, and emotional integration

  • Develop skills to offer restorative shapes safely and effectively in teaching contexts

What We’ll Cover

  • Foundations of restorative yoga and its roots in Iyengar-informed practice

  • The science of rest: parasympathetic activation and stress reduction

  • Principles of support: how props create safety and ease in the body

  • Sequencing restorative postures for integration and recovery

  • The role of breath in deep rest states

  • How restorative yoga complements active practice, therapy, and daily life

Who This Is For

This workshop is ideal for:

  • Yoga practitioners seeking deep rest and nervous system support

  • Students attending the morning “Science of Tension Release” workshop

  • Yoga teachers and trainees seeking Yoga Alliance continuing education credit

  • Anyone experiencing fatigue, stress, or overstimulation

  • Practitioners interested in the therapeutic applications of restorative yoga

  • Those drawn to slow, supported, and meditative practice

No prior restorative experience is required. All levels are welcome.

What to Expect

  • A 2-hour fully supported restorative yoga practice

  • Gentle guidance into long-held, prop-supported postures

  • Emphasis on stillness, breath, and nervous system regulation

  • A quiet, spacious, and deeply nourishing environment

  • Optional integration of insights from morning session

What to Bring

  • Comfortable clothing, a yoga mat, 2 blankets and willingness to rest.
    Additional props will be provided and also offered for sale.

Continuing Education

This workshop is eligible for Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Credit (CECs) for yoga teachers.