Today is the release date of Judith Lasater’s new book on restorative yoga Restore and Rebalance: Yoga for Deep Relaxation by Shambhala! In honor of this important occasion (you know how essential we think stress management is for healthy aging), I thought I’d ask Judith to tell us a little something about her latest book.
(To see three excerpts from the book, check out my post Three Excerpts from "Restore and Rebalance".)
Nina: Judith, your seminal book on restorative yoga Relax and Renew was released in 1995. What made you decide to write a follow-up book to it?
Judith: I wrote Restore and Rebalance because it had been since 1993 that I wrote Relax and Renew, and I had learned a lot teaching Restorative yoga teacher trainings since 2001. For example, I have learned that people need at least 20 minutes to rest deeply. I have learned that it is increasingly difficult for people to be still. I have learned that Restorative yoga, or a similar practice of absolute stillness, is no longer an option in today’s world. We all need to disconnect with the world, and reconnect with ourselves every day in a position of deep ease if we are going to be able to act with compassion and clarity in our lives.
Nina: How does Restore and Rebalance complement Relax and Renew, and how would you recommend that readers use the two books together?
Judith: Relax and Renew introduces Restorative yoga and offers practice sequences based on conditions such as pregnancy, headaches, jet lag, and lower back pain. Restore and Rebalance is organized around the three main types of Restorative poses: poses in which the head is above the heart, poses in which the head and the heart are on the same level, and poses in which the head is below the level of the heart. These three basic positions have different effects on the brain, so we can choose the effect by choosing the pose.
A few of the poses from Relax and Renew are repeated but the propping is quite different in my second book. Finally, the new book has some Restorative inversions, like Supported Shoulder Stand, which the first book does not. I use Relax and Renew for my Level 1 Restorative yoga Teachers’ Training and Restore and Rebalance for Level 2.
Nina: What is your personal restorative yoga practice like these days? How often do you practice and what types of poses do you do?
Judith: About half of my daily practice is made up of supported poses, such as Supported Shoulder Stand and Viparita Karani, plus supported forward bends and supported backbends. Most days I practice my Savasana at a different time in the day, especially mid-afternoon when I am feeling a little draggy.
Nina: That’s very interesting about practicing Savasana at a different time of day. I hope hearing that will allow people to think outside the box a bit about that pose (and other restorative poses).
Now can you tell us, if someone wants to get started with restorative yoga, how would you recommend that they begin? Can you recommend a basic set of poses for beginners?
Judith: Start with Savasana. It is “the Tadasana” of Restorative yoga. Start with doing a 20-minute Savasana. This pose is taught in both books. In Relax and Renew there are suggestions given for short to medium to long practices with an appropriate sequence for each.
Nina: For those of us who have been practicing restorative yoga for many years, what are your new ideas for us?
Judith: For experienced practitioners, there is new propping shown for a few of the poses from Relax and Renew, and there are new inversions. And the science of relaxation has revealed more and more healthy benefits for reducing our stress. One of the interesting things I have learned is that sleep and rest are not the same things. Of course they overlap, but we need both of these distinct physiological states. We have all experienced waking up in the morning and not feeling rested. We need to rest every day and to improve our sleep hygiene as well: create darkness and don’t stare at a screen, go to bed by 10, and avoid alcohol and caffeine as much as you can, especially late at night.
Nina: Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?
Judith: Restorative yoga is magic. And the magic is, it doesn’t work if you don’t do it. Jai!
You can order Restore and Rebalance from Amazon, Shambhala, Indie Bound, or your favorite local bookstore.
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